This child, adult, group or organization has had a far reaching vision for a future that embraces the importance of children reconnecting to the natural world. John Covert Watson is a visionary architect who studied with Frank Lloyd Wright and has created a number of organically designed homes. John was the private landowner of what is now Westcave Preserve.

John recognized that the public had a great desire to visit this very unique hill country canyon and he had the vision to partner with our life-long friends at the LCRA to create Westcave Preserve which was dedicated to the restoration and preservation of this extraordinary property.

Previous winners include:

• 2008 Dell Children’s Medical Center of Central Texas
• 2009 Selah, Bamberger Ranch Preserve
• 2010 Texas River School
• 2011 Dr. Kimberly Avila Edwards, M.D., F.A.A.P. – Medical Director of Happy Living
• Healthy Living Program at Dell Children’s Medical Center
• 2012 Explore Austin
• 2013 Austin Families in Nature - Heather Kuhlken
• 2014 Texas Buffalo Soldiers Program – Texas Parks and Wildlife Department
• 2015 Luci & Ian Family Garden at the Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center
• 2016 The Meadows Center for Water and the Environment
• 2017 Dr. Bonnie Baskin, Science Mill
• 2018 TreeFolks
• 2019 Starla Simmons, University of Texas at Austin, School of Social Work
• 2020 Earth Native Wilderness School, Dave Scott