Abby Jahiel
Abby Jahiel of Illinois Wesleyan University has worked with another Environmental Action Hero, Professor Given Harper.  Together and separately they have done an amazing amount of work in furthering the cause of environmental sustainability, both locally and on a much larger scale.  In addition to starting a campus wide "green network" which brings together students, faculty and staff at IWU to work toward solutions for environmental issues (including establishing recycling programs for the university), they have over time created both a minor, and then a major in Environmental Studies, which have allowed many students after graduation to go out and effectively impact communities in the US and abroad.   For more info about their program, go to:
http://www2.iwu.edu/environ/index.shtml

Daren Cordell
Daren Cordell is a teacher at Bolin Grade School in East Peoria. He is a strong believer in recycling. This year he has taken it upon himself to not only educate his 5th grade class about recycling, but to also educate the teachers at Bolin as well as the parents.  Mr. Cordell began by finding companies that would take used batteries and plastic bottle caps. He created collection sites at school and advertises this service in monthly newsletters. Bags of bottle caps and batteries are brought in daily. To date, he has collected 1,003 batteries and 6,025 bottle caps. Mr. Cordell then volunteered his class to be in charge of all of the paper, plastic, and aluminum recycling for the entire school. His students are now known in school as the Green Ninjas. They visit all of the classrooms daily to sort and take care of all recyclables.  Daren has single handedly managed to change the way that students, staff, and a community of parents look at trash. Every item gets a second
look before it is thrown away.  Daren Cordell is Bolin Grade School's Environmental Action Hero.


Sonja Roudebush
Sonja Roudebush is a teacher who has worked with her class on a green project to help the Canton community. Their work resulted in a signed proclamation by the mayor to make April “Green Month” in Canton, Illinois.  Her class sells trees to aise money to buy food for local food pantries and they received grants from the city to fix up their local recycling center.  Sonja Roudebush takes action in Canton.



Kimberly Evans and the students at Schramm Educational Center
Congratulations to Kimberly Evans and the students in the vocational center at Schramm Educational Center in Pekin, Illinois.  Schramm Educational Center is a unique school that services students with severe and profound disabilities.  Within the vocational classroom students and staff are encouraged to bring in their junk mail from home for opening, sorting, and shredding.  Some of the students are able to shred independently.  Other students, with more significant physical impairments use environmental control units and switches to operate the shredding machines.  The shred from the classroom is then sent to local recycling facilities in the area.


 
Gloria Demarteleare
Gloria Demarteleare teaches Environmental Science.  This semester she has motivated her class to take action.  The class has started an awareness campaign in the school that includes recycling all plastic bottles, aluminum cans and paper that is discarded.  Students sort the material and keep statistics on volume.  The materials are then recycled using proper containers.   The project is catching on.  Not only has Gloria helped the students become more conscious of the environment now they take responsible action.

The Sun Foundation
For the last 35 years the Sun Foundation, led by founders Joan and Bob Erickson, has raised environmental awareness throughout Central Illinois.
They have brought many leading environmentalists to the area to talk about issues.  They also started the Clean Water Celebration to teach our children the importance of clean water.   The Sun Foundation in Washburn, Illinois takes Environmental Action. 

Beth Eggers, Sun Foundation Representative





Tracy and Scott Snowman
”Original” is one word to describe Tracy and Scott Snowman. Together they have not only switched to geothermal heating, purchased a Honda Civic Hybrid, bought a water efficient washer, and switched over all light bulbs to CFLs', but have actually written a children's book. Their Christmas book  promotes environmentalist ideas to children, and encourages them to help Santa "Go Green."

Mercedes Long
Mercedes Long wrote an anti litter rap for the city of Peoria’s “Rappers Against Wrappers”.  The rap was played on Power 92.3.  Mercedes is 11 years old . You can go to You Tube and do a search on “Rappers Against Wrappers” to see Mercedes performing her rap.

