Trek Through the Amazon (Spheres)

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Over fall break, I had the wonderful opportunity to travel with my business honors program to Seattle. While we were there, we toured various corporate headquarters, one of which was Amazon. Arguably the coolest part of our tour was visiting the Amazon Spheres, three spherical conservatories that house over 40,000 plants and serve as a workspace for employees.



          Amazon’s mission in building the Spheres was to connect people to nature in an urban environment and allow people to take advantage of the positive effects of nature, such as higher levels of creativity. The Spheres feature plants from over 30 countries that rotate between a nearby greenhouse. Amazon has a horticulture team dedicated to successfully supporting the biodiversity present in the Spheres.

         As a business student, it is encouraging to see large corporations understand the importance of nature as part of daily life. The Spheres are a great way to improve the 9-5 and allow people to be surrounded by nature, how it is meant to be. While there is lovely nature surrounding Seattle, I did not see many opportunities to see wildlife within the city itself. The Spheres are open for free tours, allowing people to see into an innovative way to bring nature to employees.

          Our conversation on Leopold brought interesting discussion about the role of corporations in nature. Many companies prioritize corporate social responsibility, but Leopold expressed that a “system of conservation based solely on economic self-interest is hopelessly lopsided.” While the Spheres are not a conservation effort, they are an interesting way to reintroduce nature into the city. They were not made with economic gain in mind but rather to provide a great work option for employees. I would love to know how Leopold would react to efforts like these. Personally, I think what Amazon has done with the Spheres is incredible, and I would love to see other businesses think of creative ways to provide people with access to one of the greatest gifts we have – nature!


Side note: Outside of the Amazon Spheres was the cutest dog park and a community banana stand with the kindest “banistas” who hand out free bananas. I highly recommend checking out the Amazon Spheres if you are ever in Seattle!



Until my next adventure,

 

 

Sav

 

 


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