Wilcox named Conservation Educator of the Year
Lydia Wilcox, left, was presented the 2024 Conservation Educator of the Year from Kelly Riley, right, Wayne Soil and Water Conservation District’s education specialist, at the Nov. 7 SWCD annual meeting breakfast.
The Wayne Soil and Water Conservation District celebrated its annual meeting breakfast and election of supervisors on Nov. 7 at Sonnenberg Village, just outside Kidron. Attendees explored the village’s 5-acre campus, which features over a dozen historical buildings, before gathering to honor achievements in conservation.
One part of the event was the presentation of the 2024 Conservation Educator of the Year to Lydia Wilcox. Kelly Riley, Wayne SWCD’s education specialist, delivered a speech celebrating Wilcox’s contributions to conservation education.
Riley highlighted Wilcox’s history as an educator, which spans more than three decades and includes teaching in New York State, Taiwan and now Ohio. She spoke of her commitment to environmental stewardship, which began in her hometown of Irondequoit, New York.
Riley shared how Wilcox’s mother, her greatest inspiration, taught her to respect nature and care for the land, often involving her in activities like planting Mayapple seeds to prevent erosion. Her upbringing near Lake Ontario and her experiences on her grandparents’ farm instilled a lifelong passion for conservation and respect for Native American values such as the saying, “We do not inherit the Earth from our ancestors; we borrow it from our children.”
Riley also noted how Wilcox has carried these values into her teaching career at Chippewa Local Schools, where she currently teaches math and intervention for seventh and eighth grade. She spoke of Wilcox’s approaches to environmental education, such as taking students to Parfitt’s Paradise for outdoor learning, guiding them in conservation poster contests and even improving school grounds with soil amendments using coffee grounds collected from Starbucks.
Wilcox’s efforts to teach students the importance of conservation and environmental awareness have left a lasting impact, both on the students and the community.
In addition to her work in the classroom, Wilcox has volunteered extensively with Wayne SWCD including participating in stormwater education outreach and stenciling storm drains to educate students on water quality. Riley concluded by emphasizing Wilcox’s role as a teacher, mentor and role model whose work inspires the next generation of conservationists.
Also presented awards during the meeting were Mike and LeAnne Buchholz of the Miles Long Farm for the 2024 Conservation Farm Award and Mark and Jody Payne for winning the 2024 Big Tree Contest with their white oak. The event served as a reminder of the importance of education and conservation in fostering a sustainable future.
The annual meeting also included the election of Supervisors Matt Peart and Randy Tegtmeier and updates on Wayne SWCD’s ongoing conservation programs. It brought together educators, conservation advocates and community leaders to celebrate shared accomplishments and look ahead to future projects.
To view Wilcox’s information and past award winners, visit Wayne SWCD’s website at www.wayneswcd.org/home/education/educator-of-the-year.