PORT ORCHARD — Community activist and sustainability advocate Paisley Gallagher and waste reduction and recycling advocate Donna Hollon have been recognized as an Earth Day award winners by Kitsap County Public Works and the county’s board of commissioners.
Gallagher and Hollon were named award winners at the commissioners’ regular meeting on April 22.
This year’s winners were publicly nominated for their service toward sustainability, waste reduction, recycling, litter control, habitat protection and water quality monitoring.
Gallagher is a community liaison who provides the county with information about sustainability, food waste and environmental-related community events. She founded My Sustainable City, a nonprofit effort that provides networking opportunities and education about community resources. The advocate is the project developer and program manager for Kitsap Harvest, a gleaning program that alleviates food insecurity and reduces food waste throughout the county.
The program rescues leftover produce including apples, berries and vegetables from local farms and gardens. The rescued produce is then distributed to food access organizations such as food banks, soup kitchen and shelters.
She was nominated by Caitlin Newman and Cammy Mills, who said that, “Paisley works tirelessly to promote sustainability in Kitsap County.”
According to the nominators, Gallagher “continually brings the community together to tackle environmental issues by managing the social outreach for both organizations through the Facebook pages ‘My Sustainable City’ and ‘Kitsap Harvest.’
Hollon, a third-grade teacher at South Colby Elementary, was nominated by a past student, Avery Sheehan, and his mother, Elizabeth.
She was cited for her commitment to environmental values and going “above and beyond to instill in her students the importance of waste reduction, recycling and composting.” Hollon also is said to encourage her students to pack waste-free lunches and emphasizes the importance of protecting the environment through her lessons and example of civic participation by decreasing her personal carbon footprint by regularly biking to school instead of driving.
The nominators wrote that in addition to the environmental values she teaches her students, Hollon “is also actively involved in the Kitsap Helpline, helping to reduce food waste and provide food for those in need.
“Donna started a family tradition of picking up waste along the roadways every Martin Luther King and Veterans Day. Donna’s example inspired a love of sustainability in her daughter, who is now an environmental engineer.”
Also nominated were Stillwaters Environmental Center, West Sound Wildlife Shelter and litter control advocate Kathy Sinn.
Sustainability advocate Paisley Gallagher (second from left) was nominated to be a 2019 Earth Day Award winner. Left to right: Kitsap County Commissioner Rob Gelder, Gallagher and commissioners Charlotte Garrido and Ed Wolfe. (Kitsap County photo)
Waste reduction and recycling advocate Donna Hollon (second from right) was nominated as a 2019 Earth Day Award winner. Left to right: Kitsap County commissioners Rob Gelder and Charlotte Garrido, Hollon and Commissioner Ed Wolfe. (Kitsap County photo)
