Land Savers October 2024

A W A R D R E C I P I E N T S 2 0 2 4 CONSERVAT ION Celebration

GEORGE KEGLEY AWARD FOR VOLUNTEERISM

It was not a hard decision to pick Helen Burnett as the 2024 recipient of the George Kegley Award for Volunteerism. Helen has been a dedicated and tireless volunteer for the land conservancy for a number of years. Whether going on monitoring visits or tabling events we can always depend on Helen. Originally from Niagara Falls, Ontario, Canada, Helen Burnett settled in Roanoke and spent over 20 years in advertising, circulation and marketing management at The Roanoke Times followed by 15 years in sales and marketing at local retirement communities. As a cycling enthusiast, she is especially attracted to the beauty of rural back roads and this is what drew her to learning more about the Blue Ridge Land Conservancy and ultimately becoming a volunteer. Helen especially enjoys trips into the field, whether to meet a potential new donor and visit their property or to do a monitoring

Helen Burnett helping to monitor one of BRLC’s easments

visit on an existing easement. There is always something beautiful to see, birds and wildlife, a scenic view, a stream to protect, wildflowers in bloom, or discovering a nest of goose eggs while checking out an island in the James River! As a retiree, Helen enjoys travelling, book clubs and volunteering at her church, Second Presbyterian where she serves as Elder, is a member of the Bell Choir and participates in a variety of committees and outreach and mission projects like Habitat for Humanity. Among other past community activities she served as BoardMember and President for Junior Achievement of Southwest Virginia, Trustee for TaubmanMuseum of Art, andWVTF reader for Radio Reading Service.

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