NEW HANOVER COUNTY, NC – The North Carolina Cooperative Extension & New Hanover County Arboretum was selected by the Lower Cape Fear Stewardship Development Coalition to receive an Outstanding Recognition Award, the organization’s highest honor.
The award, which was presented earlier in May, was given based on the installation of rain gardens, swales, rainwater cisterns and vegetative infiltration at the Arboretum, as well as the use of native plants and educational signage throughout the complex.
“Working to showcase ways that protect and conserve natural resources is something we take great pride in here at the Cooperative Extension and Arboretum,” Director Lloyd Singleton said. “We are humbled to once again receive recognition for the work we are committed to doing and look forward to creating new ways to effectively preserve our environment.”
A nonprofit focused on encouraging and recognizing development practices that safeguard and improve awareness of natural resources in the area, the Lower Cape Fear Stewardship Coalition cited green construction and eco-friendly site planning as something that can be included in a majority of development projects. This year’s honorees, which included efforts in the public and private sector, highlighted ways to make that possible.
This isn’t the first time the North Carolina Cooperative Extension & New Hanover County Arboretum’s work in stormwater management has garnered attention. In 2021, the National Association of Counties honored the organization with an achievement award in the category of County Resiliency: Infrastructure, Energy, and Sustainability for its efforts in protecting the Bradley Creek watershed.
For more on the North Carolina Cooperative Extension & New Hanover County Arboretum, click here.