April 8, 2025 — At Publix, associates are encouraged to be involved as responsible citizens in their communities. Stories like the ones shared below can be found throughout the company.
Helping local students learn about the environment through volunteer projects
Assistant Pharmacy Manager Nicholas Garcia, #575, Marathon, Florida, and his wife have two daughters and volunteer their time to serve as Girl Scout troop co-leaders. They enjoy teaching their troop about the importance of being good stewards of the environment.
Garcia is inspired by the unique community in which he lives, the Florida Keys, and he enjoys being able to share his passion for the environment with local students.
“I’ve been a Girl Scout troop leader for five years,” said Garcia. “It is a great honor and responsibility to be able to inspire them to be good caretakers of the environment and teach them to appreciate the natural world right in their own backyard.”
Garcia has organized volunteer opportunities for his troop to work with local state parks. His troop has worked on projects to plant mangrove trees on vulnerable coastlines, participate in beach cleanups and install bee houses to help with native plant pollination.
Garcia is especially proud to be overseeing a Girl Scout Silver Award project for one of his troop members, who is working to establish a breeding colony of endangered Atala butterflies at Crane Point Hammock Museum & Nature Trails.
“It’s a lot of work raising caterpillars for release and finding and planting the plants the butterflies need to survive,” said Garcia. “It’s a great feeling knowing that I’ve been able to help inspire this student and others to work on a project that has such a positive impact on the environment.”
In addition to leading his Girl Scout troop, Garcia also volunteers at the Marathon Wild Bird Center, helping with animal autopsies on birds that have died due to unusual circumstances. He also conducts bird rescues and helps maintain the enclosures for the rehabilitating birds. Garcia always includes local students as observers so that they can learn about how our actions can affect local wildlife and learn important science lab skills.
‘Buzzing’ with passion for the environment
Senior Retail Accounting Analyst Ellie Marshall uses beekeeping to do her part to help support the variety of plants and trees in her community. She has been managing beehives since 2023 and currently co-owns 17 hives.
“I’m passionate about preserving the honeybee population,” said Marshall. “Honeybees are one of the most important insects because they are a key contributor to pollination and the variety of foods and plants we get to enjoy every day.”
In addition to maintaining her own beehives, Marshall is a board member of the Bartow and Tampa Bay Beekeepers Association as a media coordinator and welcoming committee chairperson. She enjoys being able to share the importance of honeybees through the association’s website, flyers and information packets.
“I’ve set a long-term environmental goal for myself of continuing beekeeping and participating in agritourism as a farmer educating visitors on regenerative farming, a type of farming that focuses on soil health,” Marshall said.
Visit Publix’s corporate social responsibility site to learn more about how the company is focusing on the environment and supporting local communities.