Cox Conserves Heroes

2012 Cox Conserves Heroes (names contain links to videos)

Melinda was selected for her long-standing commitment to and passion for Arizona's open space. By cultivating donors and working through complex financing models for the McDowell Sonoran Preserve, she built important awareness among both corporations and citizens. She also volunteers for the Desert Foothills Land Trust, McDowell Sonoran Conservancy, the City of Scottsdale Preserve Commission and the Desert Discovery Center Task Force. Environmental Nonprofit of Choice: McDowell Sonoran Conservancy

Atlanta: Donna Shearer

Donna was selected for saving the Hemlock trees in North Georgia. She leads education and treatment programs to protect the trees against the Hemlock Woolly Adelgid, an invasive insect. Environmental Nonprofit of Choice: Save Georgia’s Hemlocks

Bay Area: Charlie Bowen

Charlie was selected for a decade’s worth of volunteerism. She has been the engine behind restoring and growing Berkeley's historic network of public paths. Her volunteer group turns overgrown and fenced off paths into beautiful areas for runners, tourists and walking groups. Environmental Nonprofit of Choice: Berkeley Path Wanderers Association

Orange County: Michael Beanan

Michael was selected as Orange County's 2012 Cox Conserves Hero. He leads a movement to prevent urban runoff from Aliso Creek from entering the ocean. The goal of his project is to clean the urban runoff, combine it with recycled water, decrease reliance on potable water and ultimately reduce ocean pollution. Environmental nonprofit of choice: Laguna Bluebelt Coalition

San Diego: Sally Nelson

Sally helped raise more than $20,000 for the San Diego River Field Station. She is a founding volunteer of the Park Patrol and the Gate Keeper programs that help keep the San Diego Riverbed, trail and community safe. Environmental Nonprofit of Choice: Lakeside’s River Park Conservancy.

Santa Barbara: Martin Camp

Martin volunteers for a local, urban farm to educate people on the importance of sustainable food and conserving land. From fixing aging farm equipment to building an education center, he is a hands-on volunteer who also inspires others to volunteer. Environmental Nonprofit of Choice: Fairview Gardens

Virginia: Anne Little

Anne launched Tree Fredericksburg with the goal of planting and sustaining an urban forest in our city. She has not only been successful, but she now has legions of volunteers that are dedicated to the cause- including lots of kids. Clearly focused on the future, Anne leads the city's Clean and Green Commission and also supports the local Sierra Club. Environmental nonprofit of choice: Tree Fredericksburg

Western Washington: Laura James

As an eco-friendly scuba diver, Laura commits her time to cleaning up Earth’s oceans. She has long recognized the danger of toxins in our waters and spends time removing batteries and other pollutants from Puget Sound. In addition, Laura volunteers for search and rescue missions. Environmental nonprofit of choice: Sustainable West Seattle

2011 Cox Conserves Heroes

Atlanta: Na'Taki Osborne-Jelks

Na’Taki is spearheading efforts to revitalize a 26-acre urban forest preserve and nature center in the middle of a low-to-moderate income community in Southwest Atlanta. She has raised money and engaged hundreds of volunteers to manage the Outdoor Activity Center (OAC). She also led a 9-month visioning process to develop a new Master Plan to improve, enhance and ensure that the OAC meets the needs of the community. Environmental Nonprofit of Choice: West Atlanta Watershed Alliance

San Diego (Adult): Denise Stillinger

Denise brings 25 years of volunteerism to wetlands conservation. She actively protects the San Elijo Lagoon Ecological Reserve and its watershed by leading nature walks, picking up debris and serving on the San Elijo Lagoon Conservancy’s board. Most importantly, she introduces children from inland communities to the reserve in hopes of inspiring future acts of conservation. Environmental nonprofit of choice: San Elijo Lagoon Conservancy

San Diego (Youth): Isabel Herrera

Isabel translates awareness of coastal issues into action. Over the last three years, she has inspired over 1,500 people to protect the ocean. She teaches families about endangered sea turtles and how they can take simple actions toward protection, such as using canvas bags instead of plastic, as well as water supply and how to limit water usage and improve its quality. Environmental nonprofit of choice: Ocean Discovery Institute

San Francisco Bay Area: Naftali Moed

Naftali had a vision for an organic vegetable garden to teach fellow high school students about the value of organic gardening and sustainable agriculture. Under his leadership, the vision has become a reality with 10 garden beds, a chicken house and an outdoor classroom space. The garden is a living lab for science classes and a source of food for the nutrition classes. Environmental nonprofit of choice: Pie Ranch

Virginia: Chris Clifford

Thanks to Chris, Gloucester residents have new fields and park amenities to enjoy. Chris helped construct fifteen athletic fields at local schools and parks, as well as a park entrance road and a wildlife habitat pond. After building the fields, he recruited volunteers to help seed, fertilize and cut the grass to maintain the areas. Environmental nonprofit of choice: Park Partners, Inc.

