A dozen landowners, educators, farmers and civil servants from four neighboring counties in Northern Virginia were honored today by the Lord Fairfax Soil and Water Conservation District. All the awards recognized contributions to good stewardship of the natural environment. Among the honorees was Holy Cross Abbey, receiving the Outstanding Conservation Farm Award. Aside from improving our conservation of energy and recycling–areas not considered for this award–the Abbey has put its land in conservation easement, has given considerable amounts of land to forestry, has begun operating a natural or “green” cemetery, invited natural farming along the river to heal and restore the soil and is protecting the River bank and streams from cattle pollution, at the same time creating natural corridors for the Abbey’s wild life and biodiversity. On reflection, this has all been achieved in only five years as we implement the recommendations of The University of Michigan’s Sustainability Study (Re-inhabiting Place) by graduate students on their School of Natural Resources and the Environment.
As Abbot Robert, who received the award, noted to many of the guests and honorees, tomorrow marks the sixty-fifth anniversary of our founding. May we continue to do our part through the next sixty-five years.
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