ANNUAL REPORTA newsletter published by the Darien Land Trust, an independent, non-profit organization

Darien Land Trust P.O. Box 1074 Darien, CT 06820 • 203.655.4148 • www.darienlandtrust.org

A Tribute To Our Supporters And VolunteersFrom Chris Filmer, President

Dear Friends and Neighbors,

My three years are up and I am writing my last letter to you as President of the Darien Land Trust (DLT). I have been a trustee for 18 years and am still filled with enthusiasm for the Mission (see box above), which your support has allowed us to accomplish.

Your generosity has enabled us to add 53 acres to our portfolio since the year 2000.

It costs approximately $140,000 a year to run the Darien Land Trust. And it takes the combined efforts of 23 volunteer trustees to be effective. These efforts include raising funds, fiscal control & compliance, taking care of over 200 acres, acquiring more land, shining our light on the community that supports us and finding new board members who will give us their best.

We are fortunate to have really talented people leading our six committees: Development, Finance, Stewardship, Land Review, Outreach & Nominating.

I hope you will attend our Annual Meeting at the Wee Burn Club on November 16 at 5:00pm and meet our team. They will include our Executive Director Shirley Nichols who coordinates everything and keeps us focused, also our “Volunteer of the year” Thad Hall and incoming President Flip Huffard.

At the meeting I will give a slide presentation, which will capture some of our past accomplishments, and future plans. I think you will enjoy seeing some familiar faces, places and events as well as some before & after shots and beautiful wild life photographs.

We will be handing over the reins to a new generation, now literate in the ways of land conservation, and I am confident that the DLT will be in good hands.

Our MissionThe DLT permanently preserves and restores open space, providing the community with environmentally rich habitats, scenic vistas, opportunities for educational experiences and the quiet enjoyment of nature.

Tiger Swallowtail in Brendan’s Meadows

Fall 2014

2 • FALL • 2014 LAND REVIEW www.darienlandtrust.org

DARIEN LAND TRUST ANNUAL REPORT

AssetsCurrent Assets:

LiAbiLities And net AssetsLiAbiLities:

net Assets:

Cash and EquivalentsInvestmentsPledges ReceivableOther Current Assets

$684,4811,006,443

—1,544

$652,015993,275

5,0001,528

Restricted CashLand & Conservation Easements

20,19424,629,634

—24,629,634

Accounts PayableAccrued Liabilities

4,39012,037

2,5967,867

UnrestrictedOther Net AssetsLand & Conservation Easements

$1,676,04120,194

24,629,634

$1,641,355—

24,629,634

Total Current Assets $1,692,468 $1,651,818

Total Assets $26,342,296 $26,281,452

Total Liabilities 16,427 10,463

Total Net Assets $26,325,869 $26,270,989

Total Liabilities and Net Assets $26,342,296 $26,281,452

2014B a l a n c e S h e e t 2013

Years ended June 30 2014 and 2013

stAtements of ACtivitiesrevenue And support:

expenses:

MembershipInvestment Income, Including Unrealized Gains (Losses) Contributions and GrantsContribution for Land Acquisition

$148,68819,11928,833

—

$135,89522,53815,373

1,950,000

Program ServicesManagement and GeneralFundraising

$112,80516,28912,666

$116,37115,83714,831

Total Revenue and Support $196,640 $2,123,806

Total Expenses $141,760 $147,039

Increase (Decrease) in Net Assets $54,880 $1,976,767

Net Assets—Beginning of Year $26,270,989 $24,294,222

Net Assets—End of Year $26,325,869 $26,270,989

2014 2013

Photo taken in Mather Meadowsby Chris Bosak, copyright 2014

FALL • 2014 LAND REVIEW • 3www.darienlandtrust.org

Darien Land Trust Donor List 2013-2014

This annual report serves to recognize and thank the donors to our 2013-2014 Annual Campaign.We have made every effort to ensure the accuracy of this list and apologize for any inadvertent errors or omissions.

