About The Program

Cox Conserves Heroes is an awards program created by Cox Enterprises and The Trust for Public Land (TPL) that honors volunteers who create, preserve or enhance the shared outdoor places in our communities. The program takes place in multiple Cox locations across the nation. Nearly $500,000 has been donated to local nonprofits and more than 140 volunteers have been honored through the Cox Conserves Heroes program. To determine if the program is taking place in your community, please visit the area navigation on the left.

Phase One: Nominations
To select the Hero, each community is encouraged to nominate environmental volunteers. A nominee should be someone who has helped to create, protect and/or preserve an outdoor place available for public relaxation, reflection or recreation by the community. Learn who is eligible.

Phase Two: Finalists
The Heroes Judging Circle, a panel of civic leaders within the conservation field, selects the top three finalists.

Phase Three: Voting
The finalists are profiled on the Cox Conserves Heroes website and in local media, during which, the public is asked to vote online for their favorite. Each finalist is encouraged to spread the word and ask friends, family and co-workers to vote.

Phase Four: The Hero
At the conclusion of the voting stage, the finalist with the most votes will be selected as the Cox Conserves Hero for his or her area. A donation will be made on behalf of the Cox Conserves Hero and the finalists to their environmental nonprofits of choice.

Below is a list of organizations that have received financial support through the Cox Conserves Heroes program.

Atlanta:

• Park Pride ($30,000)
  
• Friends of English Avenue ($10,000)
• Save Georgia’s Hemlocks ($10,000)
• South Fork Conservancy ($10,000)
• West Atlanta Watershed Alliance ($7,500)
• Chattahoochee Riverkeeper ($5,000)
• Clyde Shepherd Nature Preserve ($5,000)
• Friends Group of Chattahoochee River National Recreation Area ($5,000)
• Mountain Stewards ($5,000)
• Trees Atlanta ($5,000)
• Atlanta Audubon Society ($2,500)
• Go Outdoors USA ($2,500)
• Kirkwood Neighbors Organization ($2,500)
• R.E.D.E.E.M Community Outreach ($2,500)
• Elachee Nature Science Center ($1,250)
• Georgia Organics ($1,250)
• Johns Creek Community Wildlife Habitat ($1,250)
• Keeping It Wild ($1,250)
• Historic Fourth Ward Park Conservancy ($1,250)
• Sustainable Norcross ($1,250)

Arizona:

• McDowell Sonoran Conservancy ($12,500)
• Arizona Trail Association ($10,000)
• Desert Harvesters and Green Infrastructure Planning ($10,000)
• Southern Arizona Buffelgrass Coordination Center ($10,000)
• Wild At Heart ($10,000)
• Audubon Arizona ($5,000)
• Garden Pool ($5,000)
• Living Streets Alliance ($5,000)
• Trout Unlimited Arizona State Council ($5,000)
• Arizona Native Plant Society ($2,500)
• Friends of Tucson’s Birthplace - Mission Garden ($2,500)
• Nina Mason Pulliam Rio Salado Audubon Center ($2,500)
• Phoenix Mountains Preservation ($2,500)
• Tigermountain Foundation ($2,500)

Boston:

• Clean River Project ($10,000)
• Zoo New England ($10,000)
• Bagnall Education Foundation ($5,000)
  
• Charles River Clean Up Boat ($5,000)
  
• Mass Audubon's Boston Nature Center ($5,000)
• Neponset River Watershed Association ($5,000)

Louisiana:

• Friends of Lafitte Corridor ($20,000)
• The University Lakes Improvement and Preservation Association (TULIPA) ($10,000)
• New Orleans Food and Farm Network ($5,000)
• Quality Deer Management Association - Louisiana State Chapter ($5,000)
• ReCover Acadiana ($5,000)
• Jefferson Beautification, Inc. ($2,500)
• Louisiana Environmental Action Network (LEAN) ($2,500)
• Parkway Partners ($2,500)
• Parkway Partners NOLA ($2,500)
• The Lake Pontchartrain Basin Foundation ($2,500)
• Lafayette Square Conservancy ($1,250)
• Operation Sudden Impact ($1,250)

California:

