Dr. John Aber speaking to our Annual Meeting crowd.

Moose Mountains Regional Greenways’ latest annual meeting occurred on September 11, 2022 at the beautiful Camp Sentinel in Tuftonboro, NH. This was a chance for friends and supporters to gather together in celebration of our communities, our recent conservation successes, and the picturesque rural landscapes that make our region truly special. 

Dr. John Aber was our featured speaker this year – Dr. Aber has a long and storied career in academia, focusing on the many ecosystem benefits of established woodlands and how climate change affects our forests. Currently, Dr. Aber is a retired University Professor Emeritus at the University of New Hampshire, and he also publishes online popular science articles about weather and climate. 

Executive Director Jillian Eldredge offered remarks at the annual meeting in appreciation of our many volunteers and supporters, without whom our work would not be possible. This includes our ever-dedicated Board of Directors and the committees that define and hone our strategies. Our newest staff members, Veronica Bodge and Astrid Wielens, were also introduced to members at the meeting. We remain extremely grateful for every person who lifts up our work! 

We were thrilled to present two awards at the event. The first is our Volunteer of the Year award, which was given to the very deserving Cindy Barstow. Cindy has been a long-time volunteer with MMRG, particularly as a land steward of the Split Rock Conservation Easement and the Snow Family Conservation Easement. Her diligent work monitoring our properties has allowed us to uphold our easement monitoring responsibilities – fulfilling one of our most important duties as a land trust. Thank you, Cindy!

Conservationist of the Year was accepted by Jared Kane and Cynthia Wyatt, representing the Carl Siemon Family Charitable Trust.

Our second award, Conservationist of the Year, was awarded to the Carl Siemon Family Charitable Trust. The Board of Directors decided to award the Trust in recognition of their incredible partnership as we navigated some unexpected changes to one of our most anticipated projects, the Teneriffe Mountain Forest. The Trust is as committed to land conservation as we are, and we are extremely grateful for their support. MMRG looks forward to completing the final purchase early next year and continuing with our plans for the Teneriffe Mountain Forest with both of our partners, the Carl Siemon Family Charitable Trust and the Southeast Land Trust of NH.

We ended the evening on a high note – after our awards ceremony, participants were welcomed to a delicious barbecue dinner. We especially thank Bill Stockman for the gift of his famous corn and the Camp Sentinel team for their work in providing us such a beautiful evening of celebration. This was a perfect time to celebrate and connect with each other. As the end of the year approaches, we are pleased with all of our shared progress this year towards our mission and are already looking forward to planning for a fruitful 2023.