Living Green
Overview
The Rappahannock Group of the Sierra Club recognizes businesses and organizations that have taken steps and acted to help the earth and environment through THE LIVING GREEN AWARD presented at the Annual Earth Day on the Rappahannock festival every April.
Who is eligible? Any business or organization in Stafford, Spotsylvania, Caroline Counties, Culpeper, King George, Westmoreland, Orange Counties, and the city of Fredericksburg that has taken independent steps to help the planet through living green actions.
Who may nominate a business? Nominations may be submitted by the public, employees, or the owners themselves. To nominate someone all one must do is fill out the nomination form!
What steps/actions have been taken to help, improve, or enhance the earth and environment?
Examples may include initiatives to reduce the carbon footprint, conservation of water or other natural resources, purchasing strategies, employee or public communication on environmental issues, and promoting environmentally sound practices.
Results: What are the results of the actions? How have these actions impacted your workplace, employees and/or the public? How have these actions helped out earth? Are the results measurable through statistics and/or behaviors? In what way does this help the earth and people? Are there cost savings or other benefits realized through the actions?
The names of all businesses and organizations that are awarded will be published in our newsletter, website, and on our Facebook page with our endorsement to patronize and support these local businesses and organizations that take steps toward Living Green.
The Winner of the Living Green Award will also be published along with details of their accomplishments. Winners will be presented with a certificate at the Earth Day festival every April.
2025 Living Green Award
Rappahannock Education Farm and Fillagreen
The Living Green Award is gifted by the Rappahannock Group Sierra Club to recognize groups in the region who have demonstrated exceptional steps and initiative in environmental actions. Whether it’s through advocacy, education, or community engagement, these small businesses and organizations are bringing the Rappahannock community together to make our world a greener place.
This year, we are proud to present the Living Green Award to an organization whose mission is to reduce food insecurity in a sustainable way. Through organic farming, water conservation systems, and community education, this organization grew and donated 4,000 pounds of produce last year, and is on track to reach their goal of 100,000 pounds within the next few years. Their efforts in agricultural education aim to encourage the implementation of community gardens and highlights the many mental, physical, and financial benefits to growing organic food. It is this showing of dedication to sustainability of our Earth and our community’s heart that we offer our first Living Green Award to the Rappahannock Education Farm.
Our second award this afternoon we would like to award to a small Fredericksburg business. Since their inception, they have diverted 8,000 plastic containers from landfills, sold over 30,000 plastic-free alternatives, and have used their social media presence, as well as their presence in the Fredericksburg community, to encourage sustainable lifestyles, even if they aren’t “perfect”. This business sells products that are either reusable, biodegradable, or made ethically. They even have their own recycling program for unwanted jars that are cleaned, sterilized, and available for public use when refilling your materials. It is this commitment to the promotion of sustainable living and mindful consumption that we award Fillagreen the Living Green Award.
2024 Living Green Award
3219 Fall Hill Ave, Fredericksburg, VA 22401
The Living Green Award is gifted by the Rappahannock Group Sierra Club to recognize groups in the region who have demonstrated exceptional steps and initiative in environmental actions. Whether it’s through advocacy, education, or community engagement, these small businesses and organizations are bringing the Rappahannock community together to make our world a greener place.
This year, we are proud to present the Living Green Award to an organization who has been leading environmental stewardship on the Rappahannock since 1985. In the past few years, their efforts in litter removal, environmental education, and the conservation of natural resources have immensely aided in the health of the river and surrounding communities. Their litter removal project has collected 4k lbs of litter from the riverbanks. Their partnerships with local businesses have repurposed discarded oyster shells to rebuild our oyster reefs. Planting 35k trees along the riverbank and engaging 11k students in 2023 alone, they have raised awareness about the importance of river health, bringing the Rappahannock community together. They truly deserve the title of River Friends.
It is our pleasure to present this year’s Living Green Award to the Friends of the Rappahannock.
Historical Winners
To see the historic winners of the Living Green Award, please check out the page devoted to them.