SVT members and friends gathered at the Framingham Village Hall on Wednesday, September 25, for our 2024 Annual Meeting, where we honored several outstanding conservationists and elected two new board members.
SVT staff also shared the good news that we have reached an impressive milestone: On September 12, SVT finalized a conservation restriction on Eastern Greenway-North in Harvard, marking the 100th conservation restriction in our 71-year history!
With a unanimous vote of approval, SVT members welcomed Loring LaBarbera Schwarz and Harry Newell to our Board of Directors.
Loring is well-known in the Massachusetts conservation community, where her career has included stops at Mass Audubon and The Nature Conservancy (25 years). She has served in advisory or Board positions for numerous organizations, including the Massachusetts Land Trust Coalition and the Native Plant Trust. She is also co-chair of the Mass Conservation Advisory Council.
Harry is a retired software engineer whose career included a 30-year stint at a firm that provides GIS (geographic information systems) software. He has served as a conservation commissioner for the Town of Ashby and as a member of the Westborough Open Space Committee, and he was a founding member of the Westborough Community Land Trust. Harry volunteers for numerous conservation organizations, including SVT where he is a Weed Warrior and a member of our Stewardship Committee.
SVT also offered thanks to two retiring board members, Greg Peterson and Colin Anderson. Former Executive Director Ron McAdow took to the podium to pay special tribute to Colin, who is retiring after serving for 20 years.
One highlight of every SVT Annual Meeting is the presentation of our Conservation Awards, which recognize outstanding volunteers and public servants who demonstrate a dedication to conservation in Massachusetts.
Jonathan Lam was named the 2024 Youth Steward for his work as an intern in our Stewardship department. While a senior at Lincoln-Sudbury Regional High School, Jonathan volunteered to assist with our annual property inspections. After taking a few weeks to learn the proper procedures, Jonathan conducted 16 inspection visits, easing the workload for our full-time staff.
The 2024 Steward of the Land is Dan Clawson, who has been volunteering with our Stewardship team since 2021. As a Preserve Steward a Memorial Forest in Sudbury, Dan trims trails, repairs bridges, advises Scouts on their projects, and prepares for habitat-restoration projects. He also helps on trail-building days at other SVT conservation areas, where his knack for carpentry comes in handy when we need bridges and kiosks.
Stephen Williamson received the 2024 Morgan Volunteer of the Year Award for his dedicated service to SVT. A volunteer for the past 3 years, Steve show up every Thursday morning, always ready to dive into that week’s project: burning brush, maintaining power equipment, installing 400 feet of irrigation pipe, moving 40 yards of bark chips, or preparing dozens of trees for transplanting. As the prior owner of a telecommunications company, Steve also advises about electrical and communications issues, and he has been instrumental in helping to keep everything running smoothly at Wolbach.
Liz Markiewicz of Boxborough was honored with the 2024 Lewis Conservation Award, for her commitment to conservation in the SVT region and for encouraging others to protect the environment. For more than 20 years, Liz has been either a member or an associate member of the Boxborough Conservation Commission, and she has coordinated the Commission’s land stewardship program. She recruits stewards, schedules trail work parties, and involves community groups in the stewardship efforts.
She also convinced the Town to manage its fields for bobolinks by delaying mowing each year to allow for the young to successfully fledge. And as a member of the Boxborough Bird Club, Liz organizes and leads walks, helping to educate about the wonders and important habitats for birds.
The recipient of the 2024 Distinguished Public Service Award is Lori Capone, Conservation Coordinator for the Town of Sudbury. A committed conservationist who strives to protect wetlands and water quality, improve wildlife habitats, and preserve special places for future generations, Lori has served in both state and local government positions during her 25-year career.
After stints at the Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection and the towns of Tyngsboro, Ashburnham, and Concord, Lori arrived in Sudbury as two significant projects, the Bruce Freeman Rail Trail and the Eversource Underground Transmission Line in the Desert Natural Area, were coming up for permitting. With her leadership and administrative skills, Lori worked with numerous parties to protect the valuable wetland resources located within the project corridors.
Finally, SVT presented the Lifetime Achievement Award posthumously to Whit Beals of Westborough who passed away in 2023. A former SVT employee and a long-time volunteer, Whit was an icon in the world of Massachusetts conservation. Throughout his lengthy career, he also worked with the Connecticut DEP, the Nature Conservancy, the Town of Wayland, and the New England Forestry Foundation. He also served on the Southborough Open Land Foundation and on the board of the Massachusetts Land Trust Coalition as well as on other statewide and regional conservation committees.
In honor of Whit, SVT has planted an American Basswood tree at Wolbach Farm, with a plaque that reads, “Massachusetts' natural spaces owe much to Whit's legacy. His good humor, fun stories, and sage advice were appreciated by all.”
SVT is proud to honor these dedicated volunteers and public officials, whose efforts are essential to the protection of natural areas in Massachusetts.
After the award presentations, Laura Mattei, SVT Director of Conservation, recapped SVT's work from the past year and explained how we are laying the groundwork for many exciting new land protection projects.
Guest Speaker Dr. Lawrence McKenna, Associate Professor at Framingham State University, capped off the evening with a discussion of how attitudes toward conservation have changed over the last 200 years.