Local non-profit community and lake organizations in Muskoka Watershed Council’s area of interest can register to receive a Recognition Package to award to a deserving member of your organization. Each Recognition Package contains a Certificate of Recognition and a $50 gift card to Hidden Habitat native plant nursery in Kilworthy.

Eligible organizations can register to receive a Recognition Package by filling out the form below during the registration period, which is open from January 1-31 each year. Recognition Packages will be mailed out in February once the registration period closes, and must be awarded in the same year that they are received.

Your organization is free to determine how you select a winner, as long as you meet the general criteria required by MWC. For example, your organization may outright select the winner or you may solicit nominations from your membership and then select the winner based on the nomination process. Once a winner is selected, your organization needs to submit the name and a brief explanation of why that member was chosen (using the form below) to MWC for possible inclusion on the MWC website.

WINNER AWARD FORM

Your organization can select who to recognize as a good watershed steward provided that the recipient exhibits one or more of the following criteria:

1. Demonstrates good stewardship practices on their own property, for example (but not limited to):

   • Using native vegetation and natural materials in plantings, paths, and landscaping.

   • Maintaining aquatic, shoreline and/or terrestrial vegetation.

   • Using effective practices to control erosion and treat stormwater runoff.

   • Conserving water by using a rain barrel, reducing lawn and garden watering, installing low-flow household products, etc.

   • Using dark-sky friendly lighting fixtures, lower wattage, energy efficient light bulbs, and motion sensors on outside lighting to prevent light pollution.

   • Enrolling in the Managed Forest Tax Incentive Program to promote healthy forests or theConservation Land Tax Incentive Programto protect wetlands.

2. Promotes or encourages good stewardship practices in the community.

3. Helps monitor environmental health through citizen science and/or community or association programs.

4. Implements Best Management Practices when developing or redeveloping, including Low Impact Development features.

• Only not-for-profit organizations within MWC’s area of interest are eligible to receive a Recognition Package.

• Organizations with existing stewardship award or recognition programs are not eligible to participate.

• MWC reserves the right to limit the number of Recognition Packages available each year if demand exceeds supply. If this occurs, MWC will take into consideration the order in which requests for Recognition Packages were received and whether an organization has previously received a Recognition Package.

• An organization may only receive one Recognition Package annually and must distribute the Recognition Package to a recipient within the same calendar year.

• An organization may request a Recognition Package each year.

• An organization will be disqualified from participating in the program if the organization doesn’t fulfill the requirements set forth (i.e. doesn’t give it to a deserving recipient as set out in the criteria, doesn’t provide the name and reason they were selected to MWC as required, etc).

• MWC reserves the right revise the terms and conditions at any time, including changing the requirements for organizations to be eligible to participate in the program.

2024 Recipient

• Pete LeMoine (selected by Muskoka Watershed Council)

2022 Recipients (and their respective organizations) 

• Thomas and Anne Knight (Bracebridge Horticultural Society)

• Paul Hutchinson (Bruce Lake Family Association)

• David White (Fox Lake Association)

• Laurie Thomson (Friends of Muskoka)

• Diane Crocker (Lake of Bays Association)

• Betty Isbister (Leonard Lake Stakeholders Association)

• Jimmy and Brenda Burke (Loon & Turtle Lakes Cottage Association)

• Chris and Louise Cragg (Muskoka Lakes Association)

• Patricia Arney (Muskoka Ratepayers' Association)

• Caroline Konarzewski (Muskoka Watershed Council)

• George Bryant (Pine Lake Ratepayers' Association)

• Kat Colbourn and Chris Gorczynski (Ril Lake Association)

• Paul Wiancko (Six Mile Lake Cottagers' Association)