The Volunteer of the Year award was created to recognize that there would be no SELT if not for the dedication and commitment of the volunteers who have traveled with us throughout our history.
For 2024, we are pleased to announce that Allen Williams is SELT’s Volunteer of the Year. We first met Allen at Stonehouse Forest in 2022 when he volunteered to help carry timber to a worksite on the property (how’s that for your first foray into SELT volunteerism?). Once he had his foot in the door, Allen quickly became an integral part of the land stewardship program, and in 2023 he logged 50 hours building trails at both Harvey’s Kennard Hill Forest in Epping and the Collins Family Forest in New Durham.
In 2024, Allen accepted the Volunteer Land Steward position for Birch Ridge Community Forest in New Durham, SELT’s largest property. SELT’s Volunteer Land Stewards hold long term volunteer positions and are charged with caring for a specific SELT fee-owned property. This position requires a broad base of skills, as the volunteer handles many of the basis stewardship tasks these properties need each year.
So far, in his first year as the BRCF Land Steward, Allen has put in over 100 hours of work including mowing and trail improvements for the smaller hike and bike trails across the property. As if that weren’t enough, Allen went on to log over 50 additional hours on various projects, including bringing his tractor to move materials for work on the Black Gum Trail at the Mast Road Natural Area in Epping.
“Allen’s participation in SELT’s volunteer program has been nothing short of exceptional,” said Zoe Graves, SELT’s Outreach and Education Director. “We are proud to see him growing into the Land Steward position and thrilled to be able to celebrate and honor the work that he has done and continues to do with SELT.”