The Board of Directors of the Mississippi Madawaska Land Trust (MMLT) is excited to announce that Stacie Lloyd has joined the land trust in the position of executive director. She started her new role on February 6th.
“Stacie brings strong organizational skills to the executive director role,” said MMLT President, Don Johnston, “along with a background in finance and a great deal of experience with community, and economic development in our region. We are very pleased to have such an experienced and talented person leading the work of MMLT to achieve our ambitious goals.” Special events and programs are being planned in this 20th anniversary year for MMLT, and longer-term goals include building organizational capacity, strengthening partnerships, and further developing land management practices for the conservation and protection of lands.
Before joining MMLT, Stacie was the Manager of Community Development with the municipality of Merrickville-Wolford, and has worked in regional economic development, commercial lending and, small business management throughout Lanark and Renfrew Counties. She and her family operate a mixed farm in Lanark County.
“I first learned about MMLT on a hiking adventure at High Lonesome,” Stacie noted, “and when I looked into it more, I was intrigued by the MMLT mandate and the important task of protecting conservation lands for future generations. I am honoured to be part of this team making a difference to the environment.”
Land trusts work to help protect and preserve areas that are ecologically valuable for the long term. These areas may include high numbers of threatened or endangered species, areas with important designations such as “Important Bird Areas”, rare ecosystems such as bogs, fens and alvars, or old forest ecosystems. Land placed in a trust is then restricted from future development.
MMLT is directly engaged in addressing climate change and the loss of biodiversity, two of the most important issues of our times. The land trust does this by taking care of over 3000 acres of private lands in the Mississippi River drainage basin, north to the Madawaska River. MMLT also offers events and programs to help connect people with nature, encourage community engagement, and to teach people of all ages about the unique local plants and animals that can be found in this region. Did you know that Blueberry Mountain in Lanark Highlands is home to an old cedar tree that is over 300 years old?
“Nature provides people with many benefits, including mental, social, spiritual, and health benefits,” says Johnston. “Sometimes the environmental issues of today can feel overwhelming, and people don’t know how they can help. Supporting your local land trust, whether through becoming a member, leaving a gift in your Will, or simply coming out to attend an event is something that we can all do to help make a difference.”
More information about MMLT and the properties in its care can be found at mmlt.ca.
