The final conservation piece is in place to permanently protect Fairlawn Plantation in north Mount Pleasant, closing the door on development there and allowing the land to be added to the Francis Marion National Forest.

Boeing, Mercedes-Benz Vans, the S.C. State Ports Authority, and now the state Commerce Department all played a role in conserving the site as part of their mitigation plans.

The essays run the gamut in terms of length. Most arrive handwritten, the style of printing shedding light on the writers’ age group and on their innocence. The works haven’t been scrubbed for spelling and grammatical errors either. They are simple and genuine reflections by young school children from throughout the United States who, in the spirit of Martin Luther King Jr., each year voice their hopes and dreams to Hormel Foods.

The company’s African American Resource Group – known as HAARG – has sponsored and coordinated an annual essay contest for primary school children since 2011. It is designed to pay tribute to the fallen civil rights leader by asking children what he and his work mean to them. At the same time, it’s meant to show them they should believe change is possible.

Backed by the Medtronic Foundation, the award program – inspired by MDT co-founder Earl Bakken – is in its fifth year of honoring people who have overcome health challenges with the help of medical technology and are giving back to their communities through charitable service and volunteerism.

This year’s recipients span 10 countries and represent six medical conditions. They each nominate a charity to receive a Medtronic Foundation grant (Learn more about all of the 2017 recipients).

Look inside the Kohler Waste Lab, where we’re asking how industrial waste can be kept out of landfills and transformed into something of value. The Waste Lab’s sole purpose is to imagine and create new uses for clean manufacturing waste. Currently we’re working with foundry dust and sand, green cull, and enamel powder to make kitchen and bathroom tile. But that’s just the beginning. Explore the lab and see what we’re working on at wastelab.kohler.com.

We partnered with Hands on Manila and planted 250 mangroves in Calatagan Batangas! Volunteers ended the day appreciating the importance of a healthy marine ecosystem by snorkeling!

In this issue: World Agroforestry Centre's scientists presented their research findings on the impact of agriculture on climate at COP23; Tony Bartlett discusses the effects agroforestry has had on Northwest Viet Nam; and ICRAF works with Indonesian farmers to cultivate sandalwood as part of the Indonesia Rural Economic Development project. Plus, upcoming events, new videos and publications, and more.

A number of US retailers, including Ahold Delhaize, Albertsons and Target, have joined with global food manufacturers such as Kellogg and Kraft Heinz to form the North American Sustainable Palm Oil Network (NASPON). The aim of the group is to educate and assist North American companies in making and delivering on commitments to source sustainable palm oil.

While remote, the Tucson Proving Ground has a high demand for power with employees working on projects ranging from machine tear downs and builds to welding to office and administrative tasks.

MLK Day of Service is an opportunity to remember history and re-commit ourselves as citizens by volunteering in service to one another. It is also a time to consider how much work still remains to fulfill Dr. King’s dream. We at Common Impact believe service is a powerful tool for strengthening the communities in which we live and work.