There was a very special vibe when supporters, board members and staff gathered for the 2014/15 AGM and celebration of the tenth anniversary of our first ever reserve purchase, Long Point. From its humble beginnings to the organization that is the TLC today, there were plenty of achievements to celebrate and insightful personal stories shared to help us reminisce about the incredible journey so far.
The future of conservation in Tasmania and the role we will play was a strong theme highlighted by an insightful, heartening presentation by Professor Ted Lefroy on the critical importance of protecting ecological processes and systems on a landscape scale.
The business saw the retirement of our wonderful, lively president Geoff Couser and board members Peter Bosworth and Dr Karina Potter. We are so grateful for their incredible contribution and the dedication they have shown over the years. We are happy to announce that Stuart Barry was nominated and accepted in to the role of President and we warmly welcome new board members Professor Ted Lefroy and Erika Korosi, and we are delighted to welcome back our first ever CEO Nathan Males.
A decade on, there was a feeling of profound optimism as we celebrated not only our first reserve purchase at Long Point, but also the completion of the acquisition of our 14th reserve, The Big Punchbowl. Fittingly, these two special places are connected by the waters of Moulting Lagoon, a Ramsar wetland of international significance.
This year was by far the largest turn out for an AGM on record! Maybe it was the presence of our very own Tasmanian Australian of the year, Jane Hutchinson, or maybe people got wind that there was to be a giant chocolate cake carved in to the shape of a 10! Whatever the inspiration, we hope to see this upward trend in attendance continue as such achievements and celebrations truly belong to everyone who has made this very important journey so far, possible.