GreenSpotLight Small Business Winner

1) Developing effective and impactful environmental restoration projects by choosing appropriate sites, minimizing earthwork and heavy equipment use, reapplying native soils, repurposing woody debris, and transplanting viable plants, using native plants and local genotypes when available, planting only when water is present and available, and including students, community members, and volunteers in the planning, maintenance, and monitoring efforts.

2) Providing educational opportunities and tours promoting Ohio wetlands and ecological understanding.

3) Carpooling (following Covid-19 precautions) and prioritizing fuel efficient vehicles over trucks.

4) Video conferencing (even before it was necessary!) to reduce unnecessary travel.

5) In the office, we have installed more efficient light bulbs and a programmable thermostat, compost food waste and some paper waste, reuse paper, recycle, and encourage staff to dress in layers and utilize windows to regulate comfortable temperatures.

6) Host-cohost volunteer workdays for litter cleanup, native planting, and invasive species removal events.

7) Sharing our locally-rented storage space with a non-profit watershed protection organization.

8) Maintain a native prairie garden and bird feeding station in place of non-native shrubs around office space.

9) Encouraging staff and seasonal interns to support local volunteer efforts like river cleanups, supporting native plant sales, bat population surveys, invasive species removal, trail repair, etc.

10) Encouraging staff to serve on non-profit boards that widen our green footprint such as Friends of the Lower Olentangy River (FLOW), Columbus Audubon, Ohio Wetlands Association (OWA), and the Environmental Education Council of Ohio (EECO).