Hello Nadia,

The rain and dark days are here again and besides battening down the hatches at Freshwater Farms Reserve, we are also closing in on the end of big year. With a small team for much of 2024, we continued to make progress on some really exciting conservation easement projects (I can't wait for you to read about them in our upcoming newsletter, coming soon!).

But even with a staff of three, you made sure we were never doing this work alone. Thank you for coming out to events, volunteering at Freshwater Farms Reserve, and generously supporting conservation with your time, money, and other contributions.

We are excited to be staffed up again, with the addition of Project Managers Connor and Lily earlier this fall, and our newest team member, Riley Martel-Phillips, who started just last week. Riley is returning home to Arcata after earning a degree in Economics and Environmental Studies at UC Santa Cruz. She is excited to collaborate with the local community on conservation efforts as our new Administration & Community Engagement Manager.

Learn more about her and the rest of our team here.

This year's Boots & Birkenstocks Annual Celebration at the Fortuna River Lodge on October 12th solidified once again that our community comes together for conservation (find yourself or other NRLT supporters in photos from the event here).

I am proud to be part of an organization that intentionally includes people from different backgrounds and ideologies to work together towards a sustainable future for our land and communities. Amidst politically polarizing times, it is wonderful to come together as neighbors in celebration of our shared values: a deep care for the lands that sustain us.

I hope you'll continue to celebrate with us at this year's NRLT Open Office Holiday Party, coming up on Friday, December 13th. Our door is open to everyone as we head into our 25th year of conserving wild and working lands in Northwestern California together. Appetizers and refreshments will be provided, you bring the merriment!

No matter where you are this season, we hope you are staying warm and dry. Thank you for being part of this special community of people who care for our region's remarkable landscapes that are as unique as each one of us. I'm grateful to have your perspectives and support in this conservation work.

Warmly,

Nadia Van Lynn

Outreach and Development Manager

Northcoast Regional Land Trust

n.vanlynn@ncrlt.org