Partners For the Environment

♻️ Composting. Stormwater. Recycling. Community education. Regional collaboration.

The City of Kettering Sustainability Team is our 2026 Sustainable Community of the Year! 🏆

Led by Sustainability Manager Dawn Kirchner, Kettering is turning sustainability goals into action—from waste reduction and greenhouse gas inventory work to Adopt-A-Drain, EcoFest and community education.

It's a great example of what can happen when sustainability becomes part of how a community plans for its future.

Help us celebrate Kettering—and all four of this year's honorees—September 30 at Learning Tree Farm.

🎟️ Early-bird tickets are $65.

Get your Fall Awards tickets

🍂 An evening at Learning Tree Farm sounds pretty good right about now.

Join friends and colleagues from across the Miami Valley environmental community for an evening outdoors celebrating the people doing some pretty incredible work for our region.

🌳 Learning Tree Farm
🍽️ Local food
🍺 Craft beer + wine
🏆 2026 Environmental Awards
🌱 New Environmental Leaders cohort
🤝 And a chance to actually catch up with the people we work with all year

The 2026 Fall Awards Celebration is September 30 from 6–8 PM.

You don't have to be an award winner—or work for an environmental organization—to join us. Come celebrate a healthier, more sustainable Miami Valley.

Early-bird tickets are $65 and on sale now.

Join us at Learning Tree Farm

🏆 Meet the 2026 Partners for the Environment Award winners!

These are the people, organizations and communities doing remarkable work for our environment across the Miami Valley:

🌿 Partner of the Year: Marianist Environmental Education Center (MEEC)

🦒 Individual of the Year: Amanda Badger, founder and director of Wild Hearts African Farm

🏙️ Sustainable Community of the Year: City of Kettering Sustainability Team

🌊 Lifetime Achievement Award: Carrie Scarff, Five Rivers MetroParks

From restoring habitat and inspiring people to care about conservation, to building more sustainable communities and helping reconnect our region with its rivers—these honorees show just how many forms environmental leadership can take.

Come celebrate them with us!

🍂 2026 Fall Awards Celebration
📅 September 30 | 6–8 PM
📍 Learning Tree Farm
🎟️ Early-bird tickets: $65

Reserve your tickets

Our Early Bird Sale has been extended!‼️ Get your tickets now for our Fall Celebration Sept. 30th!‼️

🍂 Tickets are officially on sale! 🍂

Join us for the 2026 Fall Awards Celebration on September 30th at Learning Tree Farm as we celebrate the people, organizations, and businesses making a difference for our environment across the Greater Dayton region.

Enjoy an inspiring evening of community, recognition, and connection while supporting our mission to create a healthier, more sustainable future.

🎟️ Reserve your tickets today before they're gone!
https://www.eventbrite.com/e/2026-fall-awards-celebration-tickets-1987701826671

📍 Learning Tree Farm, Dayton, Ohio
📅 September 30, 2026 | ⏰ 6–8 PM

🍂 Tickets are officially on sale! 🍂

Join us for the 2026 Fall Awards Celebration on September 30th at Learning Tree Farm as we celebrate the people, organizations, and businesses making a difference for our environment across the Greater Dayton region.

Enjoy an inspiring evening of community, recognition, and connection while supporting our mission to create a healthier, more sustainable future.

🎟️ Reserve your tickets today before they're gone!
https://www.eventbrite.com/e/2026-fall-awards-celebration-tickets-1987701826671

📍 Learning Tree Farm, Dayton, Ohio
📅 September 30, 2026 | ⏰ 6–8 PM

🌿 Ready to Make a Lasting Impact in Your Community? 🌿

Do you care about protecting our environment and want to become a stronger leader in your community? The 2026–2027 Environmental Leaders Program is your opportunity to connect with like-minded individuals, learn from regional experts, and gain the skills to create meaningful change.

Through this year-long program, you'll:
🌎 Learn about today's most pressing environmental issues.
🤝 Build leadership, communication, and project management skills.
🏛️ Gain insight into local government and community decision-making.
🌱 Connect with environmental professionals, community leaders, and mentors across the Greater Dayton region.
📍 Visit organizations making a difference throughout Southwest Ohio.
📚 Receive the Cincinnati Nature Center's The Ripple Effect curriculum

Whether you're looking to grow personally, expand your network, or make a greater impact in your community, this program is designed to help you turn your passion into action.

📅 Applications are due July 15, 2026.

Applicants should live or work in the Greater Dayton area and have a passion for environmental stewardship and community leadership.

👉 Apply today at https://gdpartners.org/ or contact Kathy Arnett at [email protected] or [email protected] or 937-609-7818 for more information.

🌿 When's the last time you really looked at something growing near your house?

Not a hike, not a big trip — just the patch of weeds by the sidewalk, the bird that keeps showing up at the same time every morning, the tree that turns first in fall. That noticing is where it all starts.

This week, take 5 minutes outside without your phone. Tell us in the comments what you found — we'd love to see what's blooming, buzzing, or nesting in your corner of the world. 🐦🌼

🏆 Who deserves recognition for making our region a better place?

The Greater Dayton Partners for the Environment is now accepting nominations for the 2026 Partner of the Year Awards!

We're looking for individuals, organizations, and communities that are making a real difference in protecting, preserving, and restoring the environmental and agricultural resources of the Great Miami River and Little Miami River watersheds.

Award Categories:
🌿 Partner of the Year (Organization)
🌿 Individual of the Year
🌿 Sustainable Community of the Year
🌿 Lifetime Achievement Award

Know someone who has demonstrated leadership, innovation, collaboration, or inspired others to take action? Nominate them today!

📅 Nominations are due June 30, 2026.
🏆 Award winners will be honored at the Fall Awards Celebration on September 30 at Learning Tree Farm.

To nominate yourself or someone else, contact us.

Help us recognize the environmental champions who make our communities stronger, healthier, and more sustainable.

🌎 Are you ready to make a difference in your community?

Applications are now open for the 2026-2027 Environmental Leaders Program, a unique 12-month experience designed to help passionate individuals develop the skills, connections, and confidence needed to address today’s environmental challenges and shape a more sustainable future.

Through monthly sessions with regional experts, networking opportunities, mentorship, and access to the Cincinnati Nature Center's Ripple Effect curriculum, participants will gain practical leadership tools while building relationships with others committed to positive change.

Whether you work in the environmental field, serve your community, or simply want to make a greater impact, this program can help you turn your passion into action.

📅 Applications are due July 15, 2026.

Know someone who would be a great fit? Tag them below or share this post!