Community Green Leaders Honored in Awards Ceremony
The 3rd Annual Green Living Awards honored eight of more than 80 nominees at an awards ceremony in Marathon last Saturday. Nominees and winners are selected for the work each is doing to conserve natural resources, reduce waste and lessen environmental impact. Sponsored by Green Living & Energy Education (GLEE), the awards raise awareness of what can be done to reduce our impact, as well as honoring those who serve as examples.
Winners of the Green Ambassador Award are determined in an online contest to see who can acquire the most votes in each category: Individuals, Business, Agency/Organization and Local Government. The public is encouraged to vote for the nominee of their choice on the GLEE website, where accomplishments for each are posted. This year more than 5,800 votes were cast.
This years Individual Ambassador Award was presented to Heindrek Allen, a student at Key West High School who is active in the school’s Alternative Energy Center. Allen helped raise over $400,000 for wind turbines and has also raised awareness of the AEC program in the community doing interviews and addressing the school board. He recently convinced the Monroe County School Board to name the program’s wind turbine after Stephen Colbert.
First State Bank of the Florida Keys, known for it’s many green programs and collaborations, won the Ambassador Award for businesses. For the past five years, First State Bank has promoted green strategies that reduce energy usage, reuse resources and increase recycling through example, incentives and education. FSB has contributed over $15,000 to further green efforts in the community by supporting green initiatives and education. FSB has green teams at each branch, where recycling is mandatory and energy audits are performed annually. FSB’s Whitehead Street branch is the first to become certified in GLEE’s Green Business Program, with plans to certify all FSB branches throughout the Keys.
Florida Keys Electric Cooperative again won the Ambassador Award in the agency/organization category, this being the third year. (See accomplishments below)
The City of Key Colony Beach garnered the most votes for the Local Government Award. The city’s police department has instituted both bike and foot patrols to reduce fuel use and plans to purchase more fuel-efficient vehicles in the near future. KCB has installed compact fluorescent bulbs in almost all city locations, and automatic sensors in public rest rooms. Key Colony Beach is actively involved in updating it's entire storm water system and works closely with South Florida Water Management.
Recipients of GLEE's 3rd Annual Green Living Awards (Front row, from left) Geraldine Zahn Vice Mayor of Key Colony Beach; Donald Lanman of First State Bank of the Florida Keys; Annalise Mannix for the City of Key West;Harry Appel and Jennifer DeMaria of Deer Run Bed & Breakfast; Don Baron of Florida Keys Electric Cooperative; and Heindrek Allen of Key West High School Alternative Energy Center. (Back row from left) GLEE Membership Coordinator Carole De Hart and GLEE Directors Karen Beal, Kathy Kirkland, Jeff Ruberg, Vice President Jody Smith Williams, President Alison Higgins, Directors Christi Allen and Steve Grasley.
Winners of the Green Living Awards based on blind-vote points system by the GLEE Board of Directors include:
Winners of the Green Living Awards based on blind-vote points system by the GLEE Board of Directors include:
Individual Award- Carol Ellis of Key Largo, a photographer and Master Gardner, grows organic food, drives an electric vehicle powered by a solar battery, and also owns a vehicle that runs on biodiesel. She composts, recycles, refuses plastic bags and practices water conservation measures. Ellis works with youth organizations and wildlife conservation groups to support environmental education and practices. She uses a stainless steel bottle for "to go" water, and cloth rags instead of paper towels for cleaning. These are just a few of the many sustainable habits she has developed to lighten her footprint on the planet.
Business Award – Deer Run Bed & Breakfast, with an organic garden and vegan breakfast, buy food and supplies in bulk when possible. Using 100 percent post consumer waste, refillable bottles with a reverse osmosis water machine to eliminate plastic bottles, owners Harry Appel & Jennifer DeMaria, have also purchased a biodiesel tractor for beach maintenance. To eliminate motorized boats they provide guests with use of kayaks and an aqua bike. The lighting at the B&B is 90 percent solar powered, rooms are designed by a LEED-certified interior designer, and the couple work as volunteers with several local organization to promote wildlife conservation and green living. These and many other green living habits are outlined in their nomination form.
Agency/Organization Award - Florida Keys Electric Cooperative developed "Simple Solar," an innovative program that allows locals to lease FKEC's solar panels and in return receive bill credits for the solar energy they produce. The leases will fund future renewable energy projects in the Keys. Also in 2009, FKEC earned national recognition as a "Tree Line USA Utility" from the Arbor Day Foundation and opened its new Tavernier Operations Center which was designed using LEED guidelines and features a 30,000 gallon cistern, solar-assist hot water and more. In 2008, FKEC installed the first grid-connected solar array in the Keys, which was also Florida's second largest array. In 2007, FKEC was the first fleet operator in the Keys to switch to biodiesel fuel and the first utility to welcome interconnected solar homes. FKEC is also a founding member of GLEE and the first utility to host the Keyswide Sustain-Ability Project. FKEC is now busy planning more "firsts" in renewable energy for the future of the Florida Keys.
Local Government Award – The City of Key West has had an exceptional year in sustainability initiatives. The crowning achievements are the completion of the Climate Action Plan, the establishment of the City Commission Sustainability Advisory Board, a mandatory recycling ordinance and the dedication of a full time Environmental Programs Manager. The dedication of City Staff and Commissioners to sustainable issues has created a team from various departments that work together to meet the goals of the Climate Action Plan adopted by the City Commission. The city transit system is making bus use easier, fleet initiates have saved 19,000 gallons of fuel, bike and pedestrian planning has resulted in millions of dollars of sidewalks projects being bid this year. Work with community volunteers in the area of recycling and cleanliness has increased our recycling rate by 15%, creating a cleaner city and saving more than $50,000 in staff time.
GLEE’s board also voted to create a brand new Green Living Award for students, and gave the first award to Key West High School senior Heindrek Allen, who garnered 23 percent of the Green Ambassador online vote and impressed the judges with his personal and civic achievements. Representative Ron Saunders also wrote a letter commending Allen for his achievements.