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Meet the person behind ZigBear
Nikki Hergert
During a quest to create a more sustainable lifestyle, Nikki began repurposing old flannels into reusable napkins for her lunch bag. This kickstarted a larger craft project that involved a new serger sewing machine and fun fabrics that caught her eye. When her husband and roommates began using the cloth napkins instead of going through rolls of paper towels each month, Nikki realized that she was onto something much bigger. ZigBear ultimately merges together Nikki's love of crafts, sustainable living, trees, and community.
Meet the inspiration for the name
Ziggy and Beary, the beloved bears that go on all of Nikki's and her husband's adventures, fuse together to make ZigBear. In July of 2021, Beary's first big adventure was to Jedediah Smith Redwoods State Park. Soon after, Ziggy was adopted to keep Beary company while Nikki and Jake backpacked Ruby Mountain in the North Cascades. Nikki's love of Redwoods, the bears' participation in all outdoor-related adventures, and Nikki's growing collection of bear figurines served as the perfect inspiration for tree-friendly products.
Why One Tree Planted?
ZigBear is more than just cloth napkins. ZigBear is really about a desire to protect the Earth's resources through daily, sustainable practices, and through supporting reforestation. As the picture on the left shows, Nikki's absolute happy place is in a grove of Redwood trees. Really any tree with the sun filtering through lush, green leaves brings her joy. Nikki wanted to create an opportunity for each purchase to make a difference, but promising to donate a portion of the proceeds didn't seem good enough. One Tree Planted, on the other hand, provides a more tangible impact that is tied to each and every purchase. Take pride in knowing that when you support ZigBear, you are supporting a local business as well as a global effort for reforestation.