Dartmouth Natural Resources Trust honored several of its members at its 47th Annual Meeting on May 16.

During the event, DNRT President James Forbsuh presented the “Joe Frothingham Award” to Vice President Lorraine Granda. The award is given annually to a DNRT member who exemplifies Frothingham’s dedication to conservation, love of the outdoors, and pure joy in it all.

Granda’s dedication to DNRT has not wavered since joining the board in 2012. Since then, she’s overseen or participated in a number of projects, including helping DNRT become an accredited land trust, the organization’s first BioBlitz species identification day held last year at Wernick Farm, frog monitoring, Dartmouth Parks and Recreation field trips, elementary school visits to the organization’s Allen’s Mill property, its StoryWalk program, and more.

Sally Johnston received the organization’s new “Bill Pinney Conservation Leadership Award” on behalf of her late husband Malcolm Johnston. The award was named in memory of one of the original founders of DNRT and awarded to a person who has made an outstanding contribution to the conservation of Dartmouth’s natural resources.

Johnston served on DNRT’s Land Acquisition Committee for over 15 years. In the year preceding his death, Johnston was a driving force behind the protection of Ocean View Farm, helping DNRT and the Buzzards Bay Coalition raise $3 million in private donations to purchase and protect land in and around the pond.

Peter Bogle and Andy Mellgard were elected to the organization’s Board of Directors. Officers elected were James Forbush as President, Lorraine Granda as Vice-President, Gretchen Knowlton as Secretary, and Clifford “Tip” Tracy as Treasurer.

The business meeting was followed by a presentation by Dr. Jon Atwood, Director of Bird Conservation for Mass Audubon. Atwood spoke about the conservation of grassland birds in New England, including the Bobolink Project. The message tied in nicely with DNRT’s newest land acquisition of Ocean View Farm, which will be managed for grassland birds.