Cox Communications, in partnership with The Trust for Public Land, is seeking nominations for environmental volunteers in Cox’s service areas in Santa Barbara. Nominations are being accepted at CoxConservesHeroes.com through 5 p.m. May 21 for volunteers who are creating, preserving or enhancing outdoor spaces.

Three finalists will compete through online voting to be named the 2014 Cox Conserves Hero for Santa Barbara. A total of $15,000 will be donated to Santa Barbara environmental nonprofits on behalf of the winner and finalists.

The winner will receive $10,000 to donate to his or her local environmental nonprofit of choice. The two additional finalists will receive $2,500 for their environmental nonprofit of choice.

Voting will be held in mid-July, with the winners announced in mid-August.

In 2013, Susan Epstein was selected as the 2013 Santa Barbara Cox Conserves Hero. The program launched in San Diego in 2009 and expanded to Santa Barbara and Orange County in 2012. In Southern California, Cox Conserves Heroes has recognized 36 volunteers and donated nearly $140,000 to environmental nonprofits.

The Cox Conserves Heroes program was created through a partnership between The Trust for Public Land and Cox Enterprises, the parent company of Cox Communications.

Cox Conserves Heroes also takes place in the San Francisco Bay Area; Arizona (Phoenix and Tucson); Georgia (Atlanta); Louisiana (Acadiana, Baton Rouge and New Orleans); Virginia (Fairfax County/Fredericksburg, Hampton Roads and Roanoke) and Washington (Seattle).

— Ceanne Guerra is the media relations manager for Cox Communications.