Aquarion Water Co., the public water supply company for 51 Connecticut communities, handed out its seventh annual Aquarion Environmental Champion Awards. The event took place at the Beardsley Zoo in Bridgeport.
The awards recognize volunteer projects that have significantly contributed to the protection, conservation, restoration and stewardship of Connecticut”™s water, air, soils and plant and wildlife habitats.
Business, nonprofit and adult winners received a $2,500 grant to the environmental nonprofit of their choice. The student award was a $1,000 prize.
In the business category, Thule Group of Seymour was honored for reducing its greenhouse gas emissions by almost 25 percent and drawing 80 percent of its electricity from renewable sources, including its own solar panels.
The nonprofit Aspetuck Land Trust was honored for its 50 years of conservation efforts, having 1,000 members supporting its work and helping protect 1,700 acres of green space in Westport, Weston, Fairfield, Easton, Wilton, Redding and Bridgeport.
Adult category honorees were Fred Grimsey of Waterford for helping protect the Niantic River and the Long Island Sound from runoff and sewage, and Kevin Zak of Naugatuck for his efforts to protect the Naugatuck River
The student award went to Marissa Peck of Shelton High School for her experiments to create a type of plastic that degrades in salt water.
