Every spring, Metro Waste Authority recognizes businesses, institutions and individuals for the positive environmental impacts they have on our communities. The Annual Dinner is a time for Metro Waste Authority and attendees to honor those who constantly work to take care of central Iowa's environment. And it's a time for us to acknowledge and be inspired by the energy, determination and creativity of our environmental stewards. Please help us celebrate our recent winners by reading more about their contributions below.
To learn more about the 2010 Environmental Stewardship Winners click here.
2007 Winners
Marian Gelb
Marian Gelb is a long-time member of the city of Des Moines' Park and Recreation Board. In 2005, Marian spearheaded an initiative called the Urban Conservation Advisory Committee. This committee's charge was to determine how conservation design techniques could be incorporated into the Des Moines Park and Recreation system. She led the initiative within this committee to develop a Stewardship Policy for the city's parks and open spaces – in Des Moines, this is approximately 25 percent of property within the city. The Policy outlines how the city can use native landscapes throughout its park system, begin using permeable pavement, plant rain gardens and be more thoughtful as to creating ways for natural habitats to thrive in its parks. Marian has also just been named the director of the Iowa Environmental Council.
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Lynnae Hentzen
Lynnae Hentzen is a Co-founder of a young and successful non-profit called the Center on Sustainable Communities (COSC). She helped start this organization as an offshoot of her frustration with trying to carry out a green remodeling project in her own West Des Moines home. COSC focuses on residential green building education and awareness, and two years after starting the organization, there are now two full-time staff and more than 300 members – MWA is a lifetime member of COSC.
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Cowles Elementary School – Des Moines
For a number of years, the school has actively participated in paper recycling. Each week, fourth and fifth graders pick up recycling from each room, and these students act as ambassadors to other students. During lunch, day care students as young as the age of three are involved with learning about recycling. The focus on recycling is showing up in other ways, too. Middle School students are expanding their environmental knowledge by taking part in sampling and testing water through the DNR's IoWater project. Another group of students has started an environmental club, which was invited and took part in Drake University's Thresholds Festival this spring – here, they were able to share what they have learned with other environmental groups.
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Greater Des Moines Habitat for Humanity ReStore
Greater Des Moines Habitat for Humanity ReStore accepts new and lightly used building and remodeling materials from both commercial and private donors; it then sells these items at discount prices and uses the profits to further the mission of the Greater Des Moines Habitat for Humanity. Begun in 2003 as a project of the Dowling High School Entrepreneurial Studies program, the store has undergone remarkable growth. In its first year, it took up 3,000 square feet and was open eight hours per week; now, the ReStore is open 40 hours each week and has a showroom of 11,000 square feet! Last year, the ReStore recycled and reused close to 900 tons of materials! The revenues generated from these sales netted Greater Des Moines Habitat for Humanity the equivalent of nearly three homes built within the Des Moines community.
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