For one week each year, the Pennsylvania Convention Center in Philadelphia turns into a botanical wonderland, thanks to the legendary Philadelphia Flower Show.  But this year, the city used its world-famous horticultural extravaganza, which opened last Saturday, to celebrate some folks who are dedicated to making Philly a better place all year round.

The Pennsylvania Environmental Council honored the achievements of seven “sustainability innovators,”  according to the Philadelphia Inquirer, including:

Hal Taussig”whose Untours Foundation has given more than $5 million in low-interest loans to economically deprived entrepreneurs locally and worldwide.

Treevitalize, a regional program through which more than 20,000 trees have been planted.

Wissahickon Charter School, where students - most of them minorities or from low-income families - learn environmental stewardship in urban settings. The middle school helps make 2,000 gallons of biofuel a year.

Neighborhood Bike Works, through which Philadelphia youths reclaimed 20 tons of bicycles last year and refurbished 800.

Philadelphia builder Don Bradley, who specializes in solar and zero-energy homes.

Willingboro Public Library, designed to remediate a brownfield site. It is part of the municipality’s master plan, which showed how a redeveloped building can anchor a diverse town center.

Camphill Village Kimberton Hills, a community of 100 people, some with disabilities, in Chester County. It incorporates an organic garden and dairy, solar power, a constructed wetlands wastewater system, and geothermal heating and cooling.

The purpose of the awards program, which is only in its second year, is to “celebrate these leaders and encourage more to follow.” The finalists were chosen from nearly fifty contenders. I bet by next year they’ll have closer to a hundred. Maybe they should round the number of recipients up to ten, or make it an even dozen? If it will inspire more folks to focus on sustainable solutions, we’ll all be winners.

Learn more about the Philadelphia Sustainability Awards and the winners here.