2010 Cox Conserves Heroes

Atlanta: Angel Poventud

Angel is an avid volunteer who utilizes his grassroots network to advocate environmental movements and inspire others to become involved. His weekends are spent working on BeltLine clean-up projects and helping the group convert abandoned rail corridors into parks. When not volunteering for the BeltLine, he can be found planting and mulching with Trees Atlanta. Environmental nonprofit of choice: Trees Atlanta

New Orleans: Jenga Mwendo

Jenga returned to the city following Hurricane Katrina and immediately began working to revitalize gardens. She has converted the Laurentine Ernst Garden into a vibrant space and secured the donation of a storm-damaged cottage next door for garden use as a storage shed and library. Through creative thinking and diverse donations of time, materials and talent, she is also transforming the Guerilla Garden from an overgrown lot used as a dumping ground into a beautiful centerpiece for the community. Environmental nonprofit of choice: New Orleans Food and Farm Network

San Diego (Adult): Mark Jorgensen

A California State Parks retiree, Mark has devoted hundreds of volunteer hours to help preserve land and habitat in Anza-Borrego Desert State Park. Mark was instrumental in creating Camp Borrego, where each year, more than 300 underserved fifth graders participate in the free three-day camp to learn about geology, paleontology, archaeology, astronomy, endangered species and global sustainability. Mark also led the charge in an annual field count of the endangered Peninsular Bighorn Sheep. Environmental nonprofit of choice: The Anza Borrego Foundation

San Diego (Youth): Dakotah Flowers

By recycling in her home, Dakotah was able to fund her vision of using recyclable materials to create dolls that hold messages from children affected by AIDS living in HOKISA (Home for Kids in South Africa). These “Messenger Dolls” have been auctioned and sold at fundraising events. Proceeds directly benefit the orphaned children of HOKISA. Dakotah has recruited friends to help create the dolls and is expanding her collection of bottles, cans and other revenue-producing recyclables so she can use her creativity to create new items to sell to benefit local causes. Environmental nonprofit of choice: Chula Vista Nature Center

San Francisco Bay Area: Bruce Beyaert

In 1999, Bruce founded the Trails for Richmond Action Committee (TRAC) with its mission of completing the San Francisco Bay Trail in Richmond. Due largely to Bruce’s ongoing efforts, Richmond will have over 28 miles of Bay Trail built by the end of 2010. Bruce created strong alliances for completing the Bay Trail in Richmond and built a support group of more than a 1,000 members. Environmental nonprofit of choice: San Francisco Bay Trail Project

Western Washington: Jan Holmes

Jan’s volunteerism with Beach Watchers inspired her to earn a master’s degree in Marine Biology, which has led to the health of the area’s marine environment. Her leadership has created extensive research and data collection on more than 30 beaches, and her thirst for knowledge is contagious. She frequently speaks with students and at public education events to motivate others to get involved. Environmental nonprofit of choice: WSU Island County Beach Watchers

2009 Cox Conserves Heroes

Atlanta: Don Wells

Don is an avid advocate for conserving - and enjoying - the open spaces of the North Georgia Mountains. He designed and managed the creation of new recreation facilities at no cost to the state and involved counties. He also contributed to the creation of the Amicalola Falls handicap access trail, 18 miles of scenic trails and an interactive trail designed for a therapeutic riding program. Don makes it possible for people of all ages to enjoy the North Georgia Mountains. Environmental nonprofit of choice: Mountain Stewards

San Diego (Adult): John Willett

John, a World War II veteran, has been volunteering for the Otay Valley Regional Park for more than two decades. All told, this 88 year old’s cleanup and restoration efforts have removed 700 tires, 1,400 tons of trash and 150 homeless encampments from the park. As chairman of the Citizen’s Advisory Committee, John helps address and solve park issues such as vandalism, trash and homeless encampment. Environmental nonprofit of choice: Wildcoast

San Diego (Youth): Sonya Vargas

For 8 months, Sonya volunteered countless hours – more than 200 hours to be sure – as a Steering Committee Member for the Wetland Avengers’ Campeones de los Canones - a community-based habitat education and restoration event. Sonya’s passion and commitment to her community resulted in the recruitment of more than 950 volunteers who planted 2,500 native plants, restored two acres of canyon, created a school garden, and designed an outdoor classroom. Environmental nonprofit of choice: Aquatic Adventures

San Francisco Bay Area: Lennie Roberts

Lennie has volunteered thousands of hours toward natural resource preservation over a span of 40 years. She worked to protect the natural beauty of and public access to Edgewood Park, the Peninsula Watershed and San Bruno Mountains by successfully lobbying for power lines to be routed underground rather than criss-crossing the land. Lennie gives unwavering support to land conservation through her grassroots efforts and keen knowledge of environmental laws. Environmental nonprofit of choice: Committee for Green Foothills

Western Washington: Gary Colley

Permanent protection of a 38-acre farm is Gary’s most recent environmental contribution. Gary’s donated legal work has been a key element in protecting more than 1,500 acres of land since he and other local citizens established North Olympic Land Trust in 1990. The land in Clallam County protects salmon and other wildlife habitat, sustainable commercial timberland, clean water and air, scenic vistas, open space and cultural heritage areas in addition to farmland. Environmental nonprofit of choice: North Olympic Land Trust

2008 Cox Conserves Hero

Western Washington: Mike Town

Congratulations to Mike, winner of our first Cox Conserves Heroes Award. The Washington Wilderness Coalition received $5,000 as Mike’s environmental non-profit organization of choice.

Mike helped turn the Wild Sky Wilderness Act into law. He founded a local grassroots group, spent hundreds of hours documenting every component of Wild Sky - 106,000 acres near Skykomish - and consulted members of Congress and the press on boundary issues. As a result, a new wilderness was created this past April within an hour’s drive of nearly one million people.