GuardianKara and Bill BohnsackKaren CalbyMeredith and Whitney GeorgeShelley and Graham GoldsmithKim and Flip HuffardXimena and Raul Riveros

PreservationistKristin and Anthony NotoEileen and Tad Smith

ConservatorCathy and Donald AllmanJean and Bob BakerJoan and Ed BarksdaleDebby & Mark BlackmanMaureen and Cyrus DebooMardi and David DurkinEric FergusonSusan and Joe GarofoliJulie and David GenoveseDee and Ned GoodnowKaryn & Thad HallLisa and Peter HillmanWendy and Richard HokinSuzanne and Michael HuebschSuzie and Peter JellinekKate and Robert KeithSue McGrawMary Lou and Phil MeyerEvalyn and Stephen MilmanDale and John O’BrienLesley and John OsbornRob PerkinAmy and Joseph SarbinowskiLynette and David SnowPam and Tom SpellaneTrish and Dick StrahotaThe Country Club of Darien, Inc.Molly O’Brien WatkinsAudrey and Ken Weil

environmentalistAnne and Peter ArderyVanda and Wilder BakerLois and Bob BaylisMary and Jay BennettLaurie and Brian BesseySusie and Jim BrewerNancy and Pete BuckAudrey and Hayden CadwalladerDwight and Corinne CollinsMargot and David CongdonEmily and Ron D’AndreaSuzanne and Thomas De NunzioMary and Patrick DonaghyJanet and Robert FiskeLinda and Charlie GoodyearNancy and Stephen GrampsKim and Chuck HarperBarbara and Peter KellyHugh Knowlton

Sally and Kevin MacGuireCarlye and Mario MannaMargie and Lance MinorErin and Bob NoonanThe O’Herron Family FoundationJane and David OttMissy and Mark RadinKaye RamsdenAdrienne and Willson RoppSarah and John SchmidtStephanie and Jim SeaborgAnne and Alan ShawGene and Tracy SykesKaren and Gary TapellaTresa and Daniel ToscanoMerrill and Richard van den BroekCraig and Julie WhitingCarolyn and Peter Wilson

ProteCtorKaysie and Murat AkgunMargaret and Robert ArrixDarien Rowayton BankSusan and Hugh BallochSusan BenedictKatie and Todd BoehlyHannah and John BurgeDarcy BurgundSandra and Doug CampbellLinda and Tom CarruthersMr. & Mrs. Michael CattanoAmy and John CholnokyTheresa and Ed CosdenBeth and Blair CrumpSuzanne and Tom DeBowSally and Joe DixonMarjorie and Ian DuncanPam and David DysenchukPamela and Frank FarleySandy and Chris FilmerLynne and Mark FlorianRobert FlynnCathy and Frank GallagherPenny and Ed GlassmeyerCarol and Ward GlassmeyerGretchen and Gene GrisantiLynn and Jim HaffnerWhit and Roby HarringtonMartha and Tom HayneSusan and Bill HelmanMarne and Ray HodilHolly and Gordon HoughNancy Glanville JewellBetty and Kirk JewettDeborah and Keith KearneyDot KellyElizabeth and Michael KleinAnnette and Doug KlineDebbie and Ken LangKathy and John LaverySusan and Peter LawrenceJackie and Robert LeonardLeslie and Basil Lyden

Ann MandelCaroline and David MarrenCarol MattonAli and Doug MilneGwen and Harvey MogensonDavid and Erika MorrisKatharine and Kenneth MountcastleSophie and Tom MurphyKristen and Dean NelsonEileen and Scott OakfordCourtney and Woody OldrinSue and Jim OzanneLynn and George ReillyRichard RileyMary and Bill RooneyTibby and Frank RosenberryDeepika and Sunil SaksenaDiane and Leo SchlinkertGeorgia and Ed SchmidtSusan and Mark ScottSarah and Ted SeelyeLisa ShanahanWynne & Robert ShapiroBetsy and Sean ShayKathy and Dennis SheaStuart SmithDonna and Robert SmolensHope and Paul SpillaneTrish and Woody SpurgeonChristie and Rick StoneAnne and Carter SullivanAnnmarie and Frank TaylorLee and Paul TregurthaDana and Tom UngerlandTricia and Mark VanacoreAlison and James von KlempererKathy and Kevin WalshJoan WardDiane and Robert WeeksLois and Greg WillisRose and James WolfeTerrie and Jay WoodSusan and George Wyper

