Despite a rainy, chilly Saturday, just over 100 Boothbay Region Land Trust (BRLT) members came out to Spruce Point Inn for the 34th annual meeting brunch. The meeting is not only a time to bid adieu to our retiring board members and welcome the new, but to look back at BRLT accomplishments.

The meeting began with a presentation by Robert Mitchell, sharing his archived pictures of the Boothbay region and its inhabitants. Local photographers Frank Johnson, Cheryl Lorrain and Leon Vanella also contributed to a slideshow with their own beautiful pictures of BRLT preserves. The photographs were a reminder to attendees of what pictures can do for conservation, and what conservation can do for photography.

The business portion moved on to look back on the success of the past year by first celebrating the great work of the many volunteers that keep Boothbay Region Land Trust afloat. Completion of the final accreditation application and the success of the stewardship campaign can be credited to many of those volunteers. The stewardship campaign will continue until the end of the year in order to meet the campaign goal. The accreditation application is expected to be approved by spring of 2015.

The newly acquired Cross River Preserve was also highlighted as a great achievement in 2014, a project that includes collaboration with the town of Boothbay and adds another working waterfront site to BRLT’s managed properties.

The meeting then focused on the board slate with outgoing president Jim Dun thanking board members Joe Gelarden and Merry Knowlton for their many years of service on the board, each acting as secretary for multiple years. Several community members were added to the board roster: Cathy Conn, horticulturalist and landscape designer; Lauren Harkins, teacher at Boothbay Region High School; Maria Jenness stewardship manager at Maine Island Trail Association; Hal Moorefield, retired lawyer from Florida; Ron Ross, retired VP of development from Drew University; and Jonathan Tindal, sales agent of Tindal & Callahan Real Estate.

Outgoing president Jim Dun, who will continue on the board for one more year, named nominees for officers for the following year: Jack Fulmer assumed the presidency, Nancy Adams as vice president, Ham Meserve continuing as treasurer and Linda Burley as secretary. The meeting was adjourn by new president Jack Fulmer.