Oxford Stewardship Award nominees Lisa and Gord Ross

Gord and Lisa Ross – Turning a love of trees and wildlife into land stewardship

Gord and Lisa Ross bought their dream property in South-West Oxford 13 years ago and got right to work. They started with a driveway, then a barn with a micro-fit solar farm on the roof, and from that base, they built their house. 

Land Stewardship was never a top priority for the Ross family and Gord Ross admits he got into it for selfish reasons. 

“We just get a lot of pleasure from watching things grow, seeing the forest change daily with the animals in it. I think there is value in living in a world where those things exist. I think the world can move in a different direction if we can convince selfish people like me that there is value and benefits to that.” 

Shortly after moving in, the couple started working with the Upper Thames River Conservation Authority (UTRCA) to plant trees. They have planted over 2,500 trees to create windbreaks along the north and western boundaries. They also created a new woodlot in a 1.3-acre section of land on the corner of the property to link the two windbreaks and create a continuous wildlife path. The new woodlot is adjacent to a meadow and next to a neighbour’s woodlot to create a larger wildlife habitat. 

Lisa says that working with Rob Davies from UTRCA was tremendously helpful, as he showed them the various programs available for tree planting. 

“We did the million-tree project and got funding on the provincial level, County level, and through the Upper Thames to plant all those trees. Rob walked through our woods and helped with a managed forest plan. He helped identify the invasive species. We have a lot of buckthorn and garlic mustard plants we need to get rid of.” 

She adds having someone like Rob do the managed forest plan was instrumental in guiding their efforts. 

“I enjoyed the learning process, learning about the different tree species and getting to know some of the people involved in Stewardship Oxford. I feel a sense of responsibility for the land, and I feel like we can plant more trees, and we should take those opportunities.” 

The Ross family started this process because they liked the feeling that being in the forest gave them, and for Gord, the environmental benefits were secondary. The more they got into the process and worked with UTRCA, the more they realized the environmental benefits this was having on their property. What surprised Gord the most was how much grant money and help was available and how much of a difference their efforts had made.

“One of the reasons we agreed to be part of this award process was to make more people aware of the programs available to help the environment. It’s been satisfying for us, and I think a bit surprising, for me anyway, how much grant money was available to do this. It required a commitment from us and a willingness to take some land out of production, but it didn’t require a lot of out-of-pocket expense.”