BATON ROUGE, La., June 3, 2013 /PRNewswire/ -- Cox Communications, in partnership with The Trust for Public Land, today launched Louisiana's 2013 Cox Conserves Heroes awards program.

Nominations are being accepted at CoxConservesHeroes.com for volunteers in Cox's service areas in Acadiana, Baton Rouge and New Orleans who are creating, preserving or enhancing outdoor spaces. A total of $15,000 will be donated to local environmental nonprofits on behalf of the winner and finalists.

A judging panel of civic and environmental leaders will select three finalists who will then compete to be named Louisiana's 2013 Cox Conserves Hero. The winner will be chosen through an online public vote.

Louisiana's Cox Conserves Heroes Timeline:

• Nominations:  June 3 – July 1
• Voting:  August 22 – September 13
• Winner Announcement: Late September

The program launched in New Orleans in 2010 and has since expanded to include the Baton Rouge and Lafayette areas. Jenga Mwendo was named Louisiana's Cox Conserves Hero for transforming an overgrown lot used as a dumping ground into a beautiful centerpiece for the community. She selected New Orleans Food and Farm Network as her nonprofit of choice.

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, to honor local conservation volunteers. The program also runs in Arizona, Atlanta, Orange County (Calif.), San Diego, Santa Barbara, San Francisco and Virginia. More than $280,000 has been donated to local nonprofits through the Cox Conserves Heroes program.

Para más información, visita  CoxConservesHeroes.com o Facebook.

Social Media: #CoxConservesHeroes and #CoxConservesHero

About Cox Communications:

Cox Communications is a broadband communications and entertainment company, providing advanced digital video, Internet and telephone services over its own nationwide IP network. The third-largest U.S. cable TV company, Cox serves approximately 6 million residences and businesses. 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; Cox has ranked among DiversityInc's Top 50 Companies for Diversity eight times, including the last seven years. More information about Cox Communications, a wholly owned subsidiary of Cox Enterprises, is available at www.cox.com/espanol y www.coxmedia.com.

About The Trust for Public Land

Founded in 1972, The Trust for Public Land is the leading nonprofit working to conserve land for people. Operating from more than 30 offices nationwide, The Trust for Public Land has protected more than three million acres from the inner city to the wilderness and helped generate more than $34 billion in public funds for conservation. 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.

About Cox Conserves

The parent company of Cox Communications, Cox Enterprises is a leading communications, media and automotive services company. Launched in 2007 by Chairman Jim 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.com) and encourages Cox Enterprises' 50,000 employees and their families to engage in eco-friendly practices.

SOURCE Cox Communications