stewardStephen & Chris AlliegroBillie and Peter AnkerAlice and Sherman BaldwinSally and Bill BanksTrish and Dave BartonNancy and Bill BatteyGaily and John BeineckeLois and Dick BerryBob and Stacey BewkesSusan BhirudKaren and Greg BirskyKathy and Nick BlackmanJean and Richard BollmanDulcy and Spencer BrainardElizabeth BramwellJane and John BraniganAlison and Rod BrushMarian and George Castell

Ruth CheswickRoberta and Ed ClarkeDebbie and John ColonPatti and Jeff ConciatoriBarbara and Mike ConradDick ConstableAlice and Daniel CooneySandy and John CootsLynn CordnerBrenda and Jim CraneRuth and Ian CroweCindy and Jim CuminaleNancy DaukMaryAnn and Sam DaviesPolly DavisCarmen and Mark DeAngelisStephanie and John DeVitaSandra and Charles DrimalMargaret and Tom DunnMartha and Bill DurkinDawn and Pat EdgarThyra ElliottCharlotte and Duke FeltLinda and Craig FergusonAndrew and Katrina FirlikFirst Congregational Nursery SchoolWendy and Stan ForknerJennifer and Graham FosterAmy and John FraserMarigrace FullerDorris and Max GahwylerGarden Club of DarienBetty GardnerCharley GayKiersten and Francis GehringMary and Bill GencoJosephine GillJane and Shedd GlassmeyerCynthia and Steve GoreyNancy and Stephen GrampsCarolyn and Chris HalabiLisa and John HaasDeirdre and Ed HoganJoan HopkinsPam and Andy HuberMichelle and Jeffery HudsonReese HutchisonLaura IngrahamLaura and Ethan JamesMinine and Bib JohnstonJane KelloggLynn and Dennis KellyDiane and Thomas KenneallyKathy and Pete KenyonCourtney and George KhouryPaul KunzKate and Steve LarsonLawrence Funeral HomeCate and Bill LeachTara and Real LeclercKelly and Greg LeskoRick LittlefieldKaren and Tim Macdonald

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Darien Land Trust Donor List 2013-2014

Rosemary and David MaceSarah MadsonChris and Ed MalleyBrandi and Anthony ManiscalcoRita MarberBeth MarrenMelanie and Thomas McGladeLaurie and Tom McGrathAnn and Gordon McKeeWendy and Roger MegrozJoan and Bob MeyjesKathleen and James MillardElinor and Scott MillerScott and Kristine MillerBarry and Jim MoltzLois and Wid MooreSusan and Lee MorrisonChristine MunroCaroline and Tony MurrayGretchen and John NeffShirley and Carl NicholsKim NightingaleJanet and Tom O’ConnorKimberly and Jim O’HoppeSue OkieJanet and Jonathan OlmstedSusan and Bruce OrrMaria and Bill OrrPatty PalmerJune PennPeggy and Brian PeoplesSuzanne and John QuaGeorge RatcliffeJane and Steve RenaudJennifer and Pat RobinsonNan and Ed RondepierreCindy and John RyanCarolyn and Sam SchoonmakerMr. Jeffrey K. ScofieldVicki Secrest

