LAUREN BROWN
Motivated by a love of the outdoors and dismay at the rapid disappearance of open space, Lauren Brown first joined the Land Trust board in 1976. She served as president from 1984-1988, and has continued to be involved. She and her husband, John Herzan, spearheaded the passage in 1987 of the state scenic roads legislation, which lends protection to beautiful byways such as Route 146, and with then Land Trust president Jeff Clark, she worked hard for the preservation of Beacon Hill. She has written two botanical field guides.
Lauren is a well-known plant expert and her enthusiasm in the field is infectious! BLT members may recall seeing her at a wildflower or weed education field event.
Lauren will be teaching a course “Introduction to Grasses” through Native Plant Trust at the Eli Whitney Museum on June 7th. Click here to learn more.
If you can’t attend her course, you can learn from her books: Grasses, Sedges, Rushes: An Identification Guide by Lauren Brown and Ted Elliman, 2020, and Weeds and Wildflowers in Winter by Lauren Brown, 2012.
Lauren’s work extends well beyond the classroom. She and Patrick Sweeney (Collections Manager in the Division of Botany at the Peabody Museum) lead a native plant conservation work group called BRANFORD INVASIVE WRANGLERS. You can meet them and help defend Branford’s native plants by volunteering for BLT at one of their upcoming work parties on Saturday, May 3 at 9:00 a.m., location to be announced. You can call or email with questions at info@branfordlandtrust.org or (203) 483-LAND.
JULIE ANN MICHAELSON
Board member Julie Ann is a pollinator conservation specialist with the Xerces Society for Invertebrate Conservation as well as a partner biologist with the USDA NRCS. Prior to joining Xerces she was an environmental steward with New York state parks where she monitored and managed habitat for the endangered Karner blue butterfly. As a graduate student in the Department of Entomology at Michigan State University, Julie researched the role of landscape complexity on the establishment success of a biological control agent and native parasitoid communities. When she is not working with insects Julie enjoys hiking to see insects, painting portraits of insects, and taking photos of insects.
You may remember Julie Ann from BLT’s “Bug Out” field event. She continues to share her expertise at public events locally. We are fortunate that she will be our speaker at BLT’s Annual Meeting on May 12th. The annual meeting is open to the public and free of charge. Please drop by and say hello!
PETER RAYMOND
Board member Pete Raymond has also been in the news lately. He was recently named to be the next co-director at the Yale Center for Natural Carbon Capture. You can find out more at Yale News.
Pete is also Senior Associate Dean of Research & Director of Doctoral Studies; Oastler Professor of Biogeochemistry at Yale School of the Environment. Pete is past-president of the Branford Land Trust and during his tenure he led the organization through its first national accreditation with the Land Trust Alliance and he led the successful acquisition of Jarvis Creek Farm. Congratulations on your new position, Pete!
