Nancy Scott Named Friend of Environment

Bellevue, NE, April 13, 2019 - Green Bellevue announced Board Member, Nancy Scott has been name Friend of the Environment by Earth Day Omaha. Nancy has been a lifelong active environmental worker. She is a Horticulturist, Nebraska Certified Nurseryman, certified Master Gardener & Naturalist. Her property which grows a very impressive variety of plant life, was the first in Nebraska to be certified as a Wildlife Habitat by the National Wildlife Federation. Nancy has served on the Green Bellevue board for six years, she provides frequent education and she is also active with the Bellevue Tree Board. In 2016, Nancy became involved in a national effort started by Save Our Monarchs Foundation, Fish & Wildlife Services and other entities to lead our Nebraska state efforts for monarch and pollinator planning program, which was named Nebraska Monarch and Pollinator Initiative. NeMPI. In addition to strategic planning meetings and actions, Nancy has made presentations at schools, Senior Centers, and other community groups to educate about the “plight” of the declining numbers of Monarch butterflies and actions to take to turn this around. She collects seed from milk (weed) plants, dries them, pots them, and gives away seedlings for free each week at the Bellevue Farmers Market and other places. Nancy also organizes work parties for students, seniors, churches, and others interested in making clay milkweed and wild flower seed balls. This past year alone, she led efforts to make, then distribute over 10,000 milkweed seed balls to bike riders in the RAGBRI ride across Iowa. Bike riders then throw out the seed balls as they see appropriate un-mowed locations across the state. She has done this for the past four years with great success, all with her own time and expense.

Nancy travels to the Monarch wintering grounds in Mexico to establish connections with area residents, especially children. She co-authored a children's book about the Monarchs that is available in both English and Spanish. The first printing was shared for free with local and Mexican children. She then led the children in rewriting the book, so that it becomes "their" book. Her book and demonstration will be featured at both Omaha and Sarpy County Earth Day. She will be traveling to Michigan again to attend a 3-day workshop for pollinators.

Nancy created and cares for butterfly gardens at Two Springs elementary school, the Bellevue Veterans home, Bellevue library, and city parks, in addition to her own expansive yard garden.

Each Arbor Day for at least 7 years, Nancy participates in the tree planting educational program performed at 3 local schools with students. She has also worked annually with the Tree Board for 8 years to plant over 1,000 public trees. During the 2011 and 2019 flooding, she has been an active volunteer sandbag filler.

Beyond Nancy's leadership on the Green Bellevue Board for 6 years, she also serves on the board of Prairie Pines in Iowa. She conducts nature activities including the annual music festival, tree program, children's camps, and the Run for the Pines, fun run.

The Friend of the Environment nominations are always very difficult for the Earth Day committee to select from. Nancy was nominated not once but twice, and here contributions were determined to be very deserving of this award.