Lynn and John SheppardAileen and Dan SkoldsHester and Ben SmithSarah and Bill SmithJeffrey SmithJan and Peter SmithLinda and Philip SmithBarbara and Bill SoudersCathleen and Chris StackWhitney and Lorin StearnsJayme and John StevensonLeslie SuttonJayne SuttonJanet and Tom TaylorMeg and Jim TweedyBarbara and Stuart UpsonMichelle and John Van Der KieftMr. & Mrs. Dieter WachterBarry WallachJane and William WatersKim and Jeff WestcottCarlotta and Wendell WillkieLynne and Hank WilsonTracy and Patrick WindToni WorthLucia and Matt Zachowski

naturalistJulie & Gibertl AlexandreSharon and Bill BairdJimmy BakerMs. Robin BakerEric and Liz BenedictLorene and Douglas BoraChris BosakBarbara BurmesterSusan CameronPeter CarnesSusan and Brian CurryJennifer Dolan

Pam and Fred ElliottUrsula and Charles FormanDeborah and Jack GaultJane and Shedd GlassmeyerHanneke and Wouter GoedkoopSara GoertelDebra and James GollLynne GrayGoody and Bob GrayDr. & Mrs. William L. GreenOlga and Tom HaackMonique and Wayne HartunianPinky and Kent HaydockRon HeinbaughNoelle and Doug HendersonNancy and Dave HerbertCindy and Bob HoganBarbara HoughAnne and Frank HuckCarole and Paul JohnsonKim and Gil KernanJudith KilmartinRebecca and Robert KlingGil LeffertsAngela and Jamie LinebergerApril LyonLiz and Keith MackieCarrie and Frank MaturoGebby and Sandy McDonaldNina and Dave MillerTina and Larry MorrisEnid and Stephen OresmanAlice Mae OrrBetty and Bob PascalGraham PowellLucy and Toby RankinJanet and Bruce SargentSally and John SchlachtenhaufenJay Shutts

Mary Ellen and Donn SmithNancy and John StoetzerJoan and Mark StreeterCaroline and Bill TauficThe Middlesex Club, Inc.Harriette ThorneCiara and Mike ThurlowGwynne and Alfred TibbettsDeborah and William TraversCordelia UrsoneSherry and Douglas Van HorneEileen and Bill Van LoanJames WeinstockNancy and Bill WinshipThomas ZoubekEllen and Lee Zuckerman

FriendSue and Roy AndersonJulie and Chris BlackmanGeorgie and Don BrownMs. Josephine A. GleesonMolly GoodyearKimberly GreeneJeanine and James JohnsenEvelyn JonesBarbara and William LatimerWilliam MasonAnn PenroseCheryl PetersAntonia and Edward ShergalisRodger SmithMartha and Jan Van NieropSuzanne and Dick WilseyMolly and Mike WolterJulia and Chris BlackmanDavid RabinHannah Rabin

The Attkiss familyJane and John BraniganMatt BuchsbaumMrs. R.W. BurmesterStephen CanJoan CaridiMichael CaseyThe Cetrulo FamilyIrene and Larry CollinsonDiane and Bob ConologueGerard CostelloPam and David DysenchukTracy and Ron EterginoDebra and James GollChristine and Michael GordonRobin and Darrell HarveyMr. and Mrs. Gates HawnMs. Helshi HewsonPam and Andy Huber

Missy and Harvey JabaraJudith KilmartinAndrea KuttnerCarolyn and Ed KyritzLincoln LymanMichelle and Michael MauboussinTonya and Charles McKinneyShelley & Fred MolineuxKarlheinz MuhrJanet and John PageHallett ParisiSerena and Robert PerlmanCarol and Steve RaeberMr. and Mrs. Todd RakerShirley SandersVicki SecrestMs. Susan ShehanRyan SmithStacey Soto

Andrea TolchinskyLaurie ValandraTara and Mike VesselsLynne and Hank WilsonTerrie and Jay WoodMr. and Mrs. James A. Woods

in memory oF larry & Betty ann morrisWendy and Ned BrokawTina and Larry Morris

in memory oF Peter niGhtinGaleSally Nightingale

in memory oF roselyne deviry FrelinGhuysen Patti and Jeff Conciatori

Memorial Gifts Honorary Gifts

in memory oF dale millerin honor oF Karen CalByLisa and Peter Thoren

in honor oF Kaye ramsdenKimberly Greene

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DARIEN LAND TRUST ANNUAL REPORT

At the Darien Land Trust we consider it a privilege to be stewards of our open spaces. Beyond our working Board of 23 Trustees and an Executive Director, achieving our mission each year requires that we rely on many other volunteers whose contributions go largely unsung. So, it is our great pleasure to thank some of them here.

