There is a lot work that goes into the business of being a Land Trust, and Sam knows this all too well. As we navigated the accreditation renewal process during the past two years, Sam volunteered nearly every week, and in some weeks worked as much as staff, helping to get our paperwork in order, hunting down missing or ambiguous information, writing and revising drafts. He also threw his proverbial hand up when we needed help to plant shrub and tree saplings before winter arrived. For just about any random task that Kristina or Jim needed help with, Sam stepped up and handled with professionalism, curiosity, and always with an abundance of cheerfulness.

Sam got involved in this volunteer work because he is interested in a career in environmental law, and nothing we have thrown at him yet – and believe me, it’s been a lot – has shaken him from continuing to show up to help and to learn. I’m particularly excited that we are bestowing this honor upon a young person who has taken an interest in so many diverse and frankly unglamorous inner workings of our organization because, as we look around the room, and increasingly as I look in the mirror, it’s unlikely that most of us will be celebrating the Lyme Land Trust’s 120th anniversary. But Sam might, and this fills me with optimistic that the Lyme Land Trust’s next 60 years are going to be more successful than the first. No pressure, Sam! Congratulations and thank you.