2023 Winners: Jason Metzger & Oak Avenue Landscaping 

The City of Dunwoody is pleased to recognize Jason Metzger and Oak Avenue Landscaping as recipients of the 2023 Sustainability Hero Awards. Initiated in 2012, the Sustainability Hero Award program celebrates exemplary individuals and organizations to recognize their dedication, service, and leadership in sustainable practices. Nominations for the awards were open to the community; the winners were selected by members of the Dunwoody Sustainability Committee and honored during Monday night's City Council meeting.

"Earth is not just our home; it's our shared responsibility," said Michael Pray, Chair of the Dunwoody Sustainability Committee. "Sustainability heroes lead the way. This recognition reinforces their importance and impact."

Jason Metzger was selected as the individual recipient of the Sustainability Hero Award for supporting recycling and alternate transportation efforts, serving as the Solarize Dunwoody liaison, and working to strengthen the City's Sustainability Plan as a member of the Dunwoody Sustainability Committee. He lives and models sustainable principles by composting, growing an organic lawn and garden irrigated with captured rainwater and using a push-reel mower to care for this lawn. Jason also uses bike and public transit to commute to work in all kinds of weather, inspiring bicyclists of all ages in the Dunwoody community and beyond. He even works as a public servant in the green sector.

"The words sustainability and climate change can make people feel uncomfortable and overwhelmed. However, even seemingly minor individual actions like trading a car trip for a bicycle race, eating less meat, or buying less can have a tremendous impact in aggregate," explained Jason Metzger. "Whatever you do to conserve, no matter how large or small, our planet thanks you. I am honored to be Dunwoody's 2023 Sustainability Hero, and I hope to continue to shed light on this increasingly pressing issue."

Oak Avenue Landscaping was selected as the business recipient of the Sustainability Hero Award for making Dunwoody more eco-friendly. Oak Avenue Landscaping is a completely electric landscaping business that uses solar-charged batteries to run equipment. The resulting work is quieter and less intrusive than it would be with gas-powered equipment. In addition, the company focuses on using native plants for landscaping installation projects.

"I'm honored that Oak Avenue was recognized for this award," said Lloyd Fisher, owner of Oak Avenue Landscaping. "Using gas equipment is often seen as an easier route in landscaping. Fortunately, there are solutions available to keep our natural environment looking great, but also ensure we aren't damaging it in the process. The noise reduction is a nice benefit for the community too!"

The City of Dunwoody Sustainability Committee meets monthly and serves to encourage the city and the community to reduce its environmental impact by improving resource efficiency. Public education and outreach on sustainability are central to this mission.

2022 Winners: Michael Cowan & Blooms of Dunwoody

2021 Winners: Laura Johnson & Dunwoody Community Garden and Orchard

2020 Winners: Pattie Baker & Chattahoochee Riverkeeper

2019 Winners: Griffith Engineering & Mary Keesee

2018 Winners: Solar CrowdSource & Su Ellis

2017 Winners: The "Green Team" at Saint Luke's Presbyterian Church & Joe Seconder

2016 Winner: Jack Warshal

2015 Winner: Tina Wilkinson

2014 Winner: Bobbi Sedam

2013 Winner: Alan Mothner

2012 Winner: Tom Lambert

2011 Winner: Mark Stulberger

Dunwoody Community Garden at Brook Run Park is more than a place to grow organic food; it is a place to cultivate community. Run by the 501(c)(3) Dunwoody Community Garden at Brook Run Park, approximately twenty percent of the produce is donated to charity. All members of the community, not just green thumbs, are encouraged to visit and see what’s sprouting at the garden. The Community Garden is open from 7:00 a.m. – sunset.

For more information visit the Facebook page, Email or write to P.O. Box 88535, Dunwoody, GA 30356.

The Dunwoody Farmer's Market provides locally grown options to the Dunwoody community at Brook Run Park. Check out its Weekly Updates here.

The Center for Hard to Recycle Materials (CHaRM) accepts thousands of pounds of and provides education about the importance of proper disposal of hard-to-recycle materials. Check out their website here.

Fats, oils, and grease (FOG) should not be disposed in the wastewater system. Check out DeKalb County's website for options for safe disposal of FOG.

The City of Dunwoody maintains a master tree list that can be found in the code of ordinances here. In 2022, the City of Dunwoody planted 108 trees and had a net gain of 72 trees.

The City of Dunwoody is in compliance with the Metro Water District Water Resource Management Plan, which includes best management practices for water supply, wastewater, and watersheds.

The City of Dunwoody maintains parking lot canopy standards that can be found in the code of ordinances here. Additionally, the City only has parking maximum requirements - no parking minimum requirements.

The City of Dunwoody has adopted an Intelligent Transportation System plan that improved traffic signal synchronization to ease congestion and reduce idling times.