The City of Davis announced today that the following organizations and individuals were awarded the 2022 28th Annual City of Davis Environmental Recognition Awards. The awards were recommended by the City’s Natural Resources Commission and approved at the April 5 City Council meeting.

The award ceremony will take place at the remote April 19 City Council meeting. An in-person event is scheduled for 5:30 p.m., Wednesday, April 20, 2022, at Peregrine School at 2650 Lillard Dr., Davis. The celebration will recognize 2020, 2021 and this year’s award winners; the 2020 and 2021 award recipients did not have an in-person event due to COVID-19 restrictions.

“The City honors the work of this year’s Environmental Recognition Award recipients,” said Mayor Gloria Partida. “More than ever, we need people willing to stand up for sustainable practices and the stewardship of our resources.”

Non-Profit Category (two awards this year) – Bike Davis and Davis Community Meals and Housing (DCMH)

Bike Davis
For 15 years, Bike Davis has provided an extremely valuable service in the Davis community through civic engagement, bike education and advocacy efforts. Its work includes infrastructure improvement, ensuring safe biking for all ages, and advocating for the long-term investment in biking for our community. Bike Davis has brought resources, expertise, creativity and innovation to increase biking and reduce transportation-related greenhouse gases in Davis.

Davis Community Meals and Housing
Providing community meals, shelter and other assistance to vulnerable individuals, Davis Community Meals and Housing (DCMH) receives this award not only for the diversion of waste in the community, but for the range of services that DCMH offers, including salvaging coffee grounds from UC Davis Coffee Shop, providing services “where people in need are” and managing an extensive volunteer network.

Individuals/Groups (two awards this year) – Eric Newman, Friends of the North Davis Channel and Sherri Sandberg, Davis Senior High School Science Teacher

Eric Newman, Coordinator of the Friends of the North Davis Channel
Eric Newman led the North Davis Channel native landscape restoration. His efforts have helped to retain and improve ecologic and aesthetic values, create habitat, curtail invasive plants and clean up trash. His ongoing work and dedication has made the channel more accessible and enjoyable to hundreds of people for recreation and environmental education.

Sherri Sandberg, Davis Senior High School Science Teacher
Sherri Sandberg integrates local environmental issues, resource conservation, sustainability and climate change awareness into the curriculum of her classes at Davis Senior High School influencing thousands of students during her career. Sandberg works to improve the habitat, learning environment and aesthetics of the Davis Senior High School campus and participates in extra-curricular opportunities to further educate and involve students in environmental issues.

Business Category – Dos Coyotes Café, Davis
Dos Coyotes Café started with a single restaurant in Davis 31 years ago. The popular Café restaurant now with two Davis locations provides a visible and significant role model for sustainable business practices and support of community events and organizations, such as Cool Davis and Davis Farm to School.

Special Environmental Award – Eliot S. Larson, Youth Activist
Davis Senior High School student Eliot Larson is being awarded for their leadership in the community, and for their inspiration to youth and adults. Speaking up and showing up to address the severity of climate change and to influence the choices made by each of us has been Larson’s mission through the work of the group Climate Strike Fridays.

Environmental Legacy Award – Tree Davis
The work of Tree Davis has contributed significantly to Davis’ community quality of life, environmental stewardship and sustainability over the past 30 years.

The mission of Tree Davis is to enhance and expand the urban forest by teaching the community to plant and care for trees. A wide network of dedicated volunteers have been planting, monitoring and caring for trees in the Davis area since 1992, with over 5,000 volunteers who have planted over 12,000 new trees. Also, Tree Davis has now expanded its efforts to include Yolo County, Woodland and other areas in the region, demonstrating the kind of regional integration that is highly necessary to be successful in addressing climate change.

In recent years, Tree Davis has focused educational and outreach efforts on “Climate Ready Landscapes.” Throughout its history, Tree Davis has sponsored free community workshops and coordinated educational programs with area schools and community groups.

In the last several years, Tree Davis partnered with City of Davis to successfully receive a California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection (CAL FIRE) grant for over $500,000. The grant enables the City and Tree Davis to plant 1,000 new trees and to develop a 40-year Urban Forest Management Plan.