The Jenkins Family Receives Award for Outstanding Conservation Efforts
October 5, 2017—Dakota County, Minnesota. The Dakota County Soil and Water Conservation District (DCSWCD) is proud to announce the Jenkins family as the 2017 Outstanding Conservationist for their leadership in conservation. Tom, his wife Stacey, and their three children have focused on five erosion and pollutant reducing projects.
The Jenkins family has demonstrated leadership through the installation of two raingardens that treat runoff from their property and provide pollinator habitat. The plants help absorb the stormwater runoff to keep pollution from washing into local waterbodies. The Jenkins family is also working to install no-mow fescue lawn for their front yard, which is an eco-friendly, low maintenance and drought tolerant lawn.
Tom Jenkins is a Pastor at Mount Calvary Lutheran Church. He and Stacey organized the installation of a 500 square foot raingarden that treats 1.3 acres of stormwater runoff mainly from the church parking lot. This year, Tom also helped DCSWCD staff facilitate a new “Congregations for Clean Water” meeting focusing on stormwater improvements on church properties. Representatives from surrounding churches discussed project ideas and funding opportunities.
The Jenkins’ will be recognized at the Minnesota Association of Soil and Water Conservation District’s Annual Convention in December. Each year the Dakota County Soil and Water Conservation District honors a landowner, business, or organization for their contributions to conserve or restore natural resources in Dakota County. The DCSWCD commends the Jenkins family for being leaders in conservation.
