(Story and photos by Dyanna Smith)
Our Annual Meeting this past weekend was full of sunshine, members and supporters, outdoor adventures, and Monarchs! We began the day with a thank you breakfast in honor of our amazing volunteers. Congratulations to the following recipients of the Golden Binocular Award for outstanding volunteer service, pictured below: (top, left to right) Bob Hamm, Jon Woolf, Sandra Bowles, Ellen Nunes, Tabor Browder; (front, left to right) David Saxe (presented posthumously to his partner Barbara Benton), Marsha Richelli, Karen Roy (not present were Anne Forsyth, Kathryn Frieden, Paul Hasenfuss, and Brenda Sens).
The day then shifted into guided explorations of the pollinator meadow, gardens, and woodland trails, plus an indoor option to learn nature photography techniques. (See the website for full descriptions of the morning workshops and leaders.) In an unexpected bonus during lunch, attendees had a close-up look at the Motus research team tagging Monarch butterflies in the garden courtyard.
The day included a panel discussion on climate change where NH Audubon biologists shared the effects of climate on their research subjects, ending with an in-depth look at climate change by Toni Lyn Morelli, our keynote speaker. (Video links to be posted soon.) Attendees and members were also presented with details of NH Audubon’s successes over the years by President, Doug Bechtel, and Board Chair, Tom Lee.
Congratulations to our Annual Award winners! Follow the links below for a full description of their awards and honors:
Tudor Richards Award (left): Sarah Thorne
Goodhue-Elkins Award (middle): Rob Woodward
John Thalheimer Volunteer Award (right): Wendy Chatel
Thank you to everyone who attended, adding to our wonderful day together, and special thanks to our activity leaders, climate change panel, moderator Julia Furukawa, keynote speaker Toni Lyn Morelli, and our sponsor, Normandeau Associates.
For those who missed it, stay tuned to future posts for links to video of the awards ceremony, panel, and keynote.