Land trust honors Russell family for conservation efforts

Non-profit land trust Dartmouth Natural Resources Trust honored the family of local conservationist Angelica Lloyd Russell at its 48th annual meeting on May 15 at Friends Academy.

Russell’s children — Peter Macdonald, Lloyd Macdonald, Kissy Russell, Dedee Shattuck and Vickie Cunningham — were given this year’s Bill Pinney Conservation Leadership Award in appreciation of the family’s many years of outstanding support for land conservation and as a tribute to Angelica, who passed away in 2003.

Named after one of the DNRT founders, the award was established in 2017 to honor those who have made an outstanding contribution to the conservation of Dartmouth’s natural resources. 

The Russell family has a long history of conservation support in the area.

In 1934 Angelica’s father bought Barney’s Joy to prevent the development of a large beachfront amusement park.

Nearly twenty years later, in 1953 Angelica, her mother, and her sister gave 220 acres — now Demarest Lloyd State Park — to the State of Massachusetts.  

The family eventually helped protect 243 acres at Barney’s Joy with a conservation restriction.

Angelica also helped Mass Audubon preserve hundreds of acres of land around Allens Pond as well as helping DNRT and The Trustees of Reservations create the Slocum’s River Reserve. 

In presenting the award DNRT Executive Director Dexter Mead said, “Peter, Lloyd, Kissy, Dedee, and Vickie all share Angelica’s love of nature, love of the Dartmouth landscape, and determination to protect it...Their involvement as active fundraisers was invaluable for the two largest campaigns in DNRT history: the $8 million Slocum’s River Conservation Project from 1998-2001 and the $9 million Allens Pond Completion Campaign in 2016-17.” 

Lloyd Macdonald and Dedee Shattuck were present to accept the award. 

At the same meeting DNRT President James Forbush also presented the Joe Frothingham Award to DNRT Board Member and volunteer Tom Matthews. 

Trust members also elected three new members to its Board of Directors: Lee MacGregor, Steven Shuster, and Marge Waite.

Officers elected were Lorraine Granda as President, Andy Mellgard as Vice-President, Gretchen Knowlton as Secretary, and Clifford “Tip” Tracy as Treasurer. Tim Mahoney renewed a second 3-year term. 

The business meeting was followed by a presentation by Larry Dapsis, Deer Tick Project Coordinator and Entomologist with Cape Cod Cooperative Extension.

Dapsis spoke of the prevalence of deer ticks and tick-borne diseases in New England, as well as preventative methods for dealing with ticks.