Jim Warihay, Environmental Advisory Council member, was recently recognized as Keep Chester County Beautiful’s Volunteer of the Year!

In 2025, Jim organized six Adopt-a-Highway clean-ups that gathered over 100 bags of trash. Common items collected were single-use plastics, plastic water bottles, tissues, and cigarette butts. The next clean-up is scheduled for Sunday April 19, at 8:30 a.m. at the Spark Hotel in Exton. People can register to take part at cleanupuwchlan@gmail.com.

Jim is also active in maintaining the pollinator gardens at Baird Park as part of the Heart of Uwchlan project.

Over 1,900 volunteer hours have been logged by various individuals since the project’s inception in 2019, reflecting the dedication of those like Jim who continue to make a difference in our community. The project has also catalyzed partnerships, including planting 100 trees in 2023 through the TreeVitalize initiative.

“I absolutely consider this award as recognition of the entire EAC team and others who’ve helped along the way,” Jim said.

Jim was presented with a certificate to recognize his efforts by County Commissioners, Eric Roe, Josh Maxwell, and Marian Moskowitz. Amy and Jeff Burke, who own Jahaco, were also recognized for partnering with Keep Chester County Beautiful to recycle campaign signs.

Thank you Jim for your dedication to Uwchlan Township and our community!

About Keep Chester County Beautiful

Chester County is an official county affiliate of Keep Pennsylvania Beautiful. Keep Pennsylvania Beautiful's vision is a clean and beautiful Pennsylvania, and over the past 30+ years, they have worked with hundreds of thousands of volunteers across the state to pick up nearly 152 million pounds of trash from roadways, waterways, greenways, forests, and other community spaces. Keep PA Beautiful is a state affiliate of Keep America Beautiful, Inc. The goal of Keep Chester County Beautiful is to expand capacity within the county for litter abatement, waste reduction, beautification and environmental stewardship.

About the Heart of Uwchlan project

Spearheaded by Toni Gorkin in 2019 as a capstone project for her Pennsylvania Master Naturalist training, the Heart of Uwchlan project sets out to introduce native plants to Baird Park, expand its biodiversity, and educate the residents of Uwchlan Township on environmentally sustainable gardening practices.