UCO honored for developing greener campus

EDMOND — The University of Central Oklahoma's environmental efforts were celebrated Thursday at a "Leading the Way, Sustainability to Botanical” ceremony.

Keep Oklahoma Beautiful presented university leaders with its Vanguard Award. UCO is the first Oklahoma institution to receive the award given to the individual, business or organization that embraces cutting edge environmental technologies and concepts in support of a sustainable planet.

UCO received the award for becoming 100 percent Green Energy-dependent through wind power, producing and using biodiesel fuel, making energy-efficient improvements to its physical plant, moving to paperless processes and comprehensive campuswide recycling.

The event also recognized leaders at UCO for developing a "greener” campus. UCO hopes to have the campus designated a botanical garden by 2012.