Rockwell Collins awards $87,500 in Green Communities grants to fund projects globally

Press release:

Rockwell Collins awards $87,500 in Green Communities grants to fund projects globally

CEDAR RAPIDS, Iowa (June 12, 2012) – More than 40 organizations around the world will benefit from $87,500 in Green Communities environmental grants awarded by Rockwell Collins this year.

The grants benefit organizations like Project AWARE (A Watershed Awareness River Expedition), which has been a four-time recipient. Project AWARE works to remove thousands of pounds of trash from a different Iowa river each summer. The whole project serves to emphasize the role of recycling in the environmental decision-making process, all the while giving Iowans a sense of engagement with their environment.

Last summer’s event targeted the Turkey River, where 429 volunteers worked to remove more than 32 tons of trash from the 88 miles of river. The project typically runs over a week-long period and brings in volunteers of all ages. Since it began in 2003, more than 2,150 volunteers have helped to clear more than 700 miles of Iowa rivers and have removed more than 182 tons of trash (65 percent of which has been recycled). This summer volunteers will complete similar work on 90 miles of the Iowa River.

The Green Communities grant program, in its ninth year, funds projects that improve the environmental condition of communities where Rockwell Collins operates. To apply, a qualified non-profit organization or public/government entity must team with a Rockwell Collins employee or retiree.

Grants were awarded by a review committee based on criteria including:

• Tangible environmental benefits of the project
• Sustainability of the project benefits
• Participation in the project by Rockwell Collins employees and/or retirees
• Completion of the project within the calendar year of the grant award
• Agreement to participate in publicizing the grant and the completed project

Since 2004, the company has awarded more than 348 grants through the program, ranging from $250 to $2,500. This year’s grant recipients include:

$2,500 awards (19)

• San Bernardino Mountains Wildlife Society – Wildhaven Ranch Wildlife protection plan
• Town of Grant-Valkaria – Native Species park planting
• Brevard County Environmentally Endangered Lands Program – Extend NatureWalk
• Brevard County NRMO and The Friends of the Viera Wetlands Association – Nesting platforms for Viera Wetlands
• YMCA of the Cedar Rapids Metropolitan Area – Enhancing Camp Wapsie
• Trees Forever, Inc.- TreeKeepers program
• City of Prairieburg – Greener Prairieburg Project
• City of Sergeant Bluff – Naturalization plantings
• Iowa Department of Natural Resources, Lake MacBride State Park – Native prairie reconstruction
• Iowa Department of Natural Resources, Project AWARE – Watershed awareness river expedition
• Northeast Iowa Community College Foundation- Calmar, IA - Native plant and butterfly garden
• Northeast Iowa Community College Foundation- Peosta, IA - Rain garden and natural prairie
• Grand Aspirations – Wetherby Park restoration and conservation project
• Lake Delhi Recreation Association, Inc. – Lake bed clean-up project
• City of Sioux City – Prairie restoration
• Moving Milan Forward – Recovery plan for “Fireworks Island”
• Regent Honeyeater Project Inc. – Habitat for threatened species
• La Trobe Wildlife Sanctuary – Nesting boxes for habitat
• Iowa Valley Habitat for Humanity – Affordable net-zero habitat house

$2,000 awards (8)

• Community Corrections Improvement Association – Home energy audits and weatherization
• Anamosa Parks and Recreation Department - Arboretum
• Czech Village New Bohemia Urban Main Street District – Native prairie restoration
• City of Iowa City Parks and Recreation – Monarch Waystation Program
• Indian Creek Nature Center – Bat habitat restoration
• Summer of the Arts, Inc. – Think, Be Green Initiative
• Preston Community Schools – Motion sensor lights
• West Delaware County Community Schools – It’s Up to You: Go Green, Paper Get Over It

$1,800 award (1)

• Friends of Hickory Hill Park – Park improvement

$1,500 awards (6)

• Brevard Regional Arts Group – LED lighting conversion
• Links Foundation, Inc. – Community garden program
• Matthew 25 Ministry Hub – Urban farm development
• Linn County Conservation Board – Environmental restoration
• Decorah Community School District – Rain barrel watering system
• Groundwork Dallas – Trail project

$1,000 awards (11)

• K9COLA Citizens for Off-Leash Areas – Tree planting
• Rockwell Collins Child Development Center – Come Together to Continue Nuturing Our Children Through Nature
• Patty Elwood Center – Courtyard transformation project
• Prairiewoods Franciscan Spirituality Center – Extending the growing season project
• Czech Village New Bohemia Urban Main Street District – ArtBikes Lending Library
• Iowa Art Works Inc. – Recycling center
• The Tapestry – Thermal remediation
• ADET- Paus de L’ours – Initiative to sustain brown bear in the Pyrenees
• ASTER - Recycling
• Organisation Bus Cyclistes – Cycling bus development
• Environmental Events - LEAForum

$700 award (1)

• Diocese of Monterey – Butterfly garden/habitat

$500 awards (1)

• City of Mount Vernon – Prairie restoration

About Rockwell Collins
Rockwell Collins (NYSE: COL) is a pioneer in the development and deployment of innovative communication and aviation electronic solutions for both commercial and government applications. Our expertise in flight deck avionics, cabin electronics, mission communications, information management, and simulation and training is delivered by 20,000 employees, and a global service and support network that crosses 27 countries. To find out more, please visit www.rockwellcollins.com.