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The Trust held its 43^rd annual meeting at the Old Lyme Senior Center on Sunday, March 22^nd. A good crowd had gathered for some refreshments, an update on OLCT business and a great talk by Ralph Lewis.

In recognition of the central role they played in helping to build the Trust’s system of preserves, specifically, their donation in 1973 of the 44-acre Mile Creek Preserve, the Trust’s first upland forest preserve and the largest donation of land to OLCT until that time, the Trust presents the Landsaver Award of Appreciation to William M. (†) and Constance A. Pike. Ms. Pike could not be present to receive the award in person but her children sent a letter that was read at the meeting (scroll down to read the whole letter).

Ronald Lee was awarded the Volunteer of the Year award for his wonderful work as a steward of the Mile Creek Preserve.

Speaker this year was Mr. Ralph Lewis, who spoke lively on the “Geologic History of this area and the development of the unique landscapes of Lyme and Old Lyme”. The audience got to learn about how our part of the world was created with a lot of interesting details such the fact that the rocks in New London were once connected to the rocks on the west coast of Marocco.

* The Long Island Sound Resource Center. This site has a discussion of CT geology and Long Island Sound geology with many of the illustrations. There is also a module for viewing and downloading the oblique photos and an "Underwater Tour" of LIS that has proven popular with teachers.

* Two books recommended by Mr. Lewis: "The Geologic History of Connecticut's Bedrock" by Margaret Coleman (a DEP publication) and "Roadside Geology of Connecticut and Rhode Island" by James Skehan (a Mountain Press publication).

* Learn more about the Hartford Basin in the DEP publication "Connecticut in the Mesozoic World" by Gregory McHone is interesting.

The books can be ordered from the DEP Store and are available at the store at Dinosaur Park in Rocky Hill. The Skehan book is also available in some book stores.

March 17, 2009

Dear OLCT Board of Directors,

On behalf of our mother, Constance – Connie – Pike, we thank the Old Lyme Conservation Trust for recognizing Connie’s efforts to preserve open space with this year’s Land Saver award. Know that if she could, Mom would absolutely love to be with you this afternoon.

Mom turned 83 on March 10^th. It’s fitting that her birthday also marks a wonderful time of year when the earliest signs of Spring can be seen: fattening buds on trees, vernal pools, migrating birds, the emergence of skunks and skunk cabbage, and the increasing life in the marshes of the Lieutenant River. She loves these signs of change – as she welcomed each changing season throughout the almost 50 years she lived in Old Lyme.

Old Lyme is so very special to her, not only for her wonderful wonderful friends, but also because of the place… the marshes, the woods, the rivers, and the beaches. She has a bowl of small stones that she collected over her years in Old Lyme that she keeps in her bedroom – a continuous reminder of the place she loves.

She joins all of you in the commitment to protect and preserve open space in Old Lyme, and she relishes images of young and old alike learning, playing, enjoying and finding peace in these special places.

Thank you very much for this honor.

Bill Pike and Adele Pike