The public is invited to attend the annual meeting and membership celebration of the Kennebec Estuary Land Trust (KELT) on Thursday, April 6 at 5:30 p.m. at the Maine Maritime Museum in Bath. Join the land trust's board of directors, members, and friends as we celebrate the land trust's annual progress. After the business meeting, join us to explore how KELT and our Midcoast Maine partners in the 12 Rivers Initiative are collaborating to include climate change impacts in future conservation.

This occasion is an excellent opportunity to learn more about the land trust's work and get an update on the lands conserved in 2016. A social gathering for members will include tasty appetizers and a wine and beer tasting by Now You're Cooking and Mariner Beverages.

The presentation will highlight KELT's work with a partnership of seven other land trusts, called the 12 Rivers Initiative, to identify how we can carry out conservation in a way that is meaningful in the face of a changing climate. New resilience information and how KELT and regional partners are using it will be shared. Anna Fiedler, director of land conservation at Midcoast Conservancy, has been coordinating the 12 Rivers resilience planning; she will share the steps that the 12 Rivers partnership has taken to build a regional effort that incorporates and supports conservation for climate resilience. Ruth Indrick, project coordinator at KELT, will identify what makes land resilient, what areas in KELT’s region show the highest resilience, and how KELT will incorporate climate change resilience into our conservation planning.

RSVP by calling 442-8400, emailing bkolak@kennebecestuary.org, or register online at www.kennebecestuary.org/annual-meeting-2017. The Maine Maritime Museum is located at 243 Washington Street. Special thanks to the Merrymeeting Bay Trust, The Nature Conservancy, and Bath Savings Trust Company for sponsoring this event.