Naftali Moed, an Oceana High School student, won a regional award for his role in creating a community garden behind the school.

Cox Enterprises, a media company, along with the Trust for Public Land, declared Moed a Cox Conserves Hero and awarded him $5,000 to donate to the organization of his choice after he took the idea of a garden to be shared by all Oceana students and turned it into a reality complete with chickens, vegetables and a gazebo. Soon, there may even be goats.

"Naftali had a vision for an organic vegetable garden to teach fellow high school students about the value of organic gardening and sustainable agriculture," reads the Cox Enterprises website in the company's appraisal of Moed. "Under his leadership, the vision has become a reality with 10 garden beds, a chicken house and an outdoor classroom space. The garden is a living lab for science classes and a source of food for the nutrition classes."

For more of the story, watch the video in the gallery to the right.

Moed was selected out of many potentials in the Bay Area, and chose a place close to many Pacfica students to donate the award money: Pie Ranch in Pescadero, where many have gone on school field trips.

Contest winners were chosen based partially on Cox's criteria and partially through a vote of the public.

"Thank you to the many of you who voted and passed along the info for more people to vote for Naftali Moed from Oceana," said Lynn Adams, Pacifica environmental leader and president of the Pacifica Beach Coalition.