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DEVENS ECO-EFFICIENCY CENTER Helping area businesses and organizations reduce their environmental impacts and operating costs through education, collaboration and technical assistance. |
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Press Releases |
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Devens Eco-Efficiency Center 33 Andrews Parkway Devens, Massachusetts, USA 01434 Phone: 978.772.8831 x3304 Fax: 978.772.1529 E-mail: donaneely@ecostardevens.com |
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The Devens Eco-Efficiency Center is a 501(c)3 non-profit organization, established in 2007. This institution is an equal opportunity provider and employer. |
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2010 Earth Day Activities at Devens May 2010
EcoStar, a voluntary program that provides assistance and recognition to local businesses and organizations interested in improving their environmental performance, sponsored a variety of “Get Out and Celebrate Earth Day” activities that took place on April 8th and 22nd. Seventy-five volunteers from fourteen businesses and organizations based in Devens, including Bristol-Myers Squibb, Devens Commons Center, Devens Eco-Efficiency Center, Devens Enterprise Commission, Devens Recycling Center, Eglomisé Designs, Inc., Nashoba Valley Chamber of Commerce, Odic Inc., Safety Associates, SpringHill Suites, and Xinetics, contributed their time to help with community betterment projects that enhanced the local environment.
Maura Peeler, General Manager of SpringHill Suites and Devens Common Center, explained why she encouraged members of her staff to get involved: "Pitching in to take care of our environment starts with us - in our homes, our hotel, our neighborhood and our community. This approach led SpringHill Suites & Devens Common Center to EcoStar when we opened five years ago. Ever since then, and especially once we were the first hotel in the area to participate in single-stream recycling, being environmentally conscious has become a way of life among our team and even among our guests."
The majority of the volunteer work took place inside the Oxbow National Wildlife Refuge in Devens. Area workers repaired over 100 feet of fencing along Route 2 that protects turtles, including the threatened Blanding’s turtle, from the cars on the highway. They also removed more than 30 extra-large bags of invasive plants that threaten native species, cleared access to a new hiking trail and repaired water damage in the area. Volunteers also planted more than 350 flowers in areas of high visibility in the industrial park, including the Visitors Center, Sweet Heart Rock, and Jackson Road entrance.
The projects were coordinated through the Devens Eco-Efficiency Center, a non-profit organization that helps area businesses and organizations reduce their environmental footprint and operating costs by conducting education, enabling collaboration and providing technical assistance. The volunteer opportunities were created through partnerships with US Fish and Wildlife, Friends of the Oxbow, and the Devens DPW.
Dona Neely, Executive Director, explained the annual Earth Day tradition to bring businesses that are members of the Center’s EcoStar program and environmental groups together through an educational or service forum: “There’s a strong commitment to responsible redevelopment and sustainable business practices throughout Devens and our members are very considerate of their contribution not only to the economy, but also to the local ecology and community. We are very fortunate to be adjacent to the Oxbow and its abundant natural resources and wildlife; it’s great to be able to give those who work here an opportunity to enjoy and help protect them.”
For more pictures of the Earth Day activities, follow this link. To learn more about EcoStar and the Devens Eco-Efficiency Center, please visit www.ecostardevens.com. |
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75 volunteers from 14 Devens-based businesses and organizations took part in the "Get Out and Celebrate Earth Day" activities and repaired 100' of fencing that protects turtles from Route 2, pulled 30 bags of invasive plants out of the Oxbow Wildlife Refuge, performed maintenance on hiking trails, and planted more than 350 flowers. |