• California Native Plant Society ($10,000)
• Ocean Discovery Institute ($12,500)
• Berkeley Path Wanderers Association ($10,000) 
• Chula Vista Nature Center (now Living Coast Discovery Center) ($10,000)
• Community Environmental Council ($10,000)
• Environmental Defense Center ($10,000)
• Ocean Institute ($10,000)
• Pacifica Beach Coalition ($10,000)
• San Diego Roots Sustainable Food Project ($10,000)
• San Elijo Lagoon Conservancy ($10,000)
• The Anza Borrego Foundation ($10,000)
• Wildcoast ($10,000)
• Aquatic Adventures Science Education Foundation ($5,000)
• Chula Vista High School Peace Club ($5,000)  
• Committee for Green Foothills ($5,000) 
• ECO-Warrior Foundation ($5,000) 
• Endangered Habitats Conservancy ($5,000)
• Environmental Health Coalition ($5,000)
• Environmental Nature Center ($5,000)
• Fairview Gardens ($5,000)
• Friends of Balboa Park ($5,000)
• Groundwork San Diego-Chollas Creek ($5,000)
• Inside The Outdoors ($5,000)
• Laguna Bluebelt Coalition ($5,000)
• Lakeside’s River Park Conservancy ($5,000)
• Pie Ranch ($5,000)
• San Diego River Park Foundation ($5,000)
• San Francisco Bay Trail Project ($5,000) 
• Santa Barbara Botanic Garden ($5,000) 
• A.R.C.H.E.S. ($2,500)
• Bay Area Ridge Trail Council ($2,500)
• Berkeley Partners for Parks ($2,500)
• Coastkeeper Garden ($2,500)
• Community Environmental Council ($2,500) 
• Earthroots ($2,500)
• Friends of Alameda Wildlife Refuge ($2,500)
• Friends of Boeddeker Park ($2,500)
• Friends of Harbors, Beaches and Parks ($2,500)
• Friends of Sausal Creek ($2,500) 
• Friends of Tecolote Canyon ($2,500)
• Grow Strong ($2,500)
• I Love A Clean San Diego ($2,500)
• Move San Diego ($2,500)
• Outdoor Outreach ($2,500)
• South Coast Chapter of Trout Unlimited ($2,500)
• Surfrider Foundation of San Diego ($2,500)
• Southwest Wetlands Interpretive Association ($2,500)
• Tijuana River National Estuarine Research Reserve ($2,500)
• Familyhood Connection ($1,250)
• Northern Alameda County Group of the Sierra Club ($1,250)
• Oakland Landscape Committee ($1,250)
• Phat Beets Produce ($1,250)
• Quesada Gardens Initiative ($1,250)
• World Stewardship Institute ($1,250)
• California Native Plant Society ($1,000)
• Canyonland Conservation Fund ($1,000)
• Goleta Valley Beautiful ($1,000)
• Naturalist for You ($1,000)
• New Ocean Blue ($1,000)
• Preserve Calavera ($1,000)
• San Diego Canyonlands ($1,000)

Orlando:

• League of Women Voters of Florida Education Fund ($10,000)
• New Image Youth Center ($10,000)
  
• Crones Cradle Conserve Foundation ($5,000)
  
• Florida Scrub-Jay Consortium ($5,000)
• Merritt Island Wildlife Association ($5,000)
  
• Oakland Nature Preserve ($5,000)

Seattle:

• Mountains to Sound Greenway Trust ($15,000)
• Sustainable West Seattle ($10,000)
• WSU Island County Beach Watchers ($7,500)
• Carkeek Watershed Community Action Project ($5,000)
• North Olympic Land Trust ($5,000)
• Washington Wilderness Coalition ($5,000)
• Metro Parks Tacoma ($2,500)
• Northwest Trek Foundation ($2,500)
• EarthCorps ($1,250)
• Forest Fire Lookout Association – Western Washington ($1,250)
• Greater Metro Parks Foundation ($1,250)
• Green Tacoma Partnership ($1,250)
• King Conservation District ($1,250)

Virginia:

• Pathfinders for Greenways ($20,000)
• FRIENDS of the Blue Ridge Parkway-Roanoke Valley Chapter ($10,000)
• Potowmack Chapter ($10,000)
• Tree Frederickburg ($10,000)
• Chesapeake Bay Foundation ($5,000)
• Downtown Greens ($5,000)
• Park Partners, Inc. ($5,000)
• Roanoke Community Garden Association ($5,000)
• VB Clean Community Volunteers, Inc. ($5,000)
• Friends of Green Spring Gardens ($2,500)
• Friends of Norfolk’s Environment ($2,500)
• Herndon Environmental Network ($2,500)
• South Norfolk Neighborhood Watch ($2,500)
• Virginia Living Museum ($2,500)
• Western Virginia Land Trust ($2,500)
• Lynnhaven River Now ($1,250)
• Newport News Green Foundation ($1,250)
• Virginia Beach Clean Community Commission ($1,250)
• Virginia Beach Parks and Recreation Foundation ($1,250)