With a crowd of 350 people, the Dartmouth Natural Resources Trust celebrated 45 years of protecting Dartmouth wetlands, wildlife, and forests on June 25.

DNRT set up a tent and table at Buzzards Bay Brewing, located at 98 Horseneck Road in Westport, to hand out information and maps, alongside selling memberships and T-shirts.

“We thought it was a good spot for it,” said DNRT Executive Director Dexter Mead. “They regularly have events on the weekend. In addition to encouraging [DNRT] members to this event, we were hoping to have a younger crowd be aware of DNRT.”

The strategy worked. DNRT signed on 10 new members with a $5-discounted price (memberships normally cost $25), but Mead said that wasn’t the main point of the celebration.

“It really wasn’t a fundraiser, just a fun party. It was a great place to have it, and it was a beautiful day,” he said.

Per usual, the brewery supplied four of their craft beers, along with Fancheezical Food Truck—a mobile vendor with a focus on grilled cheese—and music.

Both CarSon—an acoustic duo from Westport—and The Oh Nos! performed at the event. The Oh Nos! had a DNRT connection though, said Mead.

DNRT board member Nate Rego is husband of The Oh Nos! bass player, Shelley Rego, said Mead. “Both bands were great. It was just a fun afternoon,” he said.

DNRT had met with brewery staff over the winter to start planning the event, but it didn’t take too long to put together, said Mead.

“One of the problems we often have with hosting events at our properties is parking,” said Mead. “This was nice because we didn’t have to worry about that. It made sense.”

Mead said his favorite drink of the day was titled The Moby D, a beer made with three different caramel malts and bittering hops.

The event was free and open to the public, although food and beverages were purchased separately.

DNRT is currently working on a partnership with the Buzzards Bay Coalition to protect the approximately 115-acre Ocean View Farm on Allens Pond. "We need to raise approximately $9 million by October 2017," said Mead.

DNRT has helped permanently protect more than 5,000 acres of farmland, forests, and scenic landscapes in Dartmouth. DNRT currently owns more than 1,500 acres of conservation land on over 50 reserves—including their newest reserve, Wernick Farm—and maintains more than 35 miles of hiking trails.