Left: AFFEW President and environmentalist Julia Chambers. Right: Helping to install water filters in Honduras with assistance from young friends and Rotary Charities. Courtesy photos.
By Pat Stinson
UPDATE: Local environmentalist Julia Chambers received enough votes to place #2 for the national award, so AFFEW was granted $15,000 from Cox Conserves.
Mason County resident Julia Chambers, president and co-founder of Ludington-based AFFEW, (A Few Friends for the Environment of the World), is one of three U.S. nominees for the national Cox Conserves Adult Hero environmental award. As explained on the Cox Enterprises’ website, the adult awards recognize those 18 and older whose volunteer efforts “have made considerable contributions to carbon, water and/or waste reuse or reduction on behalf of an environmental 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization.”
“It’s very exciting to be nominated when there are only three adult heroes,” Chambers said.
Chambers and two others were selected from a nationwide pool of nominees by a committee that included environmental leaders.
“We’re the only environmental group in the area, so (the nomination) gains more recognition for the group,” she explained. “It’s our way of promoting the group and our cause.”
Members of the public are invited to vote for what Cox calls their “favorite Environmental Enthusiast” during an online election to be held Oct. 3-10 to determine the first, second and third place winners — those who receive the most votes. Cash awards of $30,000, $15,000 and $5,000 will be presented to each winner’s environmental group of choice. This means AFFEW will receive at least $5,000. (Story continues below advertisement.)
[Chambers said she was nominated by AFFEW’s newest board member, Marie Quillan, who is the 501(c)(3) nonprofit group’s treasurer.
According to AFFEW.org, its volunteers serve Ludington, Scottville and greater Mason County. The organization’s stated goal is “to raise environmental awareness, action and sustainability” with “signature events, community partnerships and development.”
Some of those events include work sessions to clean up area beaches and eradicate invasive species, Earth Day workshops and programs for children and adults, and summer educational programs for children. (See the group’s schedule for this year’s Earth Day at: https://freshwater-reporter.com/area-earth-day-events-planned-april-22-23/.)
Additionally, the group formed an alliance this year with U Dig It Community Garden to offer a summer youth program. With the help of Michigan State University, the 7- to 11-year-olds grew, sampled and donated food to the community.
AFFEW also keeps lists of the area’s sustainable businesses and recycling outlets for community members to reference.
Now retired, Chambers was a naturalist at Ludington State Park, where she ran a reptile center with snakes and turtles inside the former Great Lakes Visitor Center.
AFFEW plans to split the award monies, using a portion to bring a “Snakes Alive” program to area fourth graders and to seed the organization’s dream to build a nature center.
“(Snakes Alive) talks about how important they are,” Chambers said. “So many people are afraid of snakes and want to kill them. Educating the kids would be a good start.”
She said the the organization’s goals remain the same.
“Mainly, we want to keep doing what we’re doing and more, and educating and moving forward,” she added.
The Cox Conserves Heroes program has donated in excess of $1.4 million to environmental nonprofits and more than 200 volunteers across the country have been recognized since 2008 , according to the company’s website. This year, the program will give nine awards in three categories: adult and youth environmental volunteers and nonprofit environmental groups.
To vote, go to:https://www.coxenterprises.com/cox-conserves/cox-conserves-heroes/vote. Winners will be announced Oct. 18.
