Ball Horticultural Company received the 2008 Conservation and Native Landscaping Award at a ceremony in November for its Ecological Restoration Project, coordinated by Ball’s Keith Guimon. According to Guimon, the project began when an employee at Ball, together with Jack Pizzo of Pizzo & Associates, an ecological restoration firm with offices in Illinois and Michigan, approached CEO Anna Ball about restoring the land.

Before restoration, Guimon said the land was covered in buckthorn, garbage, trees and shrubs, and the remains of an old pig farm.

According to a timeline from Guimon, the project began with tree and brush removal in
October 2003. It eventually grew into 27 acres of native restoration. The team replaced invasive species with native plants, restored wildlife habitat, and created walking trails for employees.

The Conservation and Native Landscaping Award is sponsored by the Environmental Protection Agency and Chicago Wilderness, an initiative that recognizes park districts, municipalities and corporations that make extensive and creative use of natural landscaping. The award ceremony was held in conjunction with the Chicago Wilderness Congress.

Guimon attended the ceremony, held at the University of Illinois Chicago campus, to accept the award on behalf of Ball. The restoration area is located in West Chicago, Illinois, home to Ball’s headquarters.

~ Jennifer Mitchell

Project EverGreen releases 2009 calendar
Project EverGreen, a national nonprofit committed to promoting the benefits of public and private green spaces, has released its third annual Because Green Matters calendar. The calendar features 12 photos from throughout the country that depict different ways to enhance green spaces within a community.

Photos were chosen from hundreds of submissions to the Project EverGreen calendar photography contest. The 12 winners will receive a $100 gift certificate to a national gardening retailer. Calendar photos feature projects from San Diego, California; San Marino, California; Glencoe, Illinois; Crystal Lake, Illinois; Kingwood, Texas; Lincoln, Nebraska; Akron, Ohio; Oley, Pennsylvania; West Jefferson, North Carolina, and Arlington, Virginia.
Each month is sponsored by a different organization that supports Project EverGreen’s mission. Sponsors include the Professional Grounds Management Society, Outdoor Power Equipment Institute, Tree Care Industry Association, Turfgrass Producers International, Golf Course Superintendents Association of America, PLANET, Irrigation Association, Sports Turf Managers Association, the City of Akron, Sticks for Kids, Turf and Ornamental Communicators Association and Christmas Spirit Foundation.