Each year, up to four individuals or organizations, one from each of the following categories, receive a one-year membership to New England Botanic Garden at Tower Hill, Certificate of Greening, professional hand pruners, and recognition at our Annual Meeting in June. Nominate someone for a Community Greening Award.
Nomination Categories Include:
  1. Best Sustainable Public Green space: pocket parks, strategic tree plantings, pollinator gardens, raingardens and bioswales. Any green space with a specific purpose.
  2. Best Store Front or Commercial Area: planters, window boxes, parklets. Any green projects in front of a business or commercial area that make it beautiful and create a positive impact for the neighborhood.
  3. Best Innovative Use of Plants: dynamic color or texture combinations, vertical gardens, and invites people to interact with plants.
  4. Best Food Security Project: school gardens, community gardens, and non-profit green spaces
  5. Best Municipality-Sponsored Project: projects that improve public byways, establish new or improve established green spaces, or new sustainable stormwater management projects.

Project Criteria:
Projects will be evaluated on how well they meet these standards. Projects do not need to fulfill all these criteria to be considered, but need to be located in Worcester County.

  • gardens that exhibit plant diversity
  • positive use of native plants
  • promotes food security
  • supports pollinators
  • improves stormwater management
  • innovative design
  • uses sustainable and resilient principles – reduces water use, reduces or eliminates herbicide and pesticide use, reduces carbon emissions, heat island reduction, keeps materials onsite, uses natural, reused, and upcycled materials, no potentially nuisance plants.

All public green space should be planted and maintained in accordance with the city or town’s guidelines where the project is located.

Congratulations to the 2024 Community Greening Award winners:

Town of Clinton, High Street project pose for a photo.

Best Municipally Sponsored Project – Town of Clinton, High Street Revitalization Project
The High Street Revitalization Project included renovating the streetscape, installing new shop front signs, and planting wide variety of trees. The effort has enhanced the historic charm of the 19th-century town center with curb cuts and benches.

Town of Kennebunk Community Greening Award

Best Municipally Sponsored Project – Town of Kennebunk, Main Street Beautification Project
The Town of Kennebunk is being recognized for the creation of beautiful gardens in the traffic bump-outs along Main Street. These impressive plantings enhance the experience of Main Street for residents and visitors alike.

Kennebunk bank stand with CEO Grace Elton for a photo.

Best Storefront – Kennebunk  Savings Bank
Kennebunk Savings Bank beautified their gardens with a mix of annuals, perennials, and shrubs. Their significant efforts inspired the Town of Kennebunk to take on the beautification of Main Street and demonstrate the positive impact an individual business can have on a community.

 

Page Chiropractic stand outside with their sign.

Best Storefront – Page Chiropractic in Webster
Page Chiropractic transformed a grass yard at their business location into a pollinator garden full of native plants that is also visually appealing for passersby. Their leadership and attention to the landscape in a heavily developed area sets an example for other individuals and businesses in the community to follow.

 

Watson park project stands outside for a photo.

Best Innovative Use of Plants/Best Sustainable Use of Green Space – Watson Park Pollination Preservation Garden in Northborough
This project, led by a group of dedicated individuals, involved the incorporation of native plants to a garden space at the entrance of Watson Park. The plantings support at-risk bees and butterflies.