Cornell has received a City of Ithaca Pride of Ownership Award for its initiative to return part of Libe Slope to a seasonal meadow, which allows it to be mowed only twice a year.

"The result has not only been a conservation of labor and energy, but a beautifully textured counterpoint to the areas currently mown more frequently and a stunning setting for I.M. Pei's Johnson Museum of Art. The university is to be commended for such a creative and aesthetically pleasing approach to sustainability and encouraged as they identify more areas to partially or fully 're-naturalize,'" said the commendation for the award, which is sponsored by the city of Ithaca and the Rotary Club of Ithaca.

David Cutter, Cornell landscape architect, and Pete Salino, director of Cornell's Grounds Operations Facility, accepted the award on behalf of the university. The award, one of six given, was presented at the weekly meeting of the Ithaca Rotary Club and at the Common Council meeting, both Dec. 2.

This is the 12th year the city of Ithaca and the Rotary Club of Ithaca have recognized property owners who develop projects or take care of their properties in ways that enhance the physical appearance of city neighborhoods and commercial areas. The awards focus on how properties appear from the street and public right-of-way, improve their local surroundings and thereby increase the quality of life for the city as a whole.