It is a pleasure to announce that the Southborough Open Land Foundation has chosen Elizabeth Meyer as the recipient of the 2014 Elaine Beals Conservation Award.
Betty and her husband Bernie have lived in Southborough for 46 years. During that time, in addition to raising four children, Betty has been very active within the community. At SOLF we of course focus on her dedication to environmental issues. Betty served on the board of SOLF for 24 years before stepping aside last year. For several of those years she was the clerk for SOLF, diligently taking and writing up the minutes, and sending out acknowledgments for contributions that we received. In 2005, she tirelessly helped with the education efforts in town as to why we should buy the Conservation Restriction on Chestnut Hill Farm, a campaign that succeeded at the January 2006 Special Town Meeting that voted overwhelmingly to purchase the Conservation Restriction in order to protect the beautiful Chestnut Hill Farm property from development. Last year before SOLF’s 25th anniversary celebration, Betty approached numerous businesses convincing them to donate goods and services for the silent auction. She has worked as a volunteer at the New England Wildflower Society. Betty also served on the Southborough Opportunity Partnership Committee (SHOPC) committee trying to find ways to bring affordable housing to Southborough. She was very active with the Friends of the Library for many years. In retirement Betty and Bernie are traveling and enjoy spending time at their other home in Stowe, Vermont. The award was presented to Betty on October 18th at a gathering at the home of Attila Herczeg and his wife Susanne Healy. The purpose of the gathering was not only to honor Betty, but also to recognize the efforts of the numerous volunteers who took part in the six month long herpetological study that was conducted at Beals Preserve.
