Starter Company Plus Spotlight: Carrington Lauzon
The South Georgian Bay Small Business Enterprise Centre is pleased to welcome a new cohort of 2021 Starter Company Plus participants including Carrington Lauzon of eARTh Revival. eARTh Revival co-creates with nature by growing native plants that help our ecosystem thrive in hopes of regenerating our outdoor spaces. It just so happens that native plants are the solution! They aim to help gardeners and plant enthusiasts beautify their space while contributing to wildlife habitat and participating in biodiversity restoration and responsible land care.
eARTh Revival is a “creator of art made with earth materials and our ecosystems connectivity in mind” and ultimately aspire to bring land care and stewardship practices to the forefront of co-creators. It’s really neat to see how passionate Carrington is about native plants and how she hopes to bring that educational piece forward.
Read on for a brief Q+A with Carrington to learn more.
What is your favourite part about being an entrepreneur?
I am an entrepreneur at heart because I am creative, flexible and I like change!
What inspired you to start your business?
My inspiration comes from the connection we have with the natural world and how our preservation of that connection is so important to all of life.
What takeaways are you looking to get out of the Starter Company Plus program?
The mentorship and resources that the SBEC has provided have been extremely helpful. It is also nice to connect with local entrepreneurs and see how they are building their business.
What services or products do you offer?
I sell Native Plants of Ontario. These perennial plants include wildflowers and grasses.
I also create and sell art. My Earth art is made with natural materials such as pressed flowers, driftwood, glass and shells. I also draw inspiration from wildlife and create painted pieces with watercolour and ink.
Who do you look up to for ideas and inspiration?
Plants, natural landscapes and wildlife are my biggest inspiration. I have been taking courses on ecological landscaping and native plant gardening and my teachers have been amazing! I love to find native plants in the wild as I find their influence on the natural environment humbling.
What is your favourite plant and why?
I love blue vervain for its versatility and unique form. It is a plant that likes wet soil in its natural environment, growing along the edges of rivers, streams and lakes, but does well in more medium moisture soil in a home landscape garden too. It also does well in a container which makes it accessible for people who have balconies or patio spaces. Blue vervain attracts many different types of bees such as the Green Metallic Sweat Bee, and its long blooming period supports insects for many weeks.
How did you come up with the name for your business?
I wanted to incorporate the word Earth into my business name because Earth has the word Art in it. I capitalized art to come up with eARTh. Plants are Earth’s art and gardens are art because we get to create something beautiful (and functional if choosing native plants!). I have also been creating art my whole life and have started selling some of my pieces over the past few years so it seemed like a good metaphor. Revival seemed appropriate as native plants are less commonly sold in big greenhouse nurseries and with the current biodiversity crisis, native plants need a revival.
What is unique about your business?
I grow plants that are native to Ontario. These plants offer the best nutrition and habitat for our wildlife since they have developed together over hundreds of years. Since these plants are slower to grow from seed, most greenhouse nurseries do not grow and sell them. My business aims to educate people to choose native plants over non-native plants and provide appropriate plants for home garden landscapes.
What does success look like to you – when will you know you’ve achieved it?
Success is when you can create some good in the world. I believe I succeed everyday!
What is one important skill every person should have?
Flexibility – life is a constantly changing but wonderful miracle.
What are your favourite local spots to visit on a day off? What do you do there?
Kolapore and Pretty River: Hiking while searching for plants and fungi, biking and rock climbing
What is your favorite weekend trip?
Visiting conservation areas to experience different ecosystems, plants and wildlife.
What crazy activities do you dream of trying someday?
Scuba diving in the ocean – this would be a glimpse into another world! Doing a multi-pitch climb on a mountain. Creating and sowing my own clothes!
What is your favorite book and why?
Braiding Sweetgrass by Robin Wall Kimmerer. She blends ecology and poetic verse into a beautiful, approachable book that makes the reader want to participate in the miracle of life.
Follow along with eARTh Revival and stay in the know.
Website: www.earthrevival.ca
Email: earthrevivalcanada@gmail.com
Facebook: www.facebook.com/earthrevivalcanada
Instagram: www.instagram.com/earth.revival/