The Environmental Defense Center was presented with a $10,000 check from Cox last year after the 2016 Cox Conserves Hero, Lee Heller, designated the Santa Barbara-based nonprofit organization as her award recipient. From left are Nicola Bailey, Heller, Owen Bailey, Das Williams and Kirsten Mclaughlin, Cox’s market vice president. (Cox file photo)

Cox Communications, in partnership with The Trust for Public Land, is asking the public to nominate their local environmental heroes for California’s 2017 Cox Conserves Heroes awards program.

Nominations for volunteers who are creating, preserving or enhancing outdoor spaces are being accepted at CoxConservesHeroes.com through 5 p.m. PDT May 12. The volunteers should be located in Cox’s service areas in Santa Barbara, Orange County, Palos Verdes or San Diego.

Eligibility Criteria

» Nominee’s activity creates, protects and/or beautifies an outdoor community space

» Nominee’s activity is done on a volunteer basis and is not part of his or her paid employment

» Nominee’s activity inspires others to engage in community conservation

Local judging panels, comprised of local civic and environmental leaders, will select three finalists. The winner, chosen through an online public vote, will be named California’s 2017 Cox Conserves Hero and receive $10,000 to donate to his or her environmental nonprofit of choice. The two finalists will each receive $5,000 for their nonprofits of choice.

Nonprofit of Choice Criteria

» The organization must be a public 501(c)(3)

» The organization’s efforts must focus on environmental improvement

California’s Cox Conserves Heroes Timeline

» Public Nominations: April 24-May 12

» Public Voting: June

» Winner Announcement: Late June

In California, the Cox Conserves Heroes program has honored nearly 70 environmental volunteers and donated nearly $250,000 to their local nonprofit organizations of choice.

Last year, Lee Heller of Summerland was selected as California’s 2016 Cox Conserves Hero and presented a $10,000 check to her nonprofit beneficiary, the Santa Barbara-based Environmental Defense Center, as a result of an online public vote for the title of California’s Cox Conserves Heroes.

In partnership with The Trust for Public Land, the national Cox Conserves Heroes program has donated nearly $800,000 to environmental nonprofit organizations, and nearly 200 volunteers have been honored.

Cox Conserves Heroes also takes place in Arizona, Florida, Georgia, Louisiana, Massachusetts, Virginia and Washington, and is part of the company’s national Cox Conserves sustainability program that is celebrating its 10th anniversary.

Click here for more information about Cox Conserves Heroes.

— Ceanne Guerra is media and public relations manager at Cox Communications.