OBI NEWS
OBI Land Trust Elects New Leadership
Our organization is moving forward and positioned well for the future as we celebrate our 30th anniversary.
Jim LaPlante was the longest-serving leader of OBI. He died unexpectedly at his home on November 7, 2022. As we mourned his passing, the board continued the mission of land conservation that Jim led for more than a decade.
OBI’s nine-member board on November 17, 2022 unanimously approved board member Carrie Fleming as Interim Chairperson and Rosanne Weir as Interim Vice-Chairperson. Fleming, a resident and native of Chaumont, joined OBI in 2020 and was elected vice-chairperson earlier this year. Weir joined the board in 2018. She is the widow of LaPlante and often worked alongside him doing the work of the land trust.
“It is important to continue the work of our organization while we mourn the loss of our leader and dear friend,” said Fleming. “We have a very capable board and we must continue our mission of land conservation and we know that is what Jim would have wanted.”
The two will serve in interim leadership positions until OBI’s annual meeting in April. The Board of Directors in January 2023 unanimously approved naming the late Jim LaPlante an emeritus board member of OBI Land Trust.
We have also recently added Brownville resident Marie Smith to our Board of Directors. Marie, a retired nurse, has served as a volunteer at OBI’s Downybrook Nature Reserve for several years. She was elected to the Board on November 17, 2022 and will be nominated for a full two-year term at the annual meeting in April.
Jim LaPlante was the longest-serving leader of OBI. He died unexpectedly at his home on November 7, 2022. As we mourned his passing, the board continued the mission of land conservation that Jim led for more than a decade.
OBI’s nine-member board on November 17, 2022 unanimously approved board member Carrie Fleming as Interim Chairperson and Rosanne Weir as Interim Vice-Chairperson. Fleming, a resident and native of Chaumont, joined OBI in 2020 and was elected vice-chairperson earlier this year. Weir joined the board in 2018. She is the widow of LaPlante and often worked alongside him doing the work of the land trust.
“It is important to continue the work of our organization while we mourn the loss of our leader and dear friend,” said Fleming. “We have a very capable board and we must continue our mission of land conservation and we know that is what Jim would have wanted.”
The two will serve in interim leadership positions until OBI’s annual meeting in April. The Board of Directors in January 2023 unanimously approved naming the late Jim LaPlante an emeritus board member of OBI Land Trust.
We have also recently added Brownville resident Marie Smith to our Board of Directors. Marie, a retired nurse, has served as a volunteer at OBI’s Downybrook Nature Reserve for several years. She was elected to the Board on November 17, 2022 and will be nominated for a full two-year term at the annual meeting in April.
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OBI Land Trust is also excited to announce our new office space at the Lyme Community Center on Main Street in Chaumont. The building is the home of the Lyme Community Foundation, Inc. as well as several other groups and is the non-profit headquarters for the village and a hub of activity for events and enrichment activities. OBI was founded in Chaumont in 1993 and it seems very fitting that we establish a headquarters in the local community on this anniversary year and become non-profit partners with the foundation. The second-floor office space at the is also known as the historic Copley house will offer greater visibility for our land trust, allow for more interaction with our service area and improve functioning and efficiency of our expanding organization. We are very excited for opportunities the new office will bring us in 2023!
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Get ready for more great things at
Downybrook Nature Reserve!
OBI Land Trust was notified on Monday, April 18, 2022 that we were awarded funding for a project totaling $50,000! The project includes a $35,782 grant from the New York State Partnership Program, a partnership between the state Department of Environmental Conservation and the Land Trust Alliance. The remaining funding, a required grant match, is a result of donations from supporters of OBI!
The award will fund a new access road and parking area on the east side of Downybrook, a 180-acre nature reserve on Perch Lake Road in Brownville. The grant will also help fund a viewing deck on the scenic west side of the property that will enhance bird-watching and serve as an outdoor gathering spot.
The “Discover Downybrook” campaign was launched by OBI in 2019 to highlight this premiere public use property and its 3.5 miles of nature trails. In April 2019, another NYSCPP grant totaling $50,000 helped to fund Phase 1 of upgrades at Downybrook. This included new wood walkovers and bridges, an observation deck on the west side pond, informational kiosks and enlarged parking lot on the west side trails.
OBI Land Trust is the area’s only all-volunteer land trustsand it is grants like this one from the NYSPP and donations from supporters that keep us thriving to fulfill our mission.
The award will fund a new access road and parking area on the east side of Downybrook, a 180-acre nature reserve on Perch Lake Road in Brownville. The grant will also help fund a viewing deck on the scenic west side of the property that will enhance bird-watching and serve as an outdoor gathering spot.
The “Discover Downybrook” campaign was launched by OBI in 2019 to highlight this premiere public use property and its 3.5 miles of nature trails. In April 2019, another NYSCPP grant totaling $50,000 helped to fund Phase 1 of upgrades at Downybrook. This included new wood walkovers and bridges, an observation deck on the west side pond, informational kiosks and enlarged parking lot on the west side trails.
OBI Land Trust is the area’s only all-volunteer land trustsand it is grants like this one from the NYSPP and donations from supporters that keep us thriving to fulfill our mission.
OBI Receives $1,000 Mission-Based Grant from the Northern New York Community Foundation’s
Youth Philanthropy Council
OBI was recently the recipient of a $1000 mission-based grant awarded by the Youth Philanthropy Council. OBI was one of five (150 nonprofits applied) North Country nonprofits selected to receive the grant! The Council selected the recipients based on their mission, fiscal responsibility and sustainability, and a formal presentation. This is the second year that Youth Philanthropy Council has awarded mission-based grants to North Country nonprofits. This grant, as well as the generosity of our donors, will allow OBI to continue to fulfill our mission of preserving and maintaining important lands within our Service area.
The Youth Philanthropy Council falls under the auspices of the Northern New York Community Foundation. The Council is comprised of students from several North Country school districts. A group of these hardworking students will also be helping OBI with a spring cleanup to be held at the Alex Velto Bat Conservation Area on April 30th! OBI also received a $250 grant to provide refreshments to the Youth Philanthropy Council volunteers for their Clean-Up Day at the Alex C. Velto Bat Conservation Area & Woodland Trail.
The Youth Philanthropy Council falls under the auspices of the Northern New York Community Foundation. The Council is comprised of students from several North Country school districts. A group of these hardworking students will also be helping OBI with a spring cleanup to be held at the Alex Velto Bat Conservation Area on April 30th! OBI also received a $250 grant to provide refreshments to the Youth Philanthropy Council volunteers for their Clean-Up Day at the Alex C. Velto Bat Conservation Area & Woodland Trail.
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