President– Linda K. Schroeder– In addition to serving as SLT President, and before that Vice-President, Linda has served on the SLT Membership Committee where her duties have included fundraising, membership, public relations, outreach, editor of the SLT Newsletter and designer and web master of SLT’s web site. She also serves on the SLT Stewardship and Land Acquisition Committees, and co-stewards SLT’s Tatson’s Woods Preserve. Linda was Acting Chairman of the Committee that wrote Salem’s Open Space Plan, on the Committee that wrote Salem’s most recent “Plan of Conservation and Development,” a past member of the Eightmile River Wild & Scenic Coordinating Committee and is presently a member of the Management Committee for neighboring East Haddam’s Burnham Brook Preserve.
Vice-President– David Bingham– David is a founder of The Salem Land Trust. He is on the Board of the American Chestnut Foundation, CT Chapter, and manages an orchard of “mother trees” as part of a project to restore blight-resistant American Chestnuts to our forests. He is on the Board of the Eightmile River Wild and Scenic Coordinating Committee, the Burnham Brook Preserve Stewardship Committee, CT League of Conservation Voters, Rivers Alliance and Audubon Connecticut. He served on the Town of Salem’s Planning and Zoning Commission for over 35 years. David is an avid amateur ornithologist, naturalist, and leads numerous hikes and birding walks to educate the public on environmental issues. He manages family-owned and land trust-owned properties for biodiversity (especially for grassland, shrub land, and early succession forest species).
Treasurer–Richard Chyinski– Rich is a life long resident of Salem and joined the land trust in 1998. He has been SLT Treasurer since 2000 and served as Stewardship Committee Chair from 2000-2015. He is the Steward for The Nature Conservancy’s 400-acre Walden Preserve. Rich is also member and past Treasurer of the Connecticut Butterfly Association and for many years he has led educational butterfly walks all over the Northeast. When he travels, it is usually to search for butterflies in the US and abroad. He now serves on the Eightmile River Wild & Scenic Coordinating Committee and the Five-Town Trail Committee.
Secretary- Anita Rothblum- Anita moved to Salem at the end of 2008 and loves watching all the birds and animals (turkeys, deer, and occasionally coyotes, bobcats, and foxes) that wander through her yard. She joined the Salem Land Trust in 2009 and has spent several years assisting with stewardship, first on the Zemko Sawmill property, and now on the Big Brook Gorge and the Alf & Sylvia Bingham Preserves. As a member of the Outreach & Events Committee, Anita developed and analyzed a survey to help O&E understand what SLT members think of SLT events and what activities members enjoy when they visit SLT preserves. Professionally, Anita has a B.S. in Biology and in Psychology, and a Ph.D. in Experimental Psychology. She has worked for 36 years doing Human Factors. She retired in 2018 as a Research Psychologist for the U.S. Coast Guard Research & Development Center.
Elbert Burr– Elbie brings a strong background in Land Use law, Planning and Zoning, Zoning Board of Appeals, and conservation and wetlands protection to the SLT. He is a strong supporter of open space for controlled active and passive uses. Elbie is a past member of the Niantic River Watershed Committee and the Fishers Island Conservancy. He also brings a full background in water testing and proactive action to correct failed water tests. His financial and print knowledge brings good background to SLT’s fund raising efforts. Presently he also Chairs the Salem School Building Committee and has served on Salem’s Board of Selectmen.
Todd Butler, Stewardship Committee Co-Chair– Since 1987 Todd has worked at Pfizer, Groton, CT as a synthetic organic chemist and has been a Salem resident since 1994. He has served on SLT Board of Directors since 2001 and as Steward for the Shapere Easement. Todd was elected and served on the Salem Planning and Zoning Commission, 2004-2006. He is a Boy Scouts of America Volunteer serving 3 years as Assistant Scoutmaster, Troop 3, New London CT; 4 years as Den Leader / Assistant Den Leader, Pack 22, