NATCHEZ — Two community organizations were honored last week with awards for their efforts to make Natchez a more sustainable and greener city.

The Natchez-Adams County Community Alliance and the Adams County Master Gardeners received Civic Group and Commercial Model of the Year awards from the Mississippi Urban Forest Council and the Mississippi Forestry Commission. The awards recognized the organizations’ partnership in planting more than 200 crape myrtle trees through the downtown beautification project and the Natchez Trails Project.

Master Gardener Elaine Gemmell attended the Celebration of Trees event at the council’s annual Urban Forestry and Green Infrastructure conference last week to accept the award.

“It’s a real honor to be recognized for our efforts to green our beautiful little city,” Gemmell said. “Urban greening provides a healthful, livable place for our residents and our visitors.”

Gemmell said she enjoyed attending the conference to accept the award, but she said she also gained a plethora of knowledge about how valuable it is to have a green city from a business and residential standpoint, as well as for people’s general emotional health.

The Master Gardeners will plant 21 more trees downtown starting this week. The Community Alliance and Master Gardeners are also expanding their green efforts beyond planting trees, Gemmell said.

The Master Gardeners currently hold Junior Master Gardeners workshops at Cathedral High School, and Gemmell said the group is looking to branch out to other area schools.

Gemmell said the Master Gardeners are also hoping to develop some community gardens within the city.

“Community gardens need to be done by the citizens, but the Master Gardeners can provide some guidance,” she said.

The Community Alliance’s Green Alliance committee, Gemmell said, is working to build its recycling project in the city.

Gemmell said she thinks, as a community, Natchez is trying to step up its greening efforts to become a more environmentally friendly city. She said she was most proud of the fact private citizens donated so much of the funding for the trees planted downtown.

Gemmell said she thinks the donations speak to the desire of Natchezians to live in a more sustainable city.

“It is very gratifying to see that people here want to see Natchez be green and beautiful,” Gemmell said.