For 30 years, Kitsap County Public Works and the county commissioners have recognized environmental stewardship in Kitsap with Earth Day Awards.

Recipients are nominated by the public for their dedication to waste reduction, volunteering, environmental advocacy and more.

Kitsap Environmental Coalition members are dedicated to healthy lands, water and habitat. The coalition is a nonprofit educational organization run by volunteers. KEC formed in 2018 in response to the use of chemicals in forestry management practices. Now there are nearly 1,000 people involved in the coalition, ranging from students to retirees. Their mission is to educate and advocate for safe and clean water, air, and soil to support the health of all life on the Kitsap Peninsula.

Brandon Redinger of Bremerton has a passion for community and park preservation. Madrona Trails Park was littered with trash, choked by invasive species, and inaccessible in many areas. Redinger volunteered countless hours to change that. He rebuilt the trail network with a smooth loop trail, increasing accessibility to seniors and young children. He removed thousands of pounds of litter and replaced invasive species with native plants.

Adopt a Spot volunteers, Rebecca and Richard Robins began removing litter from South Kitsap in 2022. To date, they’ve completed 35 cleanups, covered over 150 miles, and collected over 160 trash bags. That doesn’t include the hundreds of pounds of large items they found and reported for removal. Their work has inspired other volunteers to join the Adopt a Spot program and keep Kitsap litter free.

Co-owners and couple, Molly McCabe and Clive Pardy of A Kitchen That Works don’t cut corners when it comes to sustainability. Their design business knows how much waste is produced during a remodeling project, and they want to prevent it. They recycle what they can, encourage clients to re-use building supplies, and donate salvageable materials. In doing so, they’ve diverted tons of construction debris from the landfill.

Jill and Joel Bolin have been fixtures in Kitsap County Parks since 2017. Together, they’ve volunteered thousands of hours across 15 parks. They complete tasks ranging from painting and carpentry, forestry inventories, data collection, invasive species removal, trail maintenance, and educating the public.

John Foltz can be found volunteering in Kitsap County Parks almost seven days a week. He is either building trails, collecting research, removing invasive species, or educating the public. He serves as a Forest Steward with Kitsap County Parks and advocates for forest health. He was elected as the Chair for Banner Forest Heritage Park in 2022 and is a member of the Washington Trails Association.

Phil and Karen Best have been working to protect the environmental integrity of the Hood Canal watershed for more than 50 years. Their efforts over the past 50 years have protected, restored, and preserved the water quality, habitat, and resources of the Hood Canal.