St. Pete real estate firm commits to environmental sustainability

A $150,000 donation from Stoneweg US will help restore more than 25,000 acres of native forests and maintain native ecosystems in Florida and in Texas.

Stoneweg US, a multifamily real estate investment and development firm headquartered in St. Petersburg, made the donation in a partnership with  the Arbor Day Foundation, a nonprofit based in Lincoln, Nebraska.

Stoneweg US joined more than 200 major corporations in the Time for Trees initiative, a pledge to plant 100 million trees in forests and communities around the world in 2021.

“We are thrilled to partner with the Arbor Day Foundation whose mission is very much aligned with our own core principles and corporate values,” Patrick Richard, CEO, Stoneweg US, said in a news release.

For the past three years, Stoneweg US has been growing its environmental, social and governance strategy, or ESG, Richard told the St. Pete Catalyst in an interview earlier this year. The company initially focused on water conservation and also is working with the Green Building Initiative on inclusivity, sustainability and reducing its overall carbon footprint.

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The donation by Stoneweg US will allow the foundation to plant 150,000 trees in the Texas Longleaf Pine Forest and the Florida Eglin Air Force Base.

Stoneweg US will enlist its property management partners to help with activation by planting 10 trees for every new and renewed lease that is signed at the 44 participating properties with more than 10,000 apartments.

“The Time for Trees initiative provides an excellent opportunity for us to collaborate with our properties and residents on something that will not only have a positive impact on the environment now, but also for many years to come…which by definition is the essence of sustainability,” said Thomas Stanchak, senior asset manager for Stoneweg US.

The properties will drive awareness with social media campaigns using the hashtag #timefortrees. The partnership is slated to run through the end of 2021.

The Arbor Day Foundation, founded in 1972, has planted more than 400 million trees in neighborhoods, communities, cities and forests.