Peconic Land Trust Welcomes New Board Members 
In October, the Peconic Land Trust welcomed three new members to its Board of Directors: Stephen M. Jones, Valerie M. Scopaz and Peter J. Talty.
Stephen M. Jones brings extensive experience in planning and public policy to the Trust having served as Suffolk County's Planning Director and CEO of the Suffolk County Water Authority. Steve is currently the Executive Director of the Long Island Maritime Museum. Steve will serve as Co-Chair of the Trust's Project Committee with Board member Brian McCaffrey as well as join the Stewardship Committee.
 Valerie M. Scopaz served as Southold Town's Planning Director for many years and worked closely with the Trust on a range of conservation projects during her tenure. With her background in land use planning as well as intergovernmental relations, Valerie will serve as Co-Chair of our Public Policy committee with Board member Nancy Goell. Valerie is currently working as a community planner with the New York Rising Community Reconstruction program.
 Peter J. Talty returns to the Trust Board, having served as a member from 2002 to 2008 and brings with him years of conservation planning experience from his work with Belvedere Property Management, the home office for conservation philanthropist Louis Bacon's property interests. Peter has coordinated numerous conservation easements on behalf of Mr. Bacon and has worked closely with land trusts in New York, North Carolina, Colorado and New Mexico.
Also at the Board meeting, John S. Norbeck and Thomas B. Williams were
elected co-Chairs, Richard Hogan was elected Treasurer, and Harriet H. Dresher was elected Secretary. Also, Brian R. McCaffrey was elected Assistant Treasurer and Nancy K. Goell Assistant Secretary. Cycling off the Board this year are Nancy Gilbert and Hilary Leff.
Please join us in welcoming Stephen, Valerie and Peter to the Board and thanking Nancy and Hilary for their many years of service on our board.
Special Thank You to 
Nancy Gilbert and Hilary Leff!
Long time Board member, and former Chair and Treasurer, Nancy Gilbert retired from the Board after more than 11 years of service. Nancy is a staunch champion of the organization and has been instrumental in the development of our staff and outreach programs. We'll miss her on the Board, but look forward to her continued participation on many of our committees. Thank you Nancy!
Having served four years on the Board, most recently as our Vice Chair, Hilary Leff has had a big impact, co-producing with Michael Halsband the documentary, "Growing Farmers," about the Peconic Land Trust's work with new farmers. We look forward to continuing to work with Hilary at the Trust's Quail Hill Farm -- and her on-going involvement in the Trust's work with the farming community. Thank you Hilary!
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Giving Tuesday: Thank You for Joining Us!
Thank you to everyone who donated to the Trust during our Giving Tuesday campaign and to all the hearty souls who came out to volunteer with the Trust on Giving Tuesday! And thank you to Maxwell Ryan and Apartment Therapy Media and The Halsey Family of The Milk Pail for helping us spread the word about the conservation work of the Trust during Giving Tuesday and for their generous contributions to the Trust.
 We had about a dozen volunteers fanned out across the East End -- from Quail Hill Farm in Amagansett, to Bridge Gardens in Bridgehampton to the North Fork Stewardship Center in Cutchogue -- digging carrots, spreading mulch and raking leaves. We accomplished so much -- thank you to Seth, Joe, Martine, Linda, Judy, Bobby, Michael, Cathie, Susan, Bill, Loretta, Mike for joining us!
Donations received on December 3 (online and in the mail) totaled approximately $40,000! These funds are critical to the Trust's mission and will help us continue the important conservation work needed here on Long Island.
We could not do the planning, acquisition, stewardship, education and public policy work critical to protecting Long Island's working farms, natural lands and heritage without the support of our many partners -- landowners, communities, local governments, partner organizations -- and you, our donors! From all of us at the Peconic Land Trust, thank you!
If you didn't get the opportunity to make a donation to the Trust on December 3, there is still time to make a tax-deductible contribution to our Annual Fund in 2013 before the end of the year!
Thank you for your continued support and consider news and information about the Trust to your family and friends!  for more pictures from Giving Tuesday!
Conservation Updates
Farmland Highlights from 2013
The following is a brief recap of some of the farmland-related projects completed by the Peconic Land Trust in 2013. A full synopsis of these projects and more will appear in the next Peconic Land Trust newsletter in the first quarter of 2014.
