Environmental Achievement Award winners named
Released: April 25, 2008
It's important for everyone to do their part and help make the Earth a better place. University of Wisconsin – Whitewater professor Peter Jacobs and The Greenhouse Café have gone above and beyond with their contributions by addressing important environmental issues and are rightfully the 2008 Environmental Achievement Award winners.
The award recognizes individuals and organizations from Whitewater and surrounding areas that have made especially noteworthy environmental efforts. Nominations were accepted for two categories of award: 1) individual; and 2) organization or corporation. Recipients were selected based upon originality, uniqueness and impact of their activities.
The finalists were announced at UW-Whitewater's Earth Day Celebration on Tuesday, April 22 at the Hamilton Center. Each received a certificate and had their names engraved on plaques to appear at City Hall and the University Library.
The Greenhouse Café was selected because customers are able to buy coffee and supplies in an environmentally responsible manner, the Cafe encourages employee and customer recycling and they support environmental issues and educational events including the hosting of 'Earth Week' events.
Upon receiving the award, Greenhouse Café owner Vicki Fiedler said, “I was very excited and honored. The student workers have a lot to do with the award because they help out with recycling and promoting environmental issues. The award is very important to us because not only do we practice this at the café, but outside as well.”
Jacobs was chosen for his volunteer work in local watershed management as a member of the Friends of Allen Creek Watershed and with the Drumlin Area Land Trust, lending both his time and professional expertise. He has placed his entire farm in a conservation easement and emphasizes local and 'real world' environmental issues in his teaching.
When Jacobs heard he was an Environmental Award recipient he said, “Me? Why me? I figured the person who nominated me had to be a good writer since there are so many other deserving folks. Making contributions to the Earth and participating in environmental issues is very important to me. “
Not only does Jacobs practice Earth-friendly behaviors, he also preaches them. He teaches geography classes that focus on soils, landforms and land use and spends part of class time dealing with environmental issues.
UW-Whitewater professor and award committee member Jeff McKinnon said, "The nominees were very impressive in virtually every case. As the efforts of some come to maturity, they will all be more competitive in future years and we hope to see several names nominated again."
- Regina Shirkey,shirkeyrm26@uww.edu
