MANCHESTER - On Sunday, July 15, Hildene, The Lincoln Family Home, was the site for the convening of much of Vermont's conservation/preservation community when it honored Darby Bradley as the 2012 recipient of the Hildene Award.

The $10,000 cash award associated with the Hildene Award will go to the Tinmouth Land Trust for use in extending the town's trail system, Bradley said during the presentation.

"Thirty years ago, when the Vermont Land Trust was known as the Ottauquechee Regional Land Trust and had protected a grand total of 6 acres of land, the Land Trust's founder, Rick Carbin, and I were approached by some landowners to help them conserve a 1,000-acre tract of land in southwestern Vermont," Bradley said. "That one project,

At left, Paul Lowerre, the vice president of Hildene's board of directors, present land conservationist Darby Bradley with the Hildene Award for his work with the Vermont Land Trust. (Lee Krohn Photo)
completed early in 1980, created precedents which are still reverberating today. "Those original landowners from three decades earlier are Bob and Sue Lloyd. The Lloyds not only completed the initial project but they went on to help establish a local land trust that worked with the Vermont Land Trust, the Nature Conservancy of Vermont and other organizations on multiple conservations projects. Today, nearly 7,000 acres of land have been conserved in their town of Tinmouth."

In requesting that the $10,000 cash award go to the Tinmouth Land Trust for use in extending the town's trail system, Bradley acknowledged that in so doing he is also able to thank the Lloyds and others who have supported the Land Trust's conservation efforts in a

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tangible way. The other winners will be the public who for generations to come can enjoy the vast amount of conserved land in Tinmouth.

The event concluded at the head of the newly designated Hildene Award Trail that commences near the front of The Lincoln Family Home and follows one of the most scenic ridges on the 412 acre estate. After recognizing the hard work of trustees and staff, Hildene Executive Director, unveiled the three permanent trail cairn markers that announce respectively the trail and award, and memorialize James Jeffords and Darby Bradley, the first two Hildene Award recipients.