Conservation awards presented
Published 12:35 pm Tuesday, May 10, 2016
The Peter Francisco Soil and Water Conservation District (PFSWCD) held their annual spring dinner/awards banquet on April 28 in Cumberland at the Cumberland County Middle/High School.
Agriculture producers, landowners, educators and students from Buckingham and Cumberland were recognized with 85 guests in attendance. The meal was sponsored by the district and prepared and served by the Cumberland Middle/High School cafeteria staff led by William Brandt.
Bailey Anderson, Buckingham County High School 2016 graduate, was awarded the PFSWCD’s college scholarship for $1,000. She is the daughter of Brian and Denise Anderson and will be attending Virginia Tech majoring in Animal and Poultry Sciences.
Gillian Cubbage, Cumberland County High School 2016 graduate, was awarded the PFSWCD’s college scholarship for $1,000. She is the daughter of Kenny and Karen Cubbage and will be attending Virginia Tech majoring in sustainable biomaterials.
Marya Elasha, Cumberland County High School senior, was recognized for winning the Virginia Association of Soil and Water District’s Conservation Poster Contest at the State Level for grades 10-12. The theme of the contest was “Pollinators – Our Local Heroes.”
Kenny Townsend and Taylor Jones from Buckingham and Lorraine Foster from Cumberland were recognized for attending the 2015 Youth Conservation Camp sponsored by the Virginia Association of Soil and Water Conservation Districts.
Taylor Jones, a senior at Buckingham County High School, was recognized for his involvement in the Youth Conservation Leadership Institute (YCLI) hosted by the Virginia Association of Soil and Water Conservation Districts.
Jones was one of nine students selected to participate. For his project, he coordinated a citizen’s water quality monitoring group with fellow students and partnered with the district to acquire a grant from DEQ to purchase water quality monitoring equipment.
The Buckingham County High School Envirothon Team was recognized for its second-place award at the Area V Envirothon Competition held April 21 and their advancement to the state competition set for May 15-16.
Members of the team are James Alex, Daniel Wood, James Quajardo, Rebecca Ragland, Emily Vaughan, Taylor Jones and Tyler Woodson. The coach is Andrew Schmitt, Buckingham FFA advisor/agriculture and welding teacher
Catherine Fleishman, a teacher at Cumberland County High School, was awarded the Conservation Education Award.
Brad Jones, owner of Hooper’s Rock Farm in Cumberland, was awarded the Forestry and Wildlife Conservation Award. Jones manages 750 acres of forested and open land. He works closely with a private consulting forester and the local Department of Forestry staff to assist with timber sales and management recommendations. He provides habitat for wildlife through the management of duck impoundments, a 30-acre lake, agricultural crops managed for wildlife, beaver swamps and strategically placed food plots.
Leroy Pfeiffer Sr., of Cumberland, was presented with the Clean Water Farm Award offered through the Department of Conservation and Recreation (DCR) in partnership with the Peter Francisco Soil and Water Conservation District. This award is given to conservation stewards who are implementing agricultural best management practices. Pfeiffer was received a blue metal sign proclaiming “2015 Clean Water Farm Award.”