27th Annual Mayor's Proud Partner Award Call For Entries
It is now time to get your organization's leaders together to pick out that special project that you would like to submit for a Mayor's Proud Partner Award. Keep Houston Beautiful is now accepting applications for this year's luncheon.
All submissions are due by 5 p.m. on Friday, August 19th and must be submitted online. To submit a project for consideration, please click here.
All submissions are due by 5 p.m. on Friday, August 19th and must be submitted online. To submit a project for consideration, please click here.
Eligibility
Any program, project or individual effort, big or small, carried out and substantially completed during the last year to create a cleaner more beautiful environment is eligible for consideration.
Sponsoring groups may include:
. Civic organizations
. Garden clubs
. Youth groups, classroom projects
. Businesses
. Government agencies
. Religious or medical institutions
Media or individuals Examples of eligible entries include:
. Beautification and landscaping
. Neighborhood cleanups
. Environmental education programs
. Volunteer park improvements
. Murals
. Waste minimization efforts
Sponsoring groups may include:
. Civic organizations
. Garden clubs
. Youth groups, classroom projects
. Businesses
. Government agencies
. Religious or medical institutions
Media or individuals Examples of eligible entries include:
. Beautification and landscaping
. Neighborhood cleanups
. Environmental education programs
. Volunteer park improvements
. Murals
. Waste minimization efforts
Penny Butler, Cindy Poarch, and Salle Morse, luncheon co-chairs.
2010 Proud Partner Award Winners
Anita Servin
Anita Servin with PMR Companies, LLC
This program is a joint effort between METRO Police and community volunteers which is designed to help fight vandalism and suspicious or criminal activity within the community. Under this program, volunteers are provided with trash bags to help clean their adopted stops/shelters.
AquaRecycle Laundry Water Recycling System Installation
Hilton Americas-Houston
With the installation of the AquaRecycle water recycling system, Hilton Americas-Houston’s pre-installation water usage of 630,000 gallons per month is reduced by 75%, conserving over 5.5 million gallons of water per year and keeping the same amount of wastewater from entering the environment through the local wastewater treatment plants.
Astros Play Green in Education Program
Houston Astros
The Astros believe that teaching about the environment and conservation at an early age can help children build a lifetime of responsible actions and make a positive difference in their world. Astros Play Green Ambassadors, Hunter Pence and Geoff Blum, make visits to local schools during the season to read the selected ‘green’ book to the children and then autograph copies of the book for the children to keep.
Gardens at 611 Walker Street (City Gardens)
Mayor's Office of Sustainability, Urban Harvest, City of Houston Public Works and Engineering Right-of-Way and Fleet Maintenance Division
On June 4, 2010, the City of Houston sowed the seeds of inspiration with the Downtown Houston Vegetable Container Garden Project, now simply known as “City Gardens”. More than thirty 60 gallon containers now beautify the landscape in front of the Bob Lanier Public Works Building at 611 Walker Street. The ongoing concept is to have volunteer teams representing each floor of the 25 story building assume responsibility for their garden pot.
Global Care Day
LyondellBasell Industries
LyondellBasell’s 11th annual Global Care Day featured employee volunteers at facilities worldwide conducting community projects to make those neighborhoods better places to live and work. This year, 65 communities in 20 countries where the company operates, benefited from Global Care Day.
Japhet Creek Park Dis(solve)
Greater East End Management District and University of Houston Studios
This project transformed the 5-acre park through a series of nine amenities that inform, provoke, entertain and educate the public. The final outcome was semi-permanent installations that examine how the things we make work with nature and ideally dissolve back into nature. The attempt was to make structures with zero environmental impact and consider the permanence and impermanence of the structures.
Jaycee Park Improvement Project
Friends of Jaycee Park
The Friends of Jaycee Park is a group of volunteers from five area neighborhoods whose goal is to improve Jaycee Park, a long-neglected city park, and make it a park that attracts families from all the surrounding neighborhoods, adds value to the area, and provides a green respite where neighbors can recreate & enjoy the outdoors.
Legacy Land Trust's "No Child Left Inside"
LegacyLand Trust
Bayou Land Conservancy is a community-sponsored land preservation organization working with willing landowners to permanently protect land in the greater Houston region. It works to preserve river and bayou corridors, other properties with significant wildlife habitat value and places where family recreation can occur in harmony with nature. Its "No Child Left Inside" education program connects tomorrow's conservation leaders with nature today.
Mark Austin
We CAN Recycle, Inc.
Beginning in late 2008, Mark Austin started collecting aluminum cans from local offices for recycling. Since the beginning of 2009 he has worked to create a viable sustainable glass collection and recycling program for Houston businesses including bars, restaurants, hotels, high rise condos and industrial sources.
Minnetex Area Cleanup
Minnetex Civic Club Super Neighborhood #77
Minnetex Civic Club was formed in 1993. After forming and fighting to get better city water and sewer service to the area they went on to clean up their area. Their mission is "to build community awareness, cultural diversity, and unity by promoting educational, environmental and safety programs, events and publications."
Nature-Based Playground for Young Children
Collaborative for Children
In 2009, Collaborative for Children embraced the concept of nature-based play as a positive enhancement in early childhood settings. Collaborative for Children has already completed three of five planned nature-based playgrounds. All five centers are among the first attempts in Houston to incorporate natural design with traditional playground equipment to help draw children into memorable outdoor experiences in a setting where trees, berms, and butterflies are part of the play.
New Hope Housing at Brays Crossing
New Hope Houston, Inc.
New Hope Housing’s core purpose is to create life-stabilizing affordable apartment homes with a sense of dignity for adults who live singly on low incomes. New Hope addresses the single room occupancy (SRO) housing crisis in Houston by providing a practical and demonstrated solution to prevent homelessness.
The Organics Waste Recycling Program
The City of Houston Solid Waste Management Department
The City of Houston, after analyzing its solid waste stream, realized that compostable organics such as yard trimmings and tree waste, constituted a substantial part of Houston’s waste. So, in 2009 they implemented the Tree Waste/Junk Waste Program and began segregating the collection of tree waste from other heavy trash. As a result of the program, more than 52,000 tons of recyclable organic material is diverted per year from the landfill and is converted into compost and mulch.
Pocket Prairie Project
Houston Audubon
Native pocket prairies not only beautify the City, but also serve as seed banks for future restoration projects and public education resources. They are rich in diversity - native wildflowers, grasses, amphibians, insects, and pollinators. The pocket prairies are magnets for butterflies, dragonflies, and other insects beneficial to birds and other wildlife. These native pocket prairies bring wildlife into the City of Houston and make wildlife viewing accessible to the public.
Westbury Community Garden
Westbury Civic Club, Westbury Garden Club, WAIC
In order to improve the quality of life for Westbury area residents, over 35 interested gardeners came together to design, create and implement the Westbury Community Garden. The Westbury Community Garden uses fruit, vegetable and habitat gardens to bring the entire community together and improve the health, nutrition and quality of life for Westbury residents. The garden serves to educate adults and children about good nutrition and ecology, strengthens community spirit, provides organic food and serves as a gathering place for community events.
Anita Servin with PMR Companies, LLC
This program is a joint effort between METRO Police and community volunteers which is designed to help fight vandalism and suspicious or criminal activity within the community. Under this program, volunteers are provided with trash bags to help clean their adopted stops/shelters.
AquaRecycle Laundry Water Recycling System Installation
Hilton Americas-Houston
With the installation of the AquaRecycle water recycling system, Hilton Americas-Houston’s pre-installation water usage of 630,000 gallons per month is reduced by 75%, conserving over 5.5 million gallons of water per year and keeping the same amount of wastewater from entering the environment through the local wastewater treatment plants.
Astros Play Green in Education Program
Houston Astros
The Astros believe that teaching about the environment and conservation at an early age can help children build a lifetime of responsible actions and make a positive difference in their world. Astros Play Green Ambassadors, Hunter Pence and Geoff Blum, make visits to local schools during the season to read the selected ‘green’ book to the children and then autograph copies of the book for the children to keep.
Gardens at 611 Walker Street (City Gardens)
Mayor's Office of Sustainability, Urban Harvest, City of Houston Public Works and Engineering Right-of-Way and Fleet Maintenance Division
On June 4, 2010, the City of Houston sowed the seeds of inspiration with the Downtown Houston Vegetable Container Garden Project, now simply known as “City Gardens”. More than thirty 60 gallon containers now beautify the landscape in front of the Bob Lanier Public Works Building at 611 Walker Street. The ongoing concept is to have volunteer teams representing each floor of the 25 story building assume responsibility for their garden pot.
Global Care Day
LyondellBasell Industries
LyondellBasell’s 11th annual Global Care Day featured employee volunteers at facilities worldwide conducting community projects to make those neighborhoods better places to live and work. This year, 65 communities in 20 countries where the company operates, benefited from Global Care Day.
Japhet Creek Park Dis(solve)
Greater East End Management District and University of Houston Studios
This project transformed the 5-acre park through a series of nine amenities that inform, provoke, entertain and educate the public. The final outcome was semi-permanent installations that examine how the things we make work with nature and ideally dissolve back into nature. The attempt was to make structures with zero environmental impact and consider the permanence and impermanence of the structures.
Jaycee Park Improvement Project
Friends of Jaycee Park
The Friends of Jaycee Park is a group of volunteers from five area neighborhoods whose goal is to improve Jaycee Park, a long-neglected city park, and make it a park that attracts families from all the surrounding neighborhoods, adds value to the area, and provides a green respite where neighbors can recreate & enjoy the outdoors.
Legacy Land Trust's "No Child Left Inside"
LegacyLand Trust
Bayou Land Conservancy is a community-sponsored land preservation organization working with willing landowners to permanently protect land in the greater Houston region. It works to preserve river and bayou corridors, other properties with significant wildlife habitat value and places where family recreation can occur in harmony with nature. Its "No Child Left Inside" education program connects tomorrow's conservation leaders with nature today.
Mark Austin
We CAN Recycle, Inc.
Beginning in late 2008, Mark Austin started collecting aluminum cans from local offices for recycling. Since the beginning of 2009 he has worked to create a viable sustainable glass collection and recycling program for Houston businesses including bars, restaurants, hotels, high rise condos and industrial sources.
Minnetex Area Cleanup
Minnetex Civic Club Super Neighborhood #77
Minnetex Civic Club was formed in 1993. After forming and fighting to get better city water and sewer service to the area they went on to clean up their area. Their mission is "to build community awareness, cultural diversity, and unity by promoting educational, environmental and safety programs, events and publications."
Nature-Based Playground for Young Children
Collaborative for Children
In 2009, Collaborative for Children embraced the concept of nature-based play as a positive enhancement in early childhood settings. Collaborative for Children has already completed three of five planned nature-based playgrounds. All five centers are among the first attempts in Houston to incorporate natural design with traditional playground equipment to help draw children into memorable outdoor experiences in a setting where trees, berms, and butterflies are part of the play.
New Hope Housing at Brays Crossing
New Hope Houston, Inc.
New Hope Housing’s core purpose is to create life-stabilizing affordable apartment homes with a sense of dignity for adults who live singly on low incomes. New Hope addresses the single room occupancy (SRO) housing crisis in Houston by providing a practical and demonstrated solution to prevent homelessness.
The Organics Waste Recycling Program
The City of Houston Solid Waste Management Department
The City of Houston, after analyzing its solid waste stream, realized that compostable organics such as yard trimmings and tree waste, constituted a substantial part of Houston’s waste. So, in 2009 they implemented the Tree Waste/Junk Waste Program and began segregating the collection of tree waste from other heavy trash. As a result of the program, more than 52,000 tons of recyclable organic material is diverted per year from the landfill and is converted into compost and mulch.
Pocket Prairie Project
Houston Audubon
Native pocket prairies not only beautify the City, but also serve as seed banks for future restoration projects and public education resources. They are rich in diversity - native wildflowers, grasses, amphibians, insects, and pollinators. The pocket prairies are magnets for butterflies, dragonflies, and other insects beneficial to birds and other wildlife. These native pocket prairies bring wildlife into the City of Houston and make wildlife viewing accessible to the public.
Westbury Community Garden
Westbury Civic Club, Westbury Garden Club, WAIC
In order to improve the quality of life for Westbury area residents, over 35 interested gardeners came together to design, create and implement the Westbury Community Garden. The Westbury Community Garden uses fruit, vegetable and habitat gardens to bring the entire community together and improve the health, nutrition and quality of life for Westbury residents. The garden serves to educate adults and children about good nutrition and ecology, strengthens community spirit, provides organic food and serves as a gathering place for community events.
