28 Dec Austin’s Green Winners of 2010

The winners of various awards programs and contests can teach us all something about leading hte way to a greener future. Check out what we’ve compiled so far and add other we missed.

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2010 Neighborhood Habitat Challenge Winners  – This city-wide contest encourages Austin neighborhoods to come together to certify individual residences as wildlife habitats with the National Wildlife Federation and organize local projects that improve and enhance wildlife habitat. The habitat certification involved providing wildlife species such as butterflies, songbirds, hummingbirds, frogs and lizards with food, water, cover and places to raise young in addition to doing at least two sustainable gardening practices.

• 1st place = Bouldin Creek Neighborhood Association, wiht 14 habitats, including Becker Elementary
• 2nd place = Heritage Hills-Woodbridge Neighborhood Association with 10 habitats
• 3rd place = Southwood Neighborhood Association who certified a total of 8 habitats

Eight neighborhoods registered for the challenge and six went on to complete all of the requirements by the November 15th deadline. Other participating neighborhoods included Dawson, Harris Branch and Westcreek. Get your neighborhood involved in the challenge in 2011!

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Keep Austin Beautiful celebrated 25 years of serving Austin this year. The KAB awards this year (In November instead of February) recognized who is greening their school – Bryker Woods Elementary, Sunset Valley Elementary, and Dave Mathews at Small Middle; creating a resource for unwanted bike parts – Jack & Adam’s Green Team ; setting the standard for environmental practices in the workplace – Dell and Austin Convention Center ; fostering the next generation of environmental leaders – Groundwater to the Gulf and Little Helping Hands; and preserving Austin’s landmarks – Discover Green,  Friends of Red Bud Isle and the Best of the Best winner PODER.

Their Longhorn Recycling awards which recognizes schools for their outstanding campus recycling, conservation, and beautification initiatives. 2010 Longhorn Recycling Winners

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The Children in Nature Collaborative of Austin gave Central Texas Awards to four outstanding organizations and individuals for their efforts to get children back to nature: Texas Outdoor Families, Texas River School, Austin Nature and Science Center, and St. Stephen’s teacher Johnny Wilson. Children in Nature Collaborative 2010 Awards

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Austin Chronicle Best of Austin 2010

In addition to the specifically green categories, like Best Environmentalist and Best Green Program, green businesses and organizations were the winners of several mainstream categories. For example Greenling won Best Local Food Company for the fourth year in a row.

Best Environmentalist: Paul Robbins, ‘Austin Environmental Directory’

Best Green Program: TIE: Car2Go; Single-Stream Recycling 

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Austin Business Journal’s Going Green Awards – We cannot find their 2010 winners on their website but here are the nominees for the 2011 awards event next month

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