Ontario Bays Initiative, Inc. is an all-volunteer land trust, which means that success depends on people who devote their time to helping our organization. For more than a decade, Verna Docteur has been one of them.
Verna, a Chaumont resident, began volunteering for OBI in the late1990s, following her retirement from a 31 year career as a Biology teacher for the Belleville-Henderson School District. She joined the Board of Directors in 2001 and served as Secretary of the Board of Directors from 2004 to 2010. This year she decided it was time to retire from the OBI Board.
“I’ve really enjoyed OBI. They’re a wonderful, fun group of people,’’ said Verna.
Over the years, Verna said she has seen the small land trust evolve as it acquired more responsibility and became more well known.
“I’ve watched the group become more serious about the task at hand,’’ said Verna, who said the group was more informal during the early years.
The non-profit land trust has gradually acquired more conservation properties along the shoreline communities in Jefferson County. The total amount of land protected by OBI in Jefferson County now exceeds 600 acres.
In addition to keeping the office in order and helping to organize our annual fundraiser, Verna has also contributed her expertise out in the field. Her training as an invasive species technician has been invaluable to OBI as the organization works to eradicate swallow wort from the land trust’s conservation properties.
As OBI’s Land Steward, Lee could always count on Verna’s assistance with staking out property boundaries and property inspections. It sometimes meant bush wacking through honey suckle, trudging through fields and ending the day exhausted.
“Adventures with Lee Russell I will always remember,’’said Verna, with a laugh. “That part of OBI is the one thing I probably won’t miss.’’
Over the years, Verna also worked for The Nature Conservancy as an invasive species technician and trail builder on local projects, including the Chaumont Barrens and El Dorado trails.
She has quietly gone about her work over the years without complaint. Yet her reliability and attention tode tail have not gone unnoticed by her fellow board members. She was recently presented with a Certificate of Appreciation by the OBI Board of Directors.
Although she is no longer on the OBI Board of Directors, Verna remains committed to supporting the organization.
“I will still help out with the fundraisers and I will always remain a friend of OBI,’’ she said.
