October 25, 2011 (Menasha, WI) – Heckrodt Wetland Reserve received a green gift from Cellcom in the amount of $2000 at a presentation at their facility today.

Heckrodt Wetland Reserve was found in 1995 and includes 76 acres of forested wetland, wetland meadow, created prairie, open water and upland field communities. The reserve strives to provide visitor education while fostering an ethic of environmental stewardship in a fun, hands-on atmosphere. The green gift will help expand programming for the public, including a public monitoring program through a Citizen Science project.

“The 2006 Fox Cities LIFE study reported urban sprawl and habitat fragmentation as an opportunity for improvement in the Fox Cities, said Tracey Koenig, executive director of Heckrodt Wetland Reserve. “By involving the community in monitoring an area that has been reclaimed from a landfill, we will help them understand the value of environmental preservation to our well-being and our community.”

A total of $30,950 was given out to 17 green organizations in Cellcom’s service area.

Since 2004 Cellcom has offered a cell phone recycling program where customers can bring in their old or unwanted phones to be reused and recycled. Cellcom sends the phones to recyclers who in return send money to Cellcom for the materials that were saved from the phones. Cellcom has always donated this money back to local non-profits.

This is the second year that Cellcom is donating their recycling funds to green non-profit initiatives in an effort to complete the green cycle that starts with consumers being environmentally-conscious and donating their devices.

“We are constantly taking steps to become more eco-friendly as a company,” said Brighid Riordan, director of public affairs. “By dedicating our recycling money to green initiatives, Cellcom continues our longstanding commitment to the community and together we can work toward a greener tomorrow.”

Other green gifts went to non-profits throughout Cellcom’s service area and included Bay Beach Wildlife Sanctuary (Green Bay), Preble Agriscience Natural Resources Program (Green Bay), Greater Green Bay YMCA Camp U-Nah-Li-Ya (Suring), Trees for Tomorrow (Eagle River), Friends of Mosquito Hill (New London),  Heckrodt Wetland Reserve (Menasha), Northwoods Elementary School (Rhinelander), CAP Services (Stevens Point), Central Rivers Farmshed (Stevens Point), Woodland Dunes Nature Center (Two Rivers), Whitefish Dunes State Park (Sturgeon Bay), The Ridges Sanctuary (Bailey’s Harbor), Oconto River Watershed Chapter of Trout Unlimited, Camp Tekawitha (Shawano), Crivitz High School Science Club, DC Everest School Forest (Schofield), and Marathon High School Ecology Club.

Cellcom’s recycling program has generated over $105,000 for local charities over the past seven years.