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AUGUSTA — Two companies, a nonprofit education institution, a Freeport resident and an educational program were among the 18 recipients of the Governor’s Award for Environmental Excellence this year. Gov. Angus King presented the awards to Downeast Energy, Eastland Shoe Manufacturing Corp., The Chewonki Foundation, a University of Maine program and Freeport resident Dick Anderson, among others. Nine Downeast stations were certified as having 100 percent compliance, or better, with Maine Department of Environmental Protection guidelines for gas stations. They can be added to the two Downeast stations honored last year. “It’s really the guys in the field who make this happen,” said John Peters, executive vice president of Downeast Energy. “The folks in the field are going beyond what is required and we’re very proud of that.” Eastland Shoe, in Freeport, is being recognized for its work in reducing flammable and hazardous compounds in the workplace. By scrutinizing all chemicals used in its operation and demanding suppliers come up with safer alternatives, Eastland reduced hazardous waste by 20 percent and cut volatile organic compound emissions by 88 percent, according to the DEP. Worker compensation claims also have dropped, by 66 percent. The Chewonki Foundation, a nonprofit environmental education institution in Wiscasset, is being recognized for reaching as many as 38,000 students this year. The number of students marks an all-time high, said Dot Lanson, director of environmental education at Chewonki. The UMaine Water Research Institute coordinated a program called “Testing the Waters: Discovering the Penobscot River Watershed,” a hands-on water quality program for middle and high school pupils. Dick Anderson is being honored for 40 years of work across the state that have made him the “unofficial environmental ambassador” for Maine, according to the DEP. Anderson is credited with helping to build the Maine Audubon Society into a statewide institution, introducing solar energy to the state with the construction of the Audubon Society headquarters, creating Scarborough Marsh Nature Center and leading the creation of the International Appalachian Trail from Mount Katahdin to the end of the Gaspe Peninsula in Quebec. A former Department of Conservation commissioner, Anderson also hosted the public television program “Up Country.”