The Student Association for the Environment at Illinois Central College
The Student Association for the Environment at Illinois Central College has been in existence in one form or another since the first Earth Day in 1970. It's most current incarnation was founded in 1987 and over the past 20 years has raised funds to purchase trees for local elementary school students and teachers. Since 1987, SAFE has distributed 23,500 trees in the Peoria area.
For the last 20 years, SAFE has performed the Dr. Seuss story “The Lorax” at local elementary schools.
The group has been very active in the community, lending support to Families Against Toxic Waste, the Illinois River Sweep and Earth Day festivities at Bradley and Forest Park Nature Center.
In 2002, the Illinois State Environmental Coalition awarded SAFE the “Student Environmental Organization of the Year”. 

Given Harper
Given is Professor of Biology and Avian Ecologist at Illinois Weleyan University, Bloomington IL.  He's active in preserving avian habitats, helping ISU provide nesting places on Watterson Towers;  actively participates and provides guidance for Sugar Grove bird sanctuary, guides annual bird counts.
Most of all Given and his family live a lifestyle that is truly friendly to the environment - purchasing environmentally friendly items, recycling as much of home waste as possible; Given organized the recycling program at  First Christian (Disciples of Christ), gives lessons and overall leadership for the congregation learning  to live this lifestyle.  Given goes about his work in a quiet, unassuming way, never expecting anything in return, just because it is the right thing to do.  He is truly an example of how just one person can make a difference to preserve our earth. 
This is but a small part of what Given (and his family) do.  He is an inspiration to others.  Congratulations Given Harper... Environmental Action Hero!

Tim Wadell & TNT Recycling
For the last ten years TNT Recycling has provided a free community service picking up appliances that have no other place to go.  Also they try to keep the community clean of unwanted T.V.s and computer screens and they pick up tires for elderly who don't have a way to get them to recycling centers.

Marsha Kutter
Marsha started a recycle program at Illinois CancerCare.  She made all the calls to get information as to who would pick up the recycled products.  She got prices, and the recycle bins.  She presented all her information to the group and got the ball rolling.  She also encourages and reminds everyone to recycle each week.  The motto: " We care for our earth home as we do our patients".

Ron Thompson of Morton canoes down the Mackinaw River picking up trash left by others.  He goes week after week sometimes alone and sometime joined by others.  Not asking for recognition he continues the clean up so that everyone can enjoy the river.

Gary Sutton is the man with the brainchild that became the first ever Central Illinois Renewable Energy Expo on April 5 & 6, 2008. The event drew several hundred people to Three Sisters Park in Chillicothe and provided educational and informational applications to homeowners and businesses. I served on the steering committee and volunteered, but Gary was the guy who pushed the idea and headed up  the group!

Jody Tockes was awarded for her efforts in establishing Environmental and Green initiatives.  Jody is very passionate about her environmental beliefs and spreads the word both professionally as a teacher at East Peoria High School and personally. Jody suggested and got approval for developing a class in Environmental Stewardship, which will premiere at East Peoria High School in the fall; and attended West Coast Green last September in San Francisco (a green building and sustainability conference), then presented findings to East Peoria High School faculty. Jody and her students researched then suggested possible green building practices at a school board meeting for incorporation in the up-coming East Peoria High School renovation project.  Jody also applied for and received a grant from Tazewell Regional Superintendent of Schools for greenhouse equipment for EPHS.  Jody is in the process of creating an intergenerational gardening program. www.beautifulgift.org .  




Friday February 29th was our first quarterly Environmental Action Awards event.  WMBD honored three Environmental Action Heroes for their efforts to go GREEN. 

Pat Nedza started the Smart Kids program, a recycling program at her school, St. Marks.

Tayler McGillis is a 13 year old who has recycled more than 22,000 pounds of aluminum and donated all the proceeds to charity.  He also gives people low energy lightbulbs to use in their homes. 

Paul Ritter is a teacher at Pontiac High School who has started a great prescription drug recycling program to help keep our water supply from getting contaminated when we throw away or flush our old prescriptions. 



All three winners received an Environmental Action Award, a grant for $100 to continue their environmental work and a tree from Hoerr Nursery.