Cen-Tex Sustainable Communities Partnership recognizes Copperas Cove boy as Environmental Ambassador

By BRITTANY FHOLER

Cove Leader-Press

Leaders from eight different cities, including Copperas Cove, gathered at Carl Levin Park in Harker Heights Thursday afternoon for the presentation of the Cen-Tex Sustainable Communities Partnership Environmental Ambassador Awards, a proclamation signing declaring April as Sustainable Environment Month and a seed spreading in a nearby prairie pocket park.

Nathan Garner, a fourth grader at Clements/Parsons Elementary School, was named the Environmental Ambassador for the city of Copperas Cove. Garner finished his reign as Junior Mister Five Hills last month.  During his reign, he selected Keep Copperas Cove Beautiful to be his platform of service, where he devoted his time and efforts to holding events that would help beautify Copperas Cove. Garner participated in every single trash pickup event held during the year and also assisted with painting over graffiti at multiple locations throughout the city.

 He helped organize a Community Shred Day for shredding documents and disposing of electronic devices. He also participated in the annual Go Red Recycle Fashion Show at the Keep Copperas Cove Beautiful Spring Fling. Garner also organized a drive to collect recycled crayons and markers from the different campuses within Copperas Cove ISD.

He also won grants for Keep Copperas Cove Beautiful from Hillshire Farms and the Fort Hood Thrift Shop which will be used to implement an Adopt a Road/Adopt a Spot program this year. Those looking to sign up to adopt a park or adopt a spot can contact Keep Copperas Cove Beautiful. Garner explained that the requirement is to clean up the space that is adopted a minimum of four times per year. People can adopt a park or a space in their own neighborhood, he said.

Garner said that he was excited to be receiving this award and that it showed how all of his hard work had paid off.

Following the presentation of the awards, the city leaders and guests walked over to the prairie pocket park for the signing of a proclamation declaring April to be Sustainable Environment Month. Each city’s mayor signed the proclamation for their city before passing the declarations around for more signatures. The city leaders then led the way for the Environmental Ambassadors to sprinkle Blackland Prairie Mix seeds across the prairie pocket park to plant more flowers that would attract the Monarch Butterfly.

The Cen-Tex Sustainable Communities Partnership is made up of Fort Hood and neighboring communities includsing the cities of Copperas Cove, Gatesville, Killeen, Harker Heights, Nolanville, Belton, Salado and Lampasas.

“We’re here to encourage all Central Texans to do their part and promote beautification, conservation, pollution prevention and recycling in their communities, homes, schools and workplaces,” said Fort Hood Garrison Commander Col. Chad R. Foster during his remarks. “This unique partnership amongst our community and our leaders within those communities and our key stakeholders will build self-sustained, yearly based projects and programs to carry us into the future. This will help us achieve positive impacts from sustaining the mission all throughout, not just on Fort Hood. That mission really includes all of you as well, all the way to enhancing the well being of our youth, our soldiers, our military families and all residents in Central Texas, both on Fort Hood and in the larger Central Texas community. Through leadership and sustainability and probably most importantly collaboration, we will enhance our environmental awareness and our good stewardship of our precious and woefully limited natural resources.”

Harker Heights Mayor Spencer Smith also addressed the crowd

“Today, we celebrate youth, organizations and outstanding individuals from our partner cities,” Smith said. “This is an indication from our quality and diversity of people that we have here serving in Central Texas. It takes these dedicated individuals, whether it’s through their career or volunteering, to make a difference. These are people who are ensuring we have pollution prevention systems in place, volunteer their time to do environmental cleanups, advocate for sustainability, and more importantly, live what they preach. A passion for the environment and sustainability is the reason partnerships such as Cen-Tex Sustainable Communities Partnership works.”

The recipients of the 2022 Cen-Tex Sustainable Communities Partnership Environmental Ambassador Awards included:

Manuel Zapata (City of Belton)

Yalondra Valderrama-Santana (City of Killeen)

Nathan Garner (City of Copperas Cove)

Lampasas Community Garden (City of Lampasas)

Maj. Kandice Hines (Fort Hood)

Colleen Smith-Fey and Marlene Fey (City of Nolanville)

Joe Campbell (City of Gatesville)

Colleen Brooks (Village of Salado)

Angie Wilson (City of Harker Heights)