SAN DIEGO, April 22, 2014 /PRNewswire/ -- Cox Communications, in partnership with The Trust for Public Land, is seeking nominations for environmental volunteers in Cox's service areas in Orange County, San Diego and Santa Barbara. Nominations are being accepted at CoxConservesHeroes.com through 5 p.m. on May 21 for volunteers who are creating, preserving or enhancing outdoor spaces.

Three finalists from each area will compete through online voting to be named the Cox Conserves Heroes for Orange County, San Diego and Santa Barbara. A total of $45,000 will be donated to environmental nonprofits on behalf of the winners and finalists.

The three winners each will receive $10,000, and the remaining finalists will receive $2,500 to donate to their local environmental nonprofits of choice.

2014 Cox Conserves Heroes Timeline (Orange County, San Diego and Santa Barbara):

• Nominations: April 22 – May 21 (5 p.m. PT)
• Voting: Mid-July
• Winner Announcements: Mid-August

In 2013, Alice Apkarian, Barbara Palan, and Susan Epstein were selected as the Orange County, San Diego and Santa Barbara Cox Conserves Heroes, respectively. The program launched in San Diego in 2009 and expanded to Orange County and Santa Barbara in 2012. In Southern California, Cox Conserves Heroes has recognized 36 volunteers and donated nearly $140,000 to environmental nonprofits.

The Cox Conserves Heroes program was created through a partnership between The Trust for Public Land and Cox Enterprises, the parent company of Cox Communications.  KX 93.5 is sponsoring Orange County's program. The San Diego program is being sponsored by the University of San Diego, Pure Flo and radio partners KyXy 96.5 and Energy 103.7 FM.

Cox Conserves Heroes also takes place in the San Francisco Bay Area; Arizona (Phoenix and Tucson); Georgia (Atlanta); Louisiana (Acadiana, Baton Rouge and New Orleans); Virginia (Fairfax County/Fredericksburg, Hampton Roads and Roanoke) and Washington (Seattle).

About Cox Communications

Serving California communities in San Diego, Orange County, Palos Verdes, and Santa Barbara, Cox Communications is a broadband communications and entertainment company, providing advanced digital video, Internet, and telephone services over its own nationwide IP network. Cox also offers home security and automation services to residential customers. The third-largest U.S. cable TV company, Cox serves approximately 6 million residences and businesses nationwide. Cox Business is a facilities-based provider of voice, video and data solutions for commercial customers, and Cox Media is a full-service provider of national and local cable spot and new media advertising.

Cox is known for its pioneering efforts in cable telephone and commercial services, industry-leading customer care and its outstanding workplaces. For seven years, Cox has been recognized as the top operator for women by Women in Cable Telecommunications; for seven years, Cox has ranked among DiversityInc's Top 50 Companies for Diversity. More information about Cox Communications, a wholly owned subsidiary of Cox Enterprises, is available at www.cox.com and www.coxmedia.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. Nearly ten million people live within a ten-minute walk of a Trust for Public Land park, garden, or natural area, and millions more visit these sites every year. Learn more at tpl.org.

About Cox Conserves

Launched in 2007 by Chairman James C. Kennedy, Cox Conserves is Cox Enterprises' national sustainability program. Cox Conserves focuses on reducing waste and energy consumption, as well as conserving water. The program engages each of the company's major subsidiaries (Cox Communications, Manheim, Cox Media Group and AutoTrader Group) and encourages Cox Enterprises' 50,000 employees and their families to engage in eco-friendly practices.

Social Media: #CoxConservesHeroes and #CoxConservesHero

SOURCE Cox Communications