Stewardship Retreat 2012

by Tim Burris, Mariton Preserve Manager

(Just part of the team, along with the featured guest.)

About this time of year, Natural Lands’ Stewardship Staff gets together for our retreat.  The main agenda of the retreat is to relax after a busy growing season, and to catch up with the other folks in the department.  Over my 20 years with NLT, the stewardship staff has doubled in size.  So, we don’t get to see each other nearly as much as we used to.

(L to R:  Jeremy, Jarrod and Lee Shull)

This year, Lee Shull hosted the gathering at Reineman-Carlisle.  Lee and his sons got up in the wee hours to start roasting a pig.  It was a potluck and there was a lot of food.  After lunch, we had a washer tournament (kind of a cross between bean bags and horse shoes).  Some folks went off for a tour of the preserve’s many miles of trails.  Some stayed and played horse shoes.  I had the pleasure of getting a tour of the preserve by Jarrod Shull.  Jarrod is now one of our Stewardship Assistants working in Chester County.  He is also Lee’s youngest son, and literally grew up on the preserve.  Jarrod knows all of its trails, outcrops, scenic views, etc.  In fact, for his internship, he did a GIS overview of trails and significant features of the preserve.   What a great tour.

(The tournament is down to two teams as everyone watches.)

(Scott D. makes a great toss while Jarrod and Darin watch.)

Twenty years later, I still feel privileged to work with this group of individuals.  NLT’s Stewardship Department is one of the most respected in the country because the entire team brings complimentary skills and knowledge to the table.