Mary Ann Doré and her family recognized for their stewardship efforts

Oxford County Warden Marcus Ryan presented the 2022 Oxford Stewardship Award to Mary Ann 

Doré during last night’s meeting of County Council in recognition of her efforts, and those of her family, toward land improvement and sustainability.

Doré, a seventh-generation farmer who moved to Oxford County in 2010, was singled out by the award selection committee for her long list of stewardship projects at Heritage Hill Farms in Blandford-Blenheim Township.

Recently, Mary Ann and her family installed a series of three water and sediment control basins to reduce hill erosion in conjunction with two wetland cells designed by Ducks Unlimited. They also completed five tree planting projects to reduce wind erosion of the soil and provide habitat for wildlife.

Mary Ann was among three short-listed candidates chosen from a pool of projects supported by the Clean Water Program. The program is funded by Oxford County and  administered by the Upper Thames River Conservation Authority and the Grand River Conservation Authority, and promotes water quality improvement, as well as woodland and wetland conservation and enhancement. All of this year’s finalists undertook various land improvements to protect the local environment. 

Oxford County is again honouring this year’s Oxford Stewardship Award recipient with original artwork commissioned by a local artist. As the 2022 winner, Mary Ann receives a $500 gift certificate towards the purchase of original artwork by Ingersoll artist Vonnie Snyder and a gift basket from Jarful Refillery in Woodstock.

In addition to this prize, she has been added to the recognition wall at the Oxford County Administration Building, designed to honour all past, and future, recipients of the Oxford Stewardship Award.

The winner of the Oxford Stewardship Award is chosen by representatives of local stewardship organizations, with Marinda Gras, Soil & Crop Improvement Association, and Cher Sprague, Stewardship Oxford, leading the judging process. This year’s other short-listed candidates included:

• Daria Koscinski and Adam Yates, Zorra Township
  See project profile
• Bernd and Gail Brandt, Blandford-Blenheim Township
  See project profile
  
  

 Learn more about the Oxford Stewardship Award and find a complete list of previous winners online here. 

Background

• The Oxford Stewardship Award recipient is generally chosen by Stewardship Oxford and the Oxford Soil & Crop Improvement Association from the pool of projects that received financial and/or technical assistance through the County-supported Clean Water Program the previous year. The Clean Water Program, administered by the Upper Thames River Conservation Authority and the Grand River Conservation Authority, helps to fund and support the conservation and enhancement of natural heritage resources in Oxford County. In 2022, a total of 58 Clean Water projects were funded in Oxford County. This reflected over $488,000 in total project value. Oxford County supports the program with an annual contribution of $70,000. For more information on the Clean Water Program, visit www.cleanwaterprogram.ca

• The Oxford Stewardship Award was established in 2009 to recognize County landowners who have made outstanding contributions to protecting our natural heritage, such as woodlands, wetlands, streams and meadows and builds on the legacy of the former Landsaver Award, which was awarded between 1982 and 2003. The current stewardship award acknowledges the vital role that all landowners can play in preserving and enhancing the County’s natural environment.

• Vonnie Snyder is a floral and landscape artist from Ingersoll.  For more information, visit https://www.facebook.com/hearthomecreativity/

• Jarfull Refillery is a local shop based in Woodstock that allows customers to reduce their footprint by reusing everyday items and refilling them.  For more information, visit them at 9 Light Street in Woodstock or by visiting https://jarfulrefillery.ca

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About Oxford County

Located in the heart of southwestern Ontario at the crossroads of Highways 401 and 403, Oxford County has a population of approximately 130,000 people across eight area municipalities that are “growing stronger together.” As a partnership-oriented, two-tier municipal government, Oxford County is emerging as a leader in sustainable growth through the Future Oxford Community Sustainability Plan and County Council’s commitment to achieving 100% renewable energy, becoming a zero waste community and working towards zero poverty. Situated in one of Ontario’s richest areas for farmland, agriculture is a key industry that is driving innovation in sustainable industries and diversifying the local economy. Oxford County offers a thriving local arts, culture and culinary community, as well as conservation parks, natural areas and more than 100 kilometres of scenic trails. The Oxford County Administration Building is located in Woodstock, Ontario. Visit www.oxfordcounty.ca or follow our social media sites at www.oxfordcounty.ca/social. Oxford County’s Strategic Plan is at oxfordcounty.ca/strategicplan.