Dunwoody, GA – – The Dunwoody Nature Center announced today a $12,500 donation from Cox Communications that will be used to fund the hiring of a part-time employee responsible for community engagement and volunteerism. The donation is awarded in conjunction with the Cox Conserves Chairman’s Cup, an internal program that recognizes Cox Enterprises’ locations for implementing sustainable business practices. As one of the program winners, Cox Communications’ Atlanta office was awarded $12,500 to donate to a local environmental nonprofit and selected the Dunwoody Nature Center as the recipient.
“The magnitude of this gift lives beyond its initial donation,” said Alan Mothner, Executive Director of the Dunwoody Nature Center. “By adding staff to further engage the community in our mission, the Chairman’s Cup award will allow us to serve an even greater number of individuals; and the more community involvement that we have, the greater our impact throughout the region.”
The Cox Conserves Chairman’s Cup recognized Cox Communications’ Atlanta office for efforts to reduce e-waste. One project reduced e-waste by nearly 10 tons and resulted in a 16.1M kWh reduction in energy consumption annually, enough energy to power 1,463 homes.
“Our employees take conservation seriously,” said Ilene Wolchock, senior director of product development at Cox Communications. “When the Cox Conserves Chairman’s Cup was announced, our team was so excited to participate and highlight their efforts to support local conservation.”
In addition to its operations, Cox Communications seeks to inspire eco-friendly behavior among its customers and the communities it serves. The company hosts customer recycling events and is working with other members of the telecom industry to reduce the amount of energy consumed by video receivers. These changes will improve the efficiency of digital receivers by 10 to 45 percent, depending on receiver type, by 2017 and are expected to save more than $1 billion on consumer energy bills annually.
For over 20 years, the Dunwoody Nature Center has used the 22 acres of Dunwoody Park and outreach to its neighboring communities to cultivate environmental understanding and stewardship. The Nature Center is a home for scouts, gardeners, school field trips, and others who appreciate the beauty and complexity of nature. The mission of the Dunwoody Nature Center is to inspire the love of nature and cultivate environmental understanding and stewardship by conserving and enhancing Dunwoody Park, educating children, families, and adults of all ages about the natural world and our place in it, and motivating environmental awareness and responsible action.