Adirondack Wild: Friends of the Forest Preserve gathers for its 4th Annual Meeting of members, friends and supporters on Friday, October 10th (10:30 am – 4 pm) at Camp Fowler on Sacandaga Lake in Lake Pleasant.

Adirondack Wild has helped lead the statewide commemoration of the the 50th Anniversary of the National Wilderness Preservation System Act of 1964 and the fact that New York’s “forever wild” Constitution inspired the Act’s principal author and chief lobbyist, Howard Zahniser.

The short film, Forever Wild, will be shown and copies signed by its producers, photographer Carl Heilman II and singer/songwriter Dan Berggren, will be available.

Chris Amato, Adirondack Wild Board Vice Chair, will preside over a business meeting beginning at 11 am. Chris is an attorney with the environmental law firm Earthjustice, Inc. and is a frequent recreational visitor to the Adirondack region.

The keynote speaker and afternoon guide to Sacandaga Lake is aquatic biologist Peter Tobiessen. His long-term monitoring and research of the lake inspired him to write The Secret Life of a Lake: The Ecology of Northern Lakes and their Stewardship.

Another highlight of the meeting will be Adirondack Wild awards honoring stewards of our wild environments. Adirondack Wild’s awards will be presented to:

• The Paul Schaefer Wilderness Award will be presented to Jocelyn (Lyn) Jerry, Adirondack landowner and forest steward;
• the Wild Stewardship Award will be presented to Peter Tobiessen, Union College, Professor Emeritus, Lake Scientist, and author of The Secret Life of a Lake;
• and Wilderness Golden Anniversary Awards will be presented to: Dan Berggren, acclaimed Adirondack singer-songwriter (Sleeping Giant Records); Carl Heilman II, award-winning Adirondack photographer and author (Wild Visions) and Jesse Gigandet, Adirondack Wild’s webmaster.

The meeting is open to anyone, but advance registrations are appreciated. To register, visit Adirondack Wild’s website, www.adirondackwild.org, and click on Annual Meeting.