Friends of the Credit Conservation Awards

Eligible: Individuals and groups under age 29

Recognizes: Those under 29 years of age, striving to be future environmental champions.

Eligible: Individuals and groups

Recognizes: Those who generously give personal time to protect, connect and sustain our local natural environment.

Eligible: Individuals and groups

Recognizes: Those who connect communities with nature through education and outreach to promote environmental awareness, appreciation and action.

Recognizes: Those implementing restoration projects that increase natural cover and improve aquatic, terrestrial and wetland habitat on private lands.

Eligible: Corporations and businesses

Recognizes: Those corporations and businesses that take action and adopt new and creative approaches to plan for an environmentally sustainable future.

Eligible: Individuals, groups and public entities

Recognizes: Those public entities that implement leading edge green infrastructure in new development and existing urban areas.

Eligible: Individuals and groups

Recognizes: Recognizes and celebrates leadership and initiatives that focus on diversity, equity and inclusion; engaging and supporting people of diverse backgrounds and cultures to participate in environmental activities that support a sustainable future.

Eligible: Individuals, groups, corporations and businesses

Recognizes: Those with a sustained record of achievement and commitment. Their ongoing leadership and dedication will leave a legacy of inspiration.

NOTE: This most prestigious award is only given in extraordinary circumstances. It may not be given every year.

Nominees must meet eligibility requirements to be considered for an award. To be eligible to win an award, the following conditions must be met:

1. Project and/or activities must contribute to the protection, connection and sustainability of the Credit River Watershed.
2. Award recipients can be nominated in subsequent years, however any project can only be awarded once.
3. Self-nomination is allowed when submitted with a letter of support.
4. Award recipients cannot be an active CVC board member or staff, or have been acting as a board member or staff while undertaking the activities for which they are being recognized.
5. Award recipients must be in good-standing with CVC’s planning policies and regulations.
6. Projects and activities must align with CVC’s values that demonstrate inclusive and respectful practices and integrity through ethical decision making.

Nominations are vetted by CVC staff and reviewed by a sub-committee of the CVC Board of Directors. Awards will be given to an outstanding project, individuals or groups in each category that meet the following criteria:

1. Alignment with CVC’s vision of a thriving environment that protects, connects and sustains the Credit River Watershed.
2. Leadership and the ability to influence and inspire the community.
3. A lasting contribution to create environmentally resilient communities for future generations.
4. Values diverse perspectives, work experiences, lifestyles and cultures.

Santhosh Durga Thyagarajan received the Youth Achievement Award for documenting more than 690 species at Lake Aquitaine over two years, including rare and special concern species. Most notably, he identified the invasive red swamp crayfish, only the second record of it in Ontario. This discovery prompted province-wide collaboration to monitor and manage the species.

Amanda Stuartbrink received the Outstanding Volunteer Award for her commitment as a volunteer leader with CVC’s Community Stewardship program since 2017. Amanda contributed 200 hours through 27 events to support tree plantings, litter cleanups, invasive species removals, building rain gardens with wildflower that enhance habitat and watershed restoration. Amanda mentors other volunteers and demonstrates exceptional long-term dedication.

Shrimad Rajchandra Mission Dharampur Canada received the Outstanding Volunteer Award for their community tree planting initiatives. Their efforts have united volunteers to plant 1,420 trees, helped expand urban canopy cover and enhanced biodiversity, demonstrating outstanding leadership in environmental stewardship.

ThriveAbility’s Sustainable Shores Program received the Outstanding Volunteer Award for their shoreline cleanups at the mouth of the Credit River, a highly sensitive and heavily used area. They have removed significant amounts of litter before it could enter the river system or Lake Ontario, protecting water quality, wildlife habitat and shoreline ecosystems.

Barbara Angus received the Outstanding Volunteer Award for her service of over 630 volunteer hours since 2023. She has supported education and sustainable gardening initiatives at The Riverwood Conservancy, which produced over 350 pounds of food for a food bank in 2025. She plays a key role in invasive species removals, native plantings and stewardship events, while supporting school programs and events that connect hundreds of participants to nature each year.

Heart Comonos received the Outstanding Volunteer Award for strengthening stewardship in Cooksville through community-led initiatives. They have organized four litter cleanups with 130 volunteers who contributed 325 hours and removed 1,215 pounds of litter from parklands, forest and creek areas. Their work inspires residents to care for and improve shared natural spaces.

Shrimad Rajchandra Mission Dharampur Canada received the Outstanding Volunteer Award for their community tree planting initiatives. Their efforts have united volunteers to plant 1,420 trees, expand urban canopy cover and enhance biodiversity.

Erin Common Ground received the Environmental Awareness Award for their farmer-led network of over 50 members with peer-to-peer learning opportunities. These included farm tours, workshops, and gatherings, that focused on soil health and sustainable land stewardship. Their approach connects land management practices to ecological outcomes and promotes regenerative agriculture across rural communities.

Julie Ritchie received the Environmental Awareness Award for connecting students to hands-on stewardship actions through CVC’s Branch Out program for over 15 years. She guided the planting of 2,250 trees, supporting habitat restoration and invasive species removal. Julie has inspired generations of students, fostering a lasting commitment to environmental care.

Bird Friendly Halton Hills received the Environmental Awareness Award for advancing bird protection. Their efforts helped the Town of Halton Hills reach Bird Friendly City certification status in 2022 and they engaged over 4,000 residents in the 2025 Town Bird Vote.

Dr. Helene Wagner received the Environmental Awareness Award for more than a decade of her work advancing science through landscape connectivity modelling and wildlife corridor mapping. By using advanced modelling and supercomputing tools, Dr. Wagner developed foundational datasets that are now used in municipal mapping, biodiversity protection and restoration efforts in the Credit River Watershed.

St. Elias the Prophet Church received the Landowner Stewardship Award for stewardship on their eight-hectare property. They transformed the land into a thriving landscape by planting over 1,000 native trees and shrubs and establishing pollinator gardens, wet meadow habitat and a mini forest. These diverse habitats support long-term biodiversity.

Donald and Tabitha MacDow received the Landowner Stewardship Award for outstanding stewardship on their 24-hectares property. Since 2021, the MacDows have planted over 8,000 native trees and shrubs and restored a hectare of tallgrass prairie, improving wildlife habitat, reducing erosion and protecting groundwater in a vulnerable aquifer area. They also enrolled six hectares of their land in the ALUS Peel program, which helps landowners overcome environmental challenges affecting farm productivity and soil and water quality using nature-based solutions.

Chris and Diane Staples received the Landowner Stewardship Award for their long-term protection of a section of the Bruce Trail through a conservation easement on their Caledon property. This action has maintained the trail corridor for public access since 2005. The Staples’ are also supporting habitat restoration through tree planting initiatives and the rehabilitation of a former quarry on their property.

Adrian and Suanne Miedema received the Landowner Stewardship Award for stewarding their Caledon property. They implemented a nine-hectare Managed Forest Plan, planted 2,000 trees, enhanced pollinator habitat with native plants and restored natural flow in Shaw’s Creek by removing a human-made barrier.

Mark and Elizabeth Krapez received the Landowner Stewardship Award for their work with CVC and the Bruce Trail Conservancy to protect important lands in the Niagara Escarpment. Through a donation of part of their property in Caledon, they secured key natural heritage lands and the optimum route of the Bruce Trail. The Krapez family is ensuring the long-term protection of vital land for future generations to enjoy.

Gloria Hildebrandt and Mike Davis received the Landowner Stewardship Award for their stewardship actions on their 14-acre property in Georgetown. The work included extensive invasive species management and habitat. They also secured a permanent conservation easement with the Escarpment Biosphere Conservancy to protect Hildebrandt and Davis Nature Park for future generations.

Centennial Public School received the Green Cities Award for installing green infrastructure. The school engaged 120 students and volunteers to create a rain garden and plant 900 native species. The project will help manage stormwater, improved water quality and enhanced biodiversity. The rain garden made the school grounds more climate resilient in the Hungry Hollow SNAP neighbourhood and created a living classroom for outdoor education. Canon Canada also supported this project through funding and staff volunteers.

The Town of Halton Hills Environment and Climate Team received the Green Cities Award for their municipal environmental leadership. Through a comprehensive biodiversity study and forward-thinking Green Infrastructure Asset Management Plan, the Town of Halton Hills has embedded science-based conservation, restoration and natural asset management into their land-use planning. This is advancing tree planting, naturalization and pollinator habitat expansion.

The Town of Halton Hills Community Services Team received the Green Cities Award for leadership in advancing neighbourhood-scale climate change action through Hungry Hollow SNAP. The initiative has delivered measurable nature-based benefits while strengthening resiliency in the community.

Harts House Farm received the Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Leadership Award for inclusive environmental stewardship on their 60-hectare property within the Niagara Escarpment UNESCO Biosphere Reserve. Through invasive species removal, ecological restoration and partnerships with Indigenous communities and environmental organizations, the farm actively improves biodiversity while providing hands-on learning opportunities. The farm has integrated land stewardship with inclusive education, cultural programming and innovative restoration practices, strengthening ecosystem resilience and encouraging the next generation of leaders.

Dave Dyce received the Watershed Excellence Award for decades of exceptional conservation work to protect and strengthen the Credit River Watershed through both his conservation career and his extraordinary volunteer service. As a key member of the Friends of Island Lake, Dave helped raise over $2.6 million between 2005 and 2015 to support habitat restoration, trail development and stewardship initiatives that protect the natural landscape while connecting thousands of visitors to Island Lake Conservation Area.

As a member of the Credit Valley Conservation Foundation (CVCF) Board, Dave has continued to advance land securement and protection efforts. Through his advocacy, dedication and tireless volunteerism, Dave has safeguarded critical natural spaces while building a strong culture of stewardship. Dave has been a CVCF Board member since 2013.