I’ve done some volunteer work for the Greater Worcester Land Trust over the past few years, so I received an invitation to the 2011 Annual Meeting, which was held at the Trust headquarters at 4 Ash Street in Worcester, starting at 4:30 this afternoon.  The Trust is entering its 25th year as a Land Trust; they own over 550 acres outright and hold a Conservation Restriction on over 800 additional acres.  All told, the Turst has had a hand in saving 2000 acres of land in Worcester County.

After welcoming the group, President Allen Fletcher asked for the Treasurer’s Report and the Nominating Committee Report, followed by a report from Executive Director Colin Novick.  I had my notebook with me and scribbled frantically as Colin talked, but there was just too much that the Trust accomplished in the past year, and insofar as I don’t want inaccuracies creeping into this post, I won’t attempt a summary.  I will note that the GWLT website is much improved, and you can get a sense of the scope of the work undertaken by the Trust by browsing through the site.

The guest speaker this evening was Mark Blazis, who has an impressive resume, which includes serving as an outdoor columnist for the Telegram and Gazette, heading the Auburn Bird Banding Research Center, and leading photographic safaris to Africa.  Though he has traveled extensively, the African continent retains a special place in his affections, and with his wife Helen he has photographed some of its most spectacular sights, with emphasis on birds and large mammals.

Here are some of his notes on African animals:

• The wildebeest migration is a year-round phenomenon, which takes the form of a clockwise loop from the Serengeti Plains in Tanzania to Kenya and then back again
• The Mara River crossing is one of the most dramatic moments in the migration of the 1.5 million wildebeest and 300,000 zebras and other antelope
• The procession across the Mara is led by zebras, who need fresh grass to survive
• Crocodiles lie in wait at the River, waiting to feed on the animals who die crossing
• The hippopotamus is one of the most dangerous of the African animals
• Lions have heard the sounds of Range Rover vehicles since the day they were born, so they do not consider human beings a threat
• Vultures are like the custodial crews of Africa and are necessary for a healthy ecosystem
• The wild dog is the best African hunter; if their kill rate is analogous to a batting average, it would be something like .800 or .900
• Cheetahs are elegant predators who have a preference for gazelles
• A mother giraffe is very protective of her baby and might come undone if it’s killed
• Leopards are so solitary that they only tolerate another member of the species in order to mate
• Elephants revere their matriarchs
• The Spotted Hyena is a fascinating social animal; generally larger than the male, the female has a pseudo-penis and is dominant in the clan
• The Black Rhino is so endangered that very few people on safari see them

Now more than ever, I want to visit Africa and see these marvelous sights for myself!