If you've joined a workday or attended an MHLC event lately, you've probably had the chance to meet Sarah Carroll. Sarah has been a member of the MHLC Board of Directors for six years and served as the Board Chair for the last two years. She is an amazing addition to the team! From trail work to virtual fundraisers, Sarah is always there to support staff and ensure our organization is successful.

Sarah grew up in Wisconsin, enjoying the woods and lakes. She has loved the outdoors since she was young and continues to find opportunities to enjoy nature. She worked in finance before devoting her time to her three sons and their various activities. More recently, Sarah has taken up working in health care and been involved in numerous other boards, including the Junior League, St. Margaret’s, and the Delmar Presbyterian Church.

When did you begin volunteering with MHLC?

‍I joined the board in January of 2015 at the prompting of a dear friend who introduced me to the organization. As a long-time resident of the town of Bethlehem, my family and I were well acquainted with MHLC’s preserves in the area. My retirement this past year has allowed me more time to be a hands-on volunteer and I enjoy being outside and doing things!

What inspires you to support MHLC?

Living in this area gives us access to open spaces, clean air, clean water, and beautiful views that deserve to be preserved and maintained for future generations. Through this organization, we can all have an impact on our community.

How would you describe your role on the MHLC Board?

As board chair, I hope and try to bring out the best in others and move our organization forward. Keeping our mission statement and goals in mind, I feel that the Staying Connected Initiative is a wonderful collaboration with other state and local entities both here and to try to mitigate the impacts of climate change and human activity on native wildlife and plants. Our ability to fundraise and continue to purchase and preserve land is crucial to our overall goal.

What is your favorite aspect of volunteering with MHLC?

Definitely the people!! The staff at MHLC is amazing, and I love every opportunity to work with them and glean knowledge from them. I also love getting to know other volunteers. I like meeting up with people I know from different aspects of my life and finding that we have another common interest–preserving, protecting, and enhancing our community.

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