Richmond-based law firm celebrates Earth Day

In celebration of Earth Day, a Richmond-based law firm has planned multiple interactive Earth Day events in four cities across the country, including Richmond.

Hunton Andrews Kurth announced the events on April 21, one day before the 53rd annual Earth Day.

“Our firm is committed to supporting the communities in which we live and work, and Earth Day is an important moment to focus on our environmental impact, Hunton Andrews Kurth partner Kerry L. McGrath said.

McGrath is co-chair of Hunton Andrews Kurth’s Firm Green committee, which is tasked with improving the firm’s environmental stewardship and energy efficiency while reducing its carbon footprint.

In Richmond, the firm is coordinating a volunteer planting event later this month with Capital Trees, a public-private partnership in Virginia’s capital that aims to create a greener and more livable city. Past projects have included rehabilitating the Low Line by creating the Low Line Gardens, which serves as a buffer for the James River watershed along the Virginia Capital Trail.

“We are also grateful for Hunton’s participation in a volunteer event on May 20, during which employees will be planting native grasses at the Low Line Gardens along the Virginia Capital Trail and Kanawha Canal in Richmond.”

— Capital Trees Executive Director Shelly Barrick Parsons

Capital Trees Executive Director Shelly Barrick Parsons told Virginia Lawyers Weekly that Hunton Andrews Kurth’s Richmond office will be coordinating a volunteer planting event at the Low Line Gardens.

“We are thrilled that Hunton Andrews Kurth is supporting our organization with a generous donation,” Parsons said. “We are also grateful for Hunton’s participation in a volunteer event on May 20, during which employees will be planting native grasses at the Low Line Gardens along the Virginia Capital Trail and Kanawha Canal in Richmond.”

Parsons said the planting project will “increase biodiversity, wildlife habitats and the riparian buffer.”

“Capital Trees’ projects to date and sustainable management of completed projects contribute to health and climate resilient communities,” Parsons said.

Additional Earth Day activations announced by Hunton Andrews Kurth on April 21 include a planting event with City Blossoms in Washington, D.C., a marine debris cleanup day in Miami and a giveaway in Houston in partnership with Trees for Houston.

Per the release, the events fit with the Earth Day theme of “Invest in Our Planet,” which emphasizes the importance of “dedicating our time, resources, and energy to sustainability efforts.”

“This is just one of the many things we do to help continuously improve Hunton Andrews Kurth’s environmental stewardship and sustainability in reducing its environmental footprint,” McGrath said.