If your organization thinks “green” and is taking the lead with environmental stewardship, innovative best practices or community outreach Glenview’s Environment and Natural Resources Commission (ENRC) wants to hear from you.
The commission’s seeking nominations for its sixth “Environmental Sustainability Awards” program.
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Nominees can be any organization, including businesses, schools, houses of worship and volunteer groups, that serve the Glenview community, said ENRC chair Chris Newman. He said nominees will be considered in the categories of “innovation, leadership and education and outreach.”
“A variety of organizations have applied over the years and I’d encourage organizations to take a look at their activities and see how they may touch on one of our areas of innovation, education and outreach or leadership,” Newman said. “Think about how their activities may fit into what we’re recognizing here.
“Sustainability is a very broad area there may be a lot of activities going on and it’s always really interesting to learn and hear what’s going on in the community and to be able to provide recognition for that,” he added.
Organizations are invited to nominate themselves or others for activities that achieved results between September 2022 through September 2023, Newman said. He also said nominees will need to provide a narrative describing their efforts, rationale for taking action, successes and how their actions resulted in changes in practices. Applications must be submitted by email. The nomination form is online at glenview.il.us/ESawards and is due by Dec. 1.
Nominations will be reviewed and selected by the ENRC, with recognition by the Village Board of Trustees early next year, Newman said.
“We like the idea of being able to highlight some of the sustainable activities that are happening in Glenview,” he explained. “Over the years we have gotten applications from people doing activities we had no idea were happening in Glenview.”
Last year’s winners included Glenview School District 34 after it implemented sustainable building practices in the construction of new school additions, including day lighting, energy efficient equipment, the planting of over 200 new trees and on-site stormwater detention.
“The planting of the trees is a good example of what I like to highlight,” said Newman. “It was something a lot of the community could really notice. You’ve got young kids that are growing up with these trees, kind of watching them grow.
The “Glenview Gardeners” is multigenerational group that draws members from six surrounding communities and was given an award for encouraging a love of gardening. Glenview Gardeners hosts local meetings to raise awareness of a variety of sustainable activities, runs an annual plant sale, maintains a pollinator garden for native insects and demonstrates “permaculture.”
“Greener Glenview” also received an award. It launched Glenview’s first community-led organization focused solely on environmental goals while putting sustainability at the heart of how people live and work in Glenview. The nonprofit pursues its mission through education, collaboration, and advocacy for sustainability in both the natural and built environment.
Newman said the village encourages local organizations to adopt practices that help prevent pollution, reduce waste, conserve energy, reduce emissions to air and water, and boost recycling. He said meeting those sustainability challenges starts at home, in the workplace and in schools.
“In the years to come we’re excited to continue getting nominations from people and to find out more about these exciting and really interesting types of activities we have going on and being able to provide recognition to activities that are going on in the Glenview community,” said Newman.
Brian L. Cox is a freelance reporter for Pioneer Press.