Oxford County Stewardship Award
Each year, the Oxford County Stewardship Award is awarded to a land owner in Oxford County that makes voluntary efforts to help protect the quality of the County’s natural environment (soil, water, woodlands and other natural features).
Finalists are selected from the projects approved through the Clean Water Program each year. Landowners who participate in the program can apply for incentive funding for:
- Woodlands and wetlands conservation and enhancement
- Soil erosion prevention and remediation
- Various measures to protect surface and ground water
- Fragile land retirement
- Other conservation initiatives
2024 Nominees
The 2024 Oxford Stewardship Award will be presented at the March 26 meeting of County Council.
Previous Winners
2023 - Steve and Cobi Sauder
2022 - Mary Ann Doré and family
2020/2021 - Teresa Piraino and family
2019 – Jeff and Diane Tribe
2018 – Lynn & Leslie Sage
2017 – Scotty and Jodie Zehr
2016 – Mike Eckert
2015 – Steele Family
2014– Dawn Dennison
2013 – Joe and Mary Coblentz
2012 – Mary Anne, Roeland and Hugh Van Oostveen
2011 – Thomas and Wendy Jackson
2010 – John Beacom
2009 – Dan Veldman
About the award
The winner of the Oxford County Stewardship Award is announced before County Council with the winner receiving a prize of local significance, in keeping with the theme of celebrating and supporting local achievement. Out of the finalists, a winner is chosen by judges from Stewardship Oxford and the Oxford Soil & Crop Improvement Association.
The Oxford Stewardship Award was established in 2009. It builds on the legacy of the former Landsaver Award, which was granted between 1982 and 2003 to recognize outstanding contributions by the farming community toward the conservation of land, water and air.
The development of a stewardship award to acknowledge the role rural landowners play in preserving natural heritage was one of the recommended actions in the Oxford Natural Heritage Study.