[Archived] Alexandria Environmental Policy Commission, Alexandria Renew Enterprises Seek Nominees for Eighth Annual Ellen Pickering Environmental Excellence Award

Award Honors Legacy of Distinguished Alexandria Environmental Steward

For Immediate Release: February 8, 2016

The Alexandria Environmental Policy Commission and Alexandria Renew Enterprises are seeking nominees for the 2016 Eighth Annual Ellen Pickering Environmental Excellence Award to honor and recognize Alexandrians who demonstrate a commitment to protecting the natural environment and keeping the City green.

The award will be presented during the Alexandria Earth Day celebration at the Lenny Harris Memorial Fields at Braddock Road, (1005 Mt. Vernon Ave.) from 10 a.m. until 2 p.m. on Saturday, April 30. A tree will be planted in honor of the recipient of the 2016 Ellen Pickering Environmental Excellence Award. The event will include various educational exhibits, demonstrations, hands-on activities for children, and more, that will emphasize this year’s theme: Choose to Reuse—Your Choices Matter!

The Ellen Pickering Environmental Excellence Award is named in honor of Ellen Pickering, a long time Alexandria City activist dedicated to preservation and environmental conservation in the City.  She was a City Council Member and Alexandria Sanitation Authority Board Member who helped create the Mount Vernon Trail that runs parallel to the George Washington Parkway between Mt Vernon and Washington. Mrs. Pickering was committed to preserving and enhancing the City’s waterfront.  She was instrumental in the adoption of the City’s Open Space Plan and the creation of Founder’s Park. As Chair of the Alexandria Beautification Commission, she also implemented the planting of 1,000 citizen-donated cherry trees during her tenure.

Qualifications:   Residents, groups, clubs organizations or corporations may be nominated.  To be eligible, nominees must live within the City of Alexandria and corporations, organizations and other groups must operate within the City of Alexandria. The actions of the nominees must have a direct impact on protecting the natural environment and natural resources within the City of Alexandria.

Selection:  Selection will be made by a special committee of Alexandria Renew Enterprises, the Environmental Policy Commission, and members of Mrs. Pickering’s family.

Applicable Topics:  Subject matter applicable to the award criteria include natural resource preservation, energy conservation, education outreach regarding environmental sustainability, water preservation, water conservation, waste reduction and/or materials reuse/recycling, and promotion of clean air.

Those making nominations may also refer to the Alexandria’s Eco-City Charter, adopted in 2008, and the Environmental Action Plan 2030, adopted in in 2009. Both documents define the guiding principles of environmental sustainability. Visit the Eco-City Alexandriapage for more information. 

Nomination Requirements

Submissions must include the following:

• The nominee’s name, address, and telephone number, or the key individual to contact if a nominee is an organization.

• The name, address, and telephone number of the person nominating the candidate must be included.

• A brief description (not to exceed one page) of the nominee’s accomplishments and qualifications for the Ellen Pickering Environmental Excellence Award.

Nominations may be submitted in several ways:

• Online Nominations: http://survey.alexandriava.gov/s3/EllenPickeringAward

• Mailed or delivered to:

         The Alexandria Environmental Policy Commission

         Office of Environmental Quality

         Alexandria City Hall

         301 King Street, Room 3000

        Alexandria, VA 22314

        Attention:  Lisa Goldberg

Nominations must be received by March 11.

For media inquiries, contact Andrea Blackford, Senior Communications Officer, at andrea.blackford@alexandriava.gov or 703.746.3959.

This release is available at www.alexandriava.gov/89700.