OCEAN CITY — Worcester County Tourism named the 2014 Worcester Green Award winners during the Ocean City Hotel-Motel-Restaurant Association dinner meeting April 24.
Worcester Green awards are given to area businesses and individuals dedicated to implementing sustainable environmental practices, such as water conservation, wastewater management, alternative transportation, recycling, energy conservation, on-site renewable energy production, use of local products and foods and the purchase of renewable energy.
“It’s exciting for me to see who in our community is doing such innovative, new, fun stuff,” Tourism Director Lisa Challenger said. “I hope their recognition encourages others to follow their leadership and dedication in showing that being green is good business.”
The Berlin Library Branch Demonstration Garden was named the Worcester Green Award Community Organization due to the work of Master Gardeners Pat Pilling, Sharon Peterson and Patti Kernan. The Master Gardeners established the garden in 2010 to demonstrate chemical-free, sustainable vegetable gardening to the public and to provide needed fresh food to Diakonia and Stevenson United Methodist Church in Berlin for their food assistance programs. Under their leadership, the 160-square-foot garden has produced over 2,200 pounds of produce.
Go Green Painting and Home Improvements, LLC was named the Worcester Green Award Business. Go Green Painting and Home Improvements, LLC, an ecologically-based business that embraces environmentally friendly practices and products, offers eco-friendly solutions for home and other remodeling needs that promote healthy, durable, energy and resource-efficient homes.
The Hotels at Fager’s Island – The Edge and The Lighthouse Club – have been named the Worcester Green Award Lodgings. The Hotels at Fager’s Island have grown their green initiatives, replacing light bulbs, dimmer and regular switches, thermostats and receptacles with LED lighting materials, reducing water consumption by installing tankless hot water heaters, using ionized water in place of plastic water bottles, using biodegradable products wherever possible, instituting a guest towel conservation program, utilizing eco-friendly detergents and ionized water in cleaning and installing low energy washers and dryers. They are also installing a new energy-efficient HVAC system.
The Shark has been named the Worcester Green Award Restaurant. The Shark is leading the way in buying local seafood, produce, draft beers and grains, growing their own herbs and encouraging others to buy from local businesses. They maintain sustainable practices and recycle.
April Anft a special education teacher at Berlin Intermediate School, was named the Worcester Green Award Teacher. Anft has demonstrated leadership in teaching others about the environment, incorporating a program entitled “Happy Diggers,” which promotes gardening, recycling and all around good environmental stewardship.
Worcester Green is sponsored by Worcester County Tourism, Comcast Spotlight, OceanCity.com, OC Hotel-Motel-Restaurant Association, and Maryland Green Travel. The purpose of the program is to encourage Worcester County businesses and community leaders to learn more about and engage in environmentally sustainable practices, while growing their businesses at the same time.