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May 2013: The Peconic Land Trust sold 42 acres of farmland along Rte. 25 in Cutchogue to Russ McCall of McCall Wines. The former Galluccio vineyards, the Trust had acquired and protected the property with the assistance of Southold Town in 2006, with the intention of re-selling the land to a farm operation.
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Dickerson
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June 2013: The Trust acquired 34 acres of farmland, originally owned and farmed by the Dickerson family in Cutchogue. The Trust has added the land to its leasing program within the Farms for the Future Initiative close by the Agricultural Center at Charnews Farm.
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Hayground
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June 2013: The Trust acquired 20 acres of protected farmland along Rte 27 in Bridgehampton from Hayground Farms Inc. The land will be devoted to food production and incorporated into the Trust's Farms for the Future Initiative on the South Fork. The land was purchased from 9th generation descendents of William Haines, who acquired it in 1682 as part of the Little South Division.
Trust Unveils New Kiosks on Preserves -- More to Come in 2014!
The Stewardship Department continues to craft new ways for the public to learn more  about the Trust's Preserves -- both in the field and online -- including new kiosks at seven of our preserves on the East End: - Accabonac Preserve (Amagansett),
- Agricultural Center at Charnews Farm (Southold),
- Bridge Gardens (Bridgehampton),
- High Point Preserve (Amagansett),
- Reel Point Preserve (Shelter Island),
- Wolf Preserve (Southold),
- Silver Beech & Red Dirt Preserves (Amagansett), and
- Wilson's Grove Preserve (East Hampton).
Dan Heston, Matt Swain and Dawn Haight designed, built and installed the kiosks which provide visitors with the conservation story of the preserves, hiking trail information (if applicable), fauna and flora information, and a map of the property. For more information on these Preserves, please check out our new interactive map or call our stewardship department at 631.283.3195.
New kiosks are planned for 2014 -- stay tuned!
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Share the Gift of Conservation This Holiday Season
We have a wonderful selection of holiday gift ideas, from baseball caps  and t-shirts, to market bags, coffee table books,  videos and cookbooks.
For more information and to order, visit us online or call Robin Harris at 631.283.3195 ext. 19. Make a Gift In Honor of Someone Special to You!
Making a donation in honor of a loved one is a wonderful way to express your
support for the Trust and share your commitment to the conservation of
Long Island's working farms, natural lands and heritage.
To learn more, visit our website or contact the Trust's ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Upcoming Events
New York State Land Conservation Summit
 April 10 - 11, 2014
The Historic Thayer Hotel
West Point, NY
The Peconic Land Trust, working in partnership with more than a dozen land trusts across New York State, is in the final planning stages of a conference focused on issues of importance to land conservation throughout the state. The summit, entitled Investing in Healthy Communities, will bring together a diverse, sophisticated and enthusiastic group of conservation leaders, practitioners, decision-makers and stakeholders for an intensive two-day summit to share knowledge and learn from experts on effective land protection tools and techniques, fundraising strategies and public/private partnerships. Interested in joining us? Visit www.NYSLandSummit.org for more information on presentations and fields trips. Online registration will open in early January. Sponsorship opportunities are also available.
This is a great opportunity to meet with land conservation professionals and volunteers from across New York State. For more information, email Dawn Haight or call 631.283.3195, ext. 34.
The Summit is funded in part through the Environmental Protection Fund and New York State Conservation Partnership Program, administered by the Land Trust Alliance in coordination with the Department of Environmental Conservation.
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Consider donating today to our 2013 Annual Fund.
Your gift supports the conservation of the farms and natural lands you enjoy!
Please help us further reduce our carbon footprint.
If you change your address, or would like to receive all (or some) of your communications from the Peconic Land Trust by email, let us know!
Contact Janet Schutt, Systems Manager, at 631.283.3195 ext. 24
Thank you for all you do in support of conservation in our communities!
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Peconic Land Trust conserves Long Island's working farms, natural lands, and heritage for our communities now and in the future.
Financial Disclosure Statement: A copy of the last financial report filed with the New York State Attorney General may be obtained in writing to: New York State Attorney General's Charities Bureau, Attn: FOIL Officer, 120 Broadway, New York, NY 10271 or Peconic Land Trust, PO Box 1776, Southampton, NY 11969.
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