Kelly Barber from Barnstable Land Trust named as Nonprofit Excellence Award Finalist
Massachusetts Nonprofit Network spotlights statewide excellence
West Barnstable, MA – Massachusetts Nonprofit Network announced that Kelly Barber, Barnstable Land Trust’s Director of Land Stewardship, has been selected as one of five Young Professional finalists for the upcoming statewide Nonprofit Excellence Awards. As only one of two representatives from Cape Cod and the Islands, the Nonprofit Excellence Awards are presented to six nonprofit organizations and employees that exemplify the most innovative, creative, and effective work being done throughout the Commonwealth. This year’s ceremony will be held in the Great Hall of the Massachusetts State House on June 6, 2023.
As Barnstable Land Trust’s (BLT) Director of Land Stewardship, thirty-three-year-old Kelly Barber leads the day-to-day operations and management of a growing portfolio of 120+ BLT properties and 46+ conservation restrictions covering over 1,100 protected acres in Barnstable. In addition to building and expanding a year-round team of volunteer land stewards and leading community-based efforts like beach clean-ups and trail projects, Kelly also serves in volunteer leadership roles with AmeriCorps Cape Cod, the Community Preservation Committee for the Town of Harwich, and on the Massachusetts Land Trust Coalition’s (MLTC) Early Conservation Career Network Committee.
BLT’s Executive Director Janet Milkman captures Kelly’s impact on the organization and the field in general: “Kelly exemplifies the best of what future conservation leaders can offer. Commitment to community, passion for protecting our natural assets in the face of climate change, extraordinary skills and knowledge about our natural resources, and an optimistic belief that our efforts today can positively impact the future.”
The Massachusetts Nonprofit Network received over 130 statewide nominations from many different nonprofit sectors, but Barnstable Land Trust is the only environmental nonprofit organization represented among the 30 finalists. Additional information about the finalists can found here.
####
Barnstable Land Trust (BLT) is a community-supported, nonprofit organization dedicated to preserving open space and natural resources in the Town of Barnstable and nearby areas. BLT has protected 1,100 acres in the Town of Barnstable and supported the Town in conserving over 11,000 more. Celebrating its 40th Anniversary in 2023, BLT is a regional leader in collaborative land preservation and stewardship, community engagement, training, and advocacy. BLT also leverages its conservation expertise to inform local public decisions as they impact our ecosystems, community health, well-being, and quality of life. To learn more about BLT’s special 40th Anniversary events including the Hike Barnstable Challenge and the first-of-its-kind 2-day live Readathon of Thoreau’s Cape Cod, BLT’s trailside poetry initiative Words in the Wild, or access one of its three popular trail map guides (Barnstable Trail Guide, Cape Cod Pathways/Barnstable Trail Guide, and Eagle Pond & Little River Sanctuary Trail Guide, visit http://www.BLT.org or call 508-771-2585.