The City of Mendota Heights is proud to announce the 2023 recipients of the first annual Oak Awards! The Natural Resources Commission created the Oak Awards Program in 2023, to celebrate leadership, education/outreach, and project efforts that advance natural resources within the City. Awards will be presented at the May 8 Natural Resources Commission Meeting.
The Oak Awards program recognizes the following individuals for its 2023 Oak Awards in the following categories:
• Acorn Award – recognizes exemplary youth leadership in the advancement of our City’s natural resources. Eligible youth include individuals or groups 18 years of age and younger, or a current student in 12th grade or under.
The 2023 recipient of the Acorn Award is Benjamin Moe. Ben led and coordinated a pollinator planting in Valley Park as part of his Eagle Scout project. The project included the planting of over 200 native pollinator plants, as well as the creation of a webpage, complete with QR code and signage, educating the public on the benefits of pollinators and how to protect them.
• Leaf award – recognizes significant contributions of an individual, family, company or organization that has demonstrated substantial leadership for the stewardship of our City’s natural resources.
The 2023 recipient of the Leaf Award is Tim Minea. Tim has set an example in his own landscape by planting a beautiful mix of native trees and plants, many originally planted by his father a generation ago that he has continued to care for. He also has planted several pollinator plants along the East and South sides of his property.
Neighbors say ‘Tim is also really great at getting kids excited about plants. Once he brought the neighborhood kids some acorns and a bucket of dirt so they could see how the acorns grew into trees! My girls loved watching the bucket grow into tiny trees.’
• Canopy Award – recognizes lifetime achievement of an individual, family, company or organization that has demonstrated extraordinary leadership for the stewardship of our City’s natural resources.
The 2023 recipient of the Canopy Award is Leslie Pilgrim. Leslie has spent countless hours in service of natural resources, including water resources, throughout the metro area but especially within Mendota Heights. Some of the community efforts she has created, led and volunteered for include: Neighborhood Greening - a non-profit dedicated to community environmental education and stewardship, Roots in the Ground - A local non-profit initiative with a goal to plant 5,000 trees in Mendota Heights in 5 years to help mitigate the loss of ash trees to Emerald Ash Borer, the Natural Resources Management Plan Update Steering Committee member, partnering with the Mendota Elementary School to create an elementary forest planting project, and serves as a member on the board of the Lower Mississippi River Watershed Management Organization. Leslie is also committed to continuing education in natural resources, and has gained certifications in and serves as a Master Naturalist and Minnesota Water Steward.