2026 Ann Jackson Steward of the Year: Paul Rickett
watershed steward
When Paul Rickett moved to South County over 25 years ago, he knew he couldn’t live here, surrounded by water, without taking an active role in caring for the environment. Since then, Paul has led and supported major community projects - from dredging and waterway cleanups to erosion control and shoreline restoration. He is the Founder and Executive Director of the Broadwater Creek Coalition, a nonprofit advocating for clean water and shoreline restoration throughout South County. Paul has also been part of WSA since the very beginning, serving on our founding board and as our first Board Treasurer - and he’s continued to inspire us ever since.
Paul maintains the pollinator garden at Tracey’s Landing/Deale Elementary School, which many proudly claim is one of the best in the County. When the school reached out to WSA about a neglected pollinator garden, Paul stepped in and rebuilt it from the ground up. Community members shared milkweed, local gardening groups donated nearly 100 plants, and Paul continues to lovingly maintain the garden - yes, even pulling wire grass by hand.
He also took on a challenging two-year project to remove phragmites and stabilize an eroding shoreline in his community. Today, that once-struggling stretch is a healthy, stable shoreline filled with grasses, shrubs, and marsh mallow.
Paul was a key local contact in the Coastal Resiliency through Beneficial Use Project, a $4 million marsh restoration effort launching in 2026 that will restore 50 acres of marsh into bird sanctuary habitat. This past year, he has also been leading community meetings across the Deale-Shady Side Peninsula following the County’s Flood Risk Reduction Study, helping neighbors understand their options and prioritize projects. He’s worked closely with the Resilience Authority and the County to coordinate funding and resources - turning plans into action.
Paul’s passion shows up everywhere, especially at the Captain Avery Museum, where he serves on the board and helped shape a new strategic plan to grow the museum into a center for environmental education. He led major garden restorations there, planting and caring for hundreds of plants, and oversaw the construction of a new dock - one of the few public water access points in the area.
Paul’s leadership, heart, and tireless commitment have truly made him the go-to person in South County for climate resilience and environmental stewardship.