Turning Grief into Environmental Stewardship

Our Mother’s Stewards Honors a Mother and the Environment

Our Mother’s Stewards began in the spring of 2019 as a community beach cleanup created to honor a mother, celebrate volunteerism, and bring people together around a shared commitment to protecting the environment. The organization was founded in memory of Dawn C. Stewart-Holder, who passed away on May 9, 2011, just one day after Mother’s Day that year.

In 2019, the founder sought a meaningful way to honor her mother’s life and legacy while channeling grief into something positive. The result was a community beach cleanup that combined environmental stewardship with opportunities for local businesses and organizations to connect with the community.

The name Our Mother’s Stewards reflects several of the organization’s core values. It honors the founder’s mother, whose Scottish maiden name, Stewart, carries the Gaelic meaning associated with “steward.” It also recognizes and celebrates mothers broadly—including Mother Earth, whose natural environments and ecosystems are central to the organization’s mission.

This commitment to environmental stewardship closely aligns with the mission of Surfing’s Evolution & Preservation Foundation, and we were proud to support Our Mother’s Stewards through a grant for its 2026 events. What began as a single community cleanup has since grown into a nonprofit organization dedicated to environmental stewardship and community engagement.

The organization’s commitment to environmental stewardship has also been recognized locally. In 2025, Our Mother’s Stewards received the St. Augustine Beach Environmental Stewardship Organization Award, recognizing its contributions to the community and local environment.

Today, Our Mother’s Stewards continues to build on the idea that inspired its founding: that honoring the people and places we love can be an active practice. Through volunteerism, environmental cleanups, community partnerships, and education, the organization is turning one family’s experience with loss into an ongoing commitment to caring for the places we all call home.

Read more about the organization in this article by VoyageJacksonville or visit their website at https://www.ourmothersstewards.org.

Images courtesy of Chelsea Kiesewetter, Wayne Fusco, Meghan A. Holder from VoyaagerJacksonville.com