Environmental Award Recipients - 2010
On June 8, 2010 Niagara residents, community groups and school programs were awarded for their contributions to the environment.
The Niagara Region Environmental Awards are one of the longest-running Environmental Awards programs hosted by any municipal government in Ontario.
Profiles of Environmental Awards Recipients:
Lifetime Achievement Award - Margaret Kalogeropoulos, St. Catharines
Margaret Kalogeropoulos is the former president of the Niagara Bruce Trail Club and club representative to the Bruce Trail Conservancy. She served as the vice-president of the club from 2006 to 2007.
Margaret is being honoured for the following contributions to the environment:
- Acted as Niagara Bruce Trail Club secretary for four years
- Volunteered at trail captain, hike leader and trail maintenance assistant
- Acted at landowner relations director for the Bruce Trail club ('01-'07)
- Sat as the land securement secretariat ('04-'07)
- Monitoring bird boxes at the Shorthills Provincial Park
Margaret has also been part of a group who have worked to develop a direct and safe crossing of the QEW at Sandplant Hill between Niagara Falls and St. Catharines. The bridge, which is part of the Bruce Trail, was formally opened on June 22, 2008.
Volunteer Category Award - Friends of One Mile Creek, Niagara-on-the-Lake
Friends of One Mile Creek is a not-for-profit community group that collaborates with the community and relevant agencies to work efficiently to restore and revitalize the water, wildlife and natural environment of the One Mile Creek watershed.
The Friends of One Mile Creek's accomplishment's include:
- holding community meetings and developing projects within the watershed with support from the NPCA
- advocating for a Watershed Plan and long term strategy for One Mile Creek
- working to restore One Mile Creek and Landsdowne Pond
The Friends collaborated with the NPCA in the development of a stewardship guide for landowners living in the One Mile Creek watershed. They have organized cleanups of the Creek and the Lake Ontario shoreline. This spring, the group organized planting of native trees in the One Mile Creek section of the Upper Canada Heritage Trail.
Award for Young People, Elementary Age Category - Glen Ridge Public School's Green Team, St. Catharines
The 'Green Team' at Glen Ridge Public School, St. Catharines consists of 27 students, from ages six to 11 years. The team meets weekly on Wednesdays for an hour from October until mid-May to work on various ecological (ECO) activities.
Some of the activities undertaken by the team include:
- investigating carbon footprints
- daily composting
- writing eco tips and posting them on the Green Team bulletin board
- Ensuring non-essential lights and computer monitors are turned off
- Coordinating Earth Hour every Friday from 1 - 2 p.m. where all lights are turned off
The exciting part of the "green" initiatives is the culmination team event in May where a spaghetti and salad dinner is served to staff and team members, including herbs which they have grown.
Award for Young People, Secondary Age Category - Stamford Collegiate Secondary School Eco-Freaks, Niagara Falls
Stamford Collegiate Secondary School, Niagara Falls is a gold level certified ecoschool through the Ontario EcoSchools program. Its students created the Eco-Freaks - a club that promotes environmental awareness and stewardship in the school.
The Eco-Freaks are responsible for the following initiatives:
- establishing an on campus composting site for waste
- maintain naturalized areas on the school grounds including a horticultural area
- participating in the regional "Envirothon" competition hosted by the NPCA
- Creating public service announcements to promote environmental initiatives
Stamford Collegiate Secondary School has overcome the challenge of engaging youth to participate in environmental initiatives through the Eco-freaks club with its successful eco-initiatives.
Greenest Family Award - Zappitelli Family, Welland
The Zappitelli Family has set an incredible example for the community by undertaking environmentally-friendly initiatives at their Port Robinson property.
Some of the Zappitelli's achievements include:
- Working with Trees Unlimited Forestry Consultants to plant 10,000 trees
- Working with NPCA to reduce shoreline erosion on the Welland River
- Installing geo-thermal heating and air conditioning
- Conducting a home energy audit to retrofit their house to reduce cost and save energy
The family is now investigating the option to install solar panels on their property. With their commitment to the environment, the family has made many positive changes in just three years and plans to do more.
Greenest Business Award - Integrated Gas Recovery Services Inc., Thorold
Founded in 2002, Integrated Gas Recovery Services Inc. (IGRS) is a Canadian leader for harnessing landfill gas for environmental benefit. Their projects provide major reductions in the release of Greenhouse Gases.
Some of the company's successes include:
- Through their work, generating about enough to power a city the size of Thorold
- delivers about 15 megawatts/hour equivalents to the AbitibiBowater paper mill
- preventing the release of 350,000 tonnes of carbon dioxide a year (equal to removing 80,000 cars from Niagara's roads)
Integrated Gas Recovery Services Inc. has contributed to Niagara's "green" economy through the generation of a number of jobs in the renewable energy and environmental sectors. The company has also developed expertise in Green house gas emission reduction credit trading and is known as one of Canada's most knowledgeable and active participants in these growing markets.
Green Non-profit in Niagara Award - Park in the City Committee, Niagara Falls
The Park in the City Committee's mandate is to encourage civic pride, environmental responsibility and city-wide beautification through community action.
The Committee's efforts include:
- delivering environmental initiatives in partnerships with community organizations
- eliminating of the sale of plastic beverage bottles from the city facilities
- achieve the highest (five Bloom) rating for Niagara Falls by participating in the Communities in Bloom Provincial Competition
