Our Favorite Flannel Formal Moments
With Flannel Formal just a month away on November 7 at Bordeleau Winery, we asked members of the LSLT team to share some of their favorite memories from the event and what they look forward to each year. From the people we get to recognize to the places we gather, everyone has a little something different that makes Flannel Formal memorable. Here are a few of their favorite moments:
Beth Sheppard: From the first day I joined our office 4 years ago I’ve been intrigued by the Flannel Formal. It's an event like no other. A highlight each year is celebrating the "Stephen N Parker Conservation Legacy Award" which recognizes one outstanding landowner and community supporter. The awardee is chosen for exceptional dedication and capacity to nurture flora, fauna and people within our Delmarva community. At our Flannel Formal we have the chance to highlight the great stewardship works with past recipients such as Larry Leese, John Long and Ann Carlson. Each year we try to keep the selected recipient as a surprise. Being able to applaud another’s efforts in the field says so much about the impact and dedication a single individual can impart on this slice of heaven here on the Lower Shore.
Brooke Orr: When I think of my favorite Flannel Formal memories, I think less about one moment and more about the connection it creates between people, places, and conservation. Flannel Formal gives me the chance to connect not only with new, beautiful places, but also with people who care about preserving the unique landscapes here on the Lower Shore. It’s amazing to see all the volunteers, sponsors, attendees, and organizations who play a part in making this event happen. There’s something really special about seeing so many people in our community show up for local conservation and the work being done here. The event is about having a good time, but more importantly, it’s about recognizing the people who make Lower Shore Land Trust’s conservation work possible.
Jared Parks: My favorite Flannel Formal memory was the cold evening at the Merry Sherwood with people gathered around the fire globe and others cuddled under heated blankets on the porch. As the fall temperatures continue to remain on the warm side, that cool October evening reminded me of falls past and why it is my favorite season.
Margot Resto: Last year we had the privilege of honoring one of the many ancestral homelands of the Pocomoke Indian Nation, the site of the event, Cellar House Farm. We were fortunate enough to acknowledge their stewardship of those lands for hundreds of years, as well as the additional, sacred significance of its ancestral burials.
I have always believed strongly in the mission of the Lower Shore Land Trust, and the importance of the work we do each day, and I am grateful for what the Land Trust has achieved over the last 35 years. But in that moment, when the families of the Pocomoke Indian Nation and the Cellar House Farm were standing together in ceremony and mutual respect, I felt a profound sense of purpose and deeper meaning to what we strive for in our quest to conserve the lands we hold dear.
This uniting of the past, present and future put me in a state of awe. It was one of those moments in time that come along very rarely - when you know that something very special is happening, and others around you do, too.
