The California Integrated Waste Management Board named Hidden Villa in Los Altos Hills winner of its 2004 Waste Reduction Awards Program (WRAP) for Hidden Villa’s outstanding efforts to reduce waste and protect the environment. WRAP, the state’s leading authority on recycling and waste reduction, recognized the wilderness preserve’s achievements for the sixth time.

“Hidden Villa is so pleased to be recognized as a leader in efforts of waste reduction and sustainable living,” said Beth Ross, executive director. “Our organization has worked diligently to protect precious resources and educate the public on conservation and sustainable building. These are key components of our environmental education programs.”

Given to the people of the San Francisco Bay Area by Josephine and Frank Duveneck and their children, these 1,600 acres of farm and wilderness preserve in Los Altos Hills provide the site for Hidden Villa’s unique programs. Hidden Villa’s Environmental Education Program (HVEEP), which reaches 20,000 schoolchildren and their teachers, focuses on ways to reduce, reuse and recycle. HVEEP offers activities for children such as preparing a “no garbage lunch.” Hidden Villa offers monthly tours of its green buildings in hopes of educating professionals and the general public about the effective use of sustainable building materials in construction.

Now in its 12th year, WRAP awards honor businesses for cutting the amount of trash they produce, conserving resources and reducing waste disposal in landfills. This year’s WRAP honorees have diverted 1.8 million tons of materials from local landfills through excellent resource management and recycling. Their voluntary waste reduction efforts have saved them $135 million in operating costs.