Pelzer Prize: Nominate a green hero who’s making a positive difference to the SA environment
We want to shine a light on South Australia’s environment heroes. Nominate a worthy candidate and they could win $10,000 for their cause.
SA News
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A new award for the state’s green heroes, conservation leaders and champions of the environment has been created and named in honour of Adelaide’s first city gardener.
The Advertiser and Sunday Mail, together with Green Adelaide, the University of Adelaide Environment Institute and the Australian Science Media Centre, is launching the Pelzer Prize.
August Wilhelm Pelzer (1862-1934) transformed the city landscape during his 33 years as head gardener, arresting the loss of trees in our parklands and planting tens of thousands more.
Environment Minister David Speirs welcomed the creation of a new Prize for people making a difference to the environment.
“Many of these people will be unsung heroes of their local communities and these awards will recognise the amazing work they are doing,” he said.
Environment Institute director and botanist Professor Bob Hill said plants played a critical role in human health and wellbeing within well-functioning cities.
“This great initiative, named for a true pioneer who no doubt understood how important his role was, celebrates those who continue this important legacy,” he said.
Potential prize winners might be restoring landscapes, creating habitat for wildlife, connecting people to nature, or cleaning up our parks, beaches and waterways. Or they may be doing something else that is equally worthy of recognition and reward.
They can be individuals putting spare time and energy into their own projects, or groups harnessing people power for the greater good.
School groups and community groups are welcome to apply.
We are also seeking to identify and recognise those professionals who are achieving outstanding results for the environment.
Australian Science Media Centre chief executive Dr Susannah Eliott said she hoped the prize would encourage and acknowledge quiet achievers who volunteer their time for the community.
“There are so many people beavering away doing fantastic things in their local environment and we all benefit from their work,” she said.
“The Pelzer prize is a wonderful opportunity to celebrate these local heroes.”
The selection panel will be looking for evidence of positive change over a substantial period of time in order to reward awinner with a $10,000 cash prize to dedicate towards an environmental cause.
The Sturt Upper Reaches Landcare Group president Danny Rohrlach said the prize was a great way to raise the profile of conservation work by volunteers.
The group has connected landholders between Belair National Park and the Mark Oliphant Conservation Park and improved habitat for the endangered southern brown bandicoot.
“We have a challenge, in that we’ve got a lot of landholders and a lot of different types of use of land, and we’re trying to do something to make them more bandicoot friendly,” he said.
“So what we’ve done so far is, through our own fundraising efforts and through the occasional grant, we’ve found money to do work on different properties and that’s has been revegetation and it’s been weed control work.”
The project has been “years in the making” and has grown to encompass the whole area where bandicoots have been found.
Do you know someone who is striving to improve the environment and make our world a better place?
SCROLL DOWN TO SUBMIT YOUR NOMINATION
Originally published as Pelzer Prize: Nominate a green hero who’s making a positive difference to the SA environment
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