The Livingston County Environmental Management Council presented the 2026 Earth Day Award to Jonathan and Jennifer Prince and their family on April 23 during a regular meeting of the Livingston County Board of Supervisors.
The award is given each year to individuals or organizations who make significant efforts to preserve, improve, or educate about the environment in Livingston County. The recognition highlights the importance of community involvement in environmental stewardship.
EMC Chairman Alexander Pierce honored the Prince family for their dedication to caring for their 175-acre homestead in Groveland. The property, which includes farmland, streams, wetlands, and woodlands, has remained a single contiguous parcel for over two centuries. When they purchased it in 2014, the Princes took on an existing conservation easement created through the Genesee Valley Conservancy in 1999. This Oak Orchard Conservation easement protects scenic views and open spaces while helping safeguard the Genesee River watershed.
Jennifer Prince said during her remarks that “this award reflects something much bigger than just the efforts of our family.” She added: “It’s a shared commitment to build on community and preservation… conservation needs to begin at home with the average family. It’s easy to think that meaningful environmental change happens on a massive scale through big organizations or even big policy. But while these matter, the real lasting change is also built in quieter ways if we each just commit to doing a little more, paying a little bit more attention in our backyard collectively. Small changes add up when we teach our children to respect and appreciate the natural space right outside their door where nature knows no property lines.”
The EMC serves as an advisory body appointed by Livingston County that provides guidance on issues affecting local environmental quality. More information about its work can be found at https://www.livingstoncountyny.gov/107/Environmental-Management-Council.
Livingston County was established in 1821 and today has over 61,000 residents across its seventeen towns.
