Seneca Park Zoo Society’s Environmental Innovation Awards honor local and regional innovators working to create solutions to current environmental issues. This event celebrates leadership in environmental stewardship and brings together people seeking sustainable solutions and working for a greener tomorrow.

Join us on March 28, 2024 for a morning of inspiring conversation and storied of local and regional conservation. Enjoy breakfast, award ceremony, and meet others during the Networking Showcase as we share ideas that better our region. Afterwards, you can choose to attend the symposium for a deeper discussion and Q&A.

Together we can connect, care for, and conserve wildlife and wild places.

Call for Nominations

Nominations for 2024 are now open! Join us in honoring those committed to a greener tomorrow by helping to identify diverse businesses and individuals whose leadership in environmental stewardship needs to be uplifted and honored.

Nominations must be received by February 9, 2024 at 12:00 p.m. Late and/or incomplete submissions will not be reviewed by the Selection Committee.

Awards will be given in five categories of environmental leadership: Youth, Individual, Civic & Non-profit, Small Business, and Large Business.

Nominees are considered based on the following criteria: Innovation, Leadership, Effectiveness and Environmental Stewardship and Scalability. 

Nominations may be submitted by a nominee personally or through a third party.

Must reside in one of the nine counties of the Finger Lakes Region (Monroe, Ontario, Wayne, Livingston, Genesee, Orleans, Wyoming, Yates, Seneca). 

Award Categories

Youth

Open to a group effort or to an individual.

All nominees must be 22 years or younger.

Has identified and is working to create new solutions to current environmental issues.

Nominee’s work or idea has been shown to mobilize others in the community/region.

Advocate for conservation and/or sustainability.

Individual

No age requirement.

Has identified and is working to create new solutions to current environmental issues.

Nominee’s work or idea has been shown to mobilize others in the community/region.

Advocate for conservation and/or sustainability.

Civic/Nonprofit

Open to any nonprofit, education, community-based, or government project or program, including those that involve multiple partners.

Created an innovative, scalable and replicable solution to conservation and/or sustainability issue(s) in the community/region.

Solution(s) should be original to the nominee or must be contributing something new in terms of scale or new application to a previously existing solution.

Must show evidence of solution working.

Must show evidence that solution can be shared with/taught to others.

Small Business

100 employees or less.

Must show an innovative/original solution.

Must show evidence of lowering environmental footprint or customers’ environmental footprint Solution must be replicable for other companies.

Company must have sustainability/green practices in play throughout company.

Large Business

101 employees or more.

Must show an innovative/original solution.

Must show evidence of lowering environmental footprint or customers’ environmental footprint.

Solution must be replicable for other companies.

Company must have sustainability/green practices in play throughout company.

Sponsors uplift our region's most powerful innovators. Take your support further by becoming a sponsor! 

Event Details

When: March 28, 2024

Where: Jospeh A. Floreano Rochester Riverside Convention Center 
              (123 E. Main Street, Rochester NY 14604) 

Tickets: Tickets go on sale February 16, 2024 

Keynote Speaker: TBD 

Symposium Panel: TBD

Schedule:

Registration: 7:15am – 8am (45 minutes)

Breakfast and Awards: 8am – 9:15a (1 hour 15 minutes)

Networking Showcase: 9:15am – 9:45am (30 minutes)

Q&A Symposium: 9:45am – 11:00am (1 hour 15 minutes)

 

Previous Award Winners

Take a look at past winners!

Stay Updated

Keep in touch with your friends at Seneca Park Zoo on this event and more! There’s always something happening at the Zoo.