ORANGE COUNTY, Calif., Sept. 4, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- Cox Communications and The Trust for Public Land announced Ed Amador, Michael Beanan and Jean Watt as the finalists for Orange County's Cox Conserves Heroes program.

The winner will be chosen through an online vote, which is open to the public through Sept. 21 at CoxConservesHeroes.com.

Cox Conserves Heroes honors volunteers who are creating, preserving or enhancing outdoor spaces.

Ed Amador works to save Orange County's historic Holtz Ranch, which includes a turkey ranch, wild land and a habitat for the endangered Arroyo Toad. Amador also works with local community members, public agencies and environmental organizations to promote and protect the wild lands. His nonprofit of choice is Canyonland Conservation Fund.

Michael Beanan leads a movement to prevent urban runoff from Aliso Creek from entering the ocean. The goal of his project is to clean the urban runoff, combine it with recycled water, decrease reliance on potable water and ultimately reduce ocean pollution. His nonprofit of choice is Laguna Bluebelt Coalition.

Jean Watt has been instrumental in preserving open space and protecting Upper Newport Bay. She has worked tirelessly to create the Orange Coast River Park - a 1,000 acre park at the mouth of the Santa Ana River.  She volunteers for Friends of Harbors, Beaches, and Parks; Environmental Nature Center; Orange Coast River Park and Stop Polluting Our Newport. Her nonprofit of choice is Friends of Harbors, Beaches and Parks.  

Awards:

• Cox Conserves Hero: The winner's nonprofit of choice will receive $5,000, promotion through on-air public service announcements, and 20 volunteer hours donated by Cox employees.
• Second Place: The finalist's nonprofit of choice will receive $2,500 and promotion through on-air public service announcements.
• Third Place: The finalist's nonprofit of choice will receive $1,000 and promotion through on-air public service announcements.

For more information, visit CoxConservesHeroes.com or find us on Facebook.

Social Media: #CoxConservesHeroes and #CoxConservesHero

About Cox Conserves
The Cox Conserves Heroes program was created through a partnership between The Trust for Public Land (TPL), a national nonprofit land conservation organization that conserves land for people to enjoy as parks, gardens and natural areas, and Cox Enterprises, a leading communications, media and automotive services company. The program takes place in Atlanta, Arizona, San Diego, San Francisco, Santa Barbara, Seattle and Virginia.

About The Trust for Public Land
The Trust for Public Land conserves land for people to enjoy as parks, gardens, and other natural places, ensuring livable communities for generations to come. Since 1972, The Trust for Public Land has completed 5,200 park and conservation projects, conserved more than 3 million acres, and helped generate $33 billion in state and local conservation funding. www.tpl.org.

SOURCE Cox Communications