The City of DeKalb and its Citizens’ Environmental Commission (CEC) are honoring  community members demonstrating leadership in environmental sustainability. 

The DeKalb STARR (Sustainability Through Action, Resiliency and Responsibility)  Awards were presented April 5 as part of a City presentation at the second annual Earth  Fest, which was sponsored by DeCarbon DeKalb and Northern Illinois University and held  at Founders Memorial Library. 

“The recipients are true leaders in local environmental sustainability efforts,” said Mayor  Cohen Barnes. “They have taken the initiative and given their time and energy to make  DeKalb a better place to live, and I’m certain their work will inspire other community  members to do the same.” 

Nominations were solicited and received from community members, and awards were  presented in five categories. 

The Rooted for Good School Gardens program received the Sustainable Community  Project award for organizing community and student volunteers to tend gardens at  DeKalb School District elementary schools.  

Sweet Life Garden Group was named the Green Business of the Year for its gardening  and beautification projects at locations throughout the DeKalb area, including Hope  Haven. 

The DeKalb ALDI store was recognized with the Corporate/Institutional Environmental  Leadership award for discontinuing the use of plastic shopping bags. 

Nick Dory was named the Individual Sustainability Champion for his work picking up litter  in his neighborhood and supporting the CEC. 

Saige Ruback was named the Youth Sustainability Leader for making time to support local  sustainability initiatives even with a busy schedule as a student and travel hockey player.

To coincide with the adoption of the City’s updated Sustainability Plan, the CEC  reinvigorated the City’s annual environmental award with a new name and the creation of  five categories showing how sustainability can happen in many ways. The effort was a  success with more nominations submitted from the community than in recent years.  

Community members are encouraged to keep an eye out for their neighbors making a  difference in sustainability locally and submit their names for a STARR Award when the  nomination period reopens early next year. 

Photo: Mayor Cohen Barnes, Second Ward Alderwoman Barb Larson and members of  the Citizens’ Environmental Commission gather with recipients of the DeKalb STARR  Award, presented April 5 at Earth Fest.