One year ago, on October 8, the Department of Environmental Protection announced the winners of the 2020 Governor’s Awards for Environmental Excellence and Communitopia was proud to be among the winners. This week, we’re kicking off our outreach to bring our award-winning Climate Change Maker workshops to even more classrooms throughout the region. Our goal is to reach a minimum of 350 youth this school year. Book your workshop TODAY!

Last year, more than 60 applicants from across the Commonwealth nominated projects on energy efficiency, emissions reduction, watershed restoration and protection, environmental education opportunities, and smart growth planning and design.

The Governor’s Awards for Environmental Excellence is open to any Pennsylvania business, farm, government agency, educational institution, non-profit organization and individual that has created, or participated in, the development of a project that promotes environmental stewardship and economic development in Pennsylvania.

“These awards highlight the ingenuity and commitment Pennsylvanians have for protecting and improving our environment,” said DEP Secretary Patrick McDonnell. “The unique projects show how communities, businesses, and educational organizations can come together to meet the diverse needs of our environment.”

DEP oversees the awards selection process, evaluating projects on environmental protection, climate change, sustainability, partnership, economic impact, innovation, environmental education and outreach. Projects are also judged on their commitment to environmental justice.

Here’s the list of the 2020 Award winners from Allegheny County-

Allegheny County

-- Etna EcoDistrict, Etna Community Organization and Borough of Etna 

-- Forest Hills Net Zero Energy Municipal Building, Borough of Forest Hills 

-- Phipps Conservatory and Botanical Gardens Living Campus, Phipps Conservatory and Botanical Gardens

-- Pittsburgh International Airport: Pittsburgh International Airport Honey Bee Project,

--Communitopia - Youth Empowerment and Climate Change Education,