This year we escaped the ravages of a major storm, though our properties bore the natural wear and tear of multiple deep snowfalls. When spring arrived we began the cleanup process to make the trails safe and navigable on our open access properties. For this, many of our volunteers joined in with the Friends of Selleck’s Woods at Dunlap/Selleck’s Woods. To name just a few, Kevin Papuga combed the woods twice a week to clean up litter and debris. Barnaby Taylor and Gill Kernan regularly lent their skillful hands to maintenance projects, like the deer fences we installed to protect native plants. And Eddie Drach generously made all the beautiful signs that guide visitors along the paths.

Our Outreach Committee was especially busy this year creating projects that enlightened and educated our community. We hosted two movies at the Darien Library and co-sponsored a lecture with the Tree Conservancy of Darien. We also held our second Celebration of the Woods in Dunlap/Selleck’s Woods, the success of which owed much to Nina Miller who once again built Fairy Houses, Bill van Loan who

manned the butterfly garden, and Larry Flynn who headed up the bird exhibit.

We are fortunate to have attentive and involved neighbors who, as always, kept a careful watch on our open spaces throughout the year. Kim O’Keefe, one such neighbor, went above and beyond at our Olson Woods preserve. Whether it was a special clean-up day, watering new plantings or pitching in on our neighborhood family night with S’mores and a flashlight hike, Kim was always there to help.

We must mention, too, our many local businesses that supported our fundraising and awareness efforts. Special thanks go out to Nielsen’s Florist who once again hosted a St Patrick’s Day party and Leary’s Liquor Cabinet who provided beverages.

Without the ongoing and generous help from our volunteers—the unsung heroes of the Darien Land Trust—we would be unable to achieve our mission year on year.

Unsung Heroes

Den Frelinghuysen working hard in the woods with a chainsaw.

Arick Barsch and his amphibians at the Celebration of the Woods Family Day.

6 • FALL • 2014 LAND REVIEW www.darienlandtrust.org

P.O. Box 1074Darien, CT 06820203.655.4148www.darienlandtrust.org

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PERMIT 2033

Open Space in Darien – Reflections and Moving Forward

PresidentChris Filmer

Vice-PresidentFlip Huffard

TreasurerBill Bohnsack

SecretaryThad Hall

MembershipKaren Calby

Board of TrusteesRobert Arrix

Joan BarksdaleChris Bosak

Hannah BurgeRon D’Andrea

Polly DavisLinda Ferguson

Den FrelinghuysenCharles GoodyearPeter N. Hillman

Katie KeithDot Kelly

Erika MorrisPhil Meyer

Kaye RamsdenAmy Sarbinowski

Eileen SmithTom Spellane

Executive DirectorShirley R. Nichols

Please join us for our Annual Meeting at 5pm on Sunday, November 16th at the Wee Burn Country Club.

This year we will be saying farewell to four valued Trustees: Ron D’Andrea, Gordon Hough, Kaye Ramsden, and Eileen Smith who have all contributed their time and energy to the Town’s open spaces. Prior to the presentation, the election of officers and the nomimation of new Trustees, Andy Cavanna, Tony Murray and Elizabeth Svedlund will take place.

The annual meeting is open to all and we hope everyone will join us again this year to receive the reflections of Chris Filmer on his time as DLT President and our mission going forward. DLT President Chris Filmer will be passing the torch to Vice

President Flip Huffard.

JOIN US FOR THE ANNUAL MEETING

IN THIS ISSUE: Annual Report, Unsung Heroes, Annual Meeting and more!

Fall 2014