Cox Enterprises and The Trust for Public Land Announce Sherwood Bishop as the 2020 National Cox Conserves Hero

ATLANTA, Oct. 27, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Sherwood Bishop has been announced by Cox Enterprises and The Trust for Public Land as the 2020 National Cox Conserves Hero. As the recipient of this honor, Bishop has chosen the San Marcos Greenbelt Alliance as the beneficiary of the $50,000 award, courtesy of the James M. Cox Foundation. This is in addition to the $10,000 awarded when he won at the regional level during this year's expanded-to-nationwide program.

Bishop received this award through a public voting process, conducted on CoxConservesHeros.com between Oct. 1–15, which recognizes his passion for the environment and the impact of his volunteer work.

"Congratulations to Sherwood for being recognized as our 2020 National Cox Conserves Hero," said Maury Wolfe, assistant vice president of corporate social responsibility and public affairs at Cox Enterprises. "We're proud to shine a light on the good work Sherwood and all of the nominees do to support their local communities. Their work has a direct impact on the environment and it inspires others to join the cause, which is how lasting change occurs."

Bishop is a recently retired university professor who is passionately devoted to preserving greenways in and around the city of San Marcos, Texas. He is president of the San Marcos Greenbelt Alliance, a volunteer-led group whose mission is to create interconnected parks and greenbelts as well as to protect natural areas. 

He spends most of his weekends leading groups of volunteers in constructing, improving and maintaining trails. He's spearheaded the protection and development of several miles of greenspace and trails. Current projects include a trail called the "Loop and Check" that encircles San Marcos, and the initial plans for the Emerald Crown Trail to connect San Marcos to its northern neighbor, Austin. 

Bishop's work bridges the community and the environment. He has been pivotal in establishing pedestrian and bicycle connectivity through much of San Marcos. This provides alternative, environmentally friendly transportation routes for residents of the city. Most of these trails have been developed alongside environmentally sensitive water quality lands. The city of San Marcos and the surrounding land falls within the Edward's Aquifer recharge and contributing zones. This aquifer provides drinking water to more than two million and its protection is critical to the vitality of the region. 

"We expect to add over 2,000 more acres within the next year," Bishop said. "We desperately need resources to train and equip more volunteer teams to get them their tools and supplies to sites that are miles from roads. We also need materials for projects like trail bridges and outdoor meeting spaces. The Cox Conserves prize is a Godsend."

The Cox Conserves Hero program serves to honor environmental volunteers who create, preserve or enhance shared outdoor spaces in their local communities. To date, the national Cox Conserves Heroes program has donated $1.1 million to environmental nonprofits and honored more than 200 volunteers. For more information about the program, visit www.coxconservesheroes.com.

About Cox Enterprises 
Cox Enterprises is dedicated to building a better future through our leading communications and automotive services. Our major operating subsidiaries include Cox Communications and Cox Automotive. Headquartered in Atlanta, Georgia, Cox is a global company with $21 billion in annual revenues and brands that include Autotrader, Kelley Blue Book and Cox Homelife. Founded in 1898 by Ohio Governor James M. Cox, the company is a family-owned business committed to its people, communities and the planet. To learn more about Cox, visit coxenterprises.com or view our Sustainability Report at coxcsrreport.com.

About The Trust for Public Land
The Trust for Public Land creates parks and protects land for people, ensuring healthy, livable communities for generations to come. Millions of people live near a Trust for Public Land park, garden, or natural area, and millions more visit these sites every year. To support The Trust for Public Land and share why nature matters to you, visit www.tpl.org.

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SOURCE Cox Enterprises