About the JEPB Awards Program
The Jacksonville Environmental Protection Board (JEPB) established an awards program in 1975 to honor outstanding environmental accomplishments, in several categories, above the actions required by law. Over the years individuals or organizations have been chosen for the Outstanding Environmental Achievement Award because of their innovation, commitment and expertise. The awards program also recognizes individuals who have long term commitment to the protection and preservation of the environment with two special awards – the Charles E. Bennett Champion of the Environment Award and the Christi P. Veleta Environmental Award. In 2013 the JEPB began a partnership with Duval County Public Schools to celebrate and recognize leaders in the DCPS Green Champions Program. A joint award is given along with a stipend for use at the school of the chosen recipient of the award.
JEPB Awards for Outstanding Environmental Achievement
The EPB Environmental Achievement Awards recognize individuals and organizations in Duval County for superior, creative and innovative efforts in the following categories:
- Individual
- Government / Institutional (public sector or educational institution)
- Community / Civic (nonprofits, social or civic groups, neighborhood assoc., etc.)
- Business (more than 50 employees and/or annual sales of more than $5 million)
- Small Business (fewer than 50 employees and/or annual sales of $5 million or less)
As population continues to increase and resources continue to be consumed, innovation will be the foothold to environmental sustainability. Over the years, previous winners of the awards have created many innovative solutions to what were previously pollution problems.
Some past accomplishments include:
- Turning a sewage treatment facility property into a bird sanctuary
- Taking waste water and, through land application, producing sod for commercial sale while diverting over a million gallons of waste water from the municipal sewage treatment plant nearby
- Establishing a unique way of educating young students regarding water conservation by initiating a play which grew to reach all the public elementary schools in Jacksonville
- Taking steps to control beach erosion through the recycling of Christmas trees
- Individuals taking note of their surroundings to report suspicious environmental activities which resulted in the arrest of an individual for illegal dumping of pesticides
- planting trees at DCPS schools and a major reforestation project where 6,000+ trees have been planted at the Cecil Commerce Center
Nominations for the 2026 Environmental Awards
The nomination period will be open from early July through August 31, 2026. The awards will be presented during a luncheon to be held in November at the Adam W. Herbert University Center on the campus of the University of North Florida.
Winners of the 2025 JEPB Awards
Government/Institutional
JEA –Fats, Oils and Grease (FOG) Program - For their hands-on approach to compliance support, proactive outreach, and community education which has led to measurable improvements across the system.
Marine Corps Support Facility Blount Island - nominated for the JEPB Environmental Award for its commitment to natural resource protection in support of mission readiness through the implementation of its Integrated Natural Resources Management Plan (INRMP).
Community/Civic
We COPE, Inc – for efforts to address critical environmental challenges in underserved communities: local waterways littered with trash, high landfill waste from discarded furniture, and a significant gap in environmental education for youth and families.
Springfield Cleanup Corps – for significant effort to remove thousands of pounds of litter from public right-of-ways resulting in measurable environmental improvements that demonstrate significant positive impact on local environmental quality.
Lights Out Northeast Florida – a partnership among Duval Audubon Society, Jacksonville Zoo & Botanical Gardens, and St. Johns Regional Audubon, for exceptional efforts to reduce bird deaths caused by light pollution and glass collisions.
Individual
Nishta JiJosh – for significant accomplishments to transform student and school practices at Bolles and exceptional efforts to promote the awareness of climate change.
Business
Advanced Environmental Labs (AEL) – for exceptional delivery of precise analytical services to support environmental investigations, regulatory compliance, and public health protection.
Small Business
Apple Rabbit Compost – for efforts to partner with residents, restaurants and organizations to collect compostable items, limiting landfill waste production locally and exceptional education to share information on proper disposing habits; what is recyclable here in Jacksonville, what is compostable and what is landfill waste.
JEPB Resilience Champion (in consultation with the CRO)
None for 2026