Orange County Land Trust to Honor Elmire Conklin and John and Mary Yrizarry at Annual Dinner and Fundraiser
U.S. Congressman Maurice Hinchey the Scheduled Speaker
Orange County, NY —
May 23, 2007
The Orange County Land Trust will honor longtime land preservation advocates Elmire Conklin of Warwick and John and Mary Yrizarry of Tuxedo at its Annual Dinner and Fundraiser to be held Friday, June 8 at the Inn in Central Valley.
Each year the Orange County Land Trust Board of Directors chooses to honor an individual or organization that has displayed an unparalleled commitment to the preservation and conservation of land in Orange County. As one of the Land Trust's founding board members, Elmire Conklin has been a passionate advocate for conservation and environmentalism. She is a past president of the Orange County Citizens Foundation and is credited with organizing its Environmental Heritage Committee. Elmire was also a founding member of Orange Environment and was instrumental in leading the fight against the County's proposed sale of Glenmere Lake Reservoir.
John and Mary Yrizarry of Tuxedo have long advocated for the preservation of open space and are a leading force in land preservation efforts in Orange County. John, the naturalist and wildlife artist, has educated many people to the abundant natural diversity in Orange County, inspiring many through his nature surveys and guided walks. Mary has taken a leadership role in preserving Sterling Forest through the Sterling Forest Partnership. She serves on the Orange County Land Trust Board of Directors and is active in its fundraising and outreach efforts.
Congressman Maurice Hinchey will speak on current environmental issues facing our region. An indefatigable champion of the environment, the Congressman is best known for is steadfast support and dedication to the protection and restoration of New York's Hudson River. His leadership was instrumental in the preservation of nearly 18,000 acres of pristine wilderness in Sterling Forest. He is also credited with creating the New York State Greenway Program and the Hudson River Estuary Program. Prior to his election to Congress in 1993, Mr. Hinchey served for 18 years in the New York State Assembly, 14 of those as chairman of the Committee on Environmental Conservation. He was awarded
the 2007 William Hoyt Environmental Award by Audubon New York and the Audubon Council of New York State for his commitment to environmental preservation and wildlife protection.
This year's Annual Dinner and Fundraiser will feature several exciting raffles limited to the first 100 participants. These include accommodations in the South of France, Puerto Rico and Manhattan. The Orange County Land Trust has many silent auction items including an aerial tour of Orange County from Freedom Air, kayak tours on the Hudson River from Atlantic Kayak Tours, and a tour of ABC News and premier seating during its ABC Nightly News broadcast, courtesy of ABC.
Tickets to the Orange County Land Trust Annual Dinner and Fundraiser are available for $100 and can be purchased by calling the Land Trust at (845) 343-0840. All proceeds from the Annual Dinner and Fundraiser will be used to protect open space in Orange County through volunteer land preservation and conservation. For more information, visit our web site at www.oclt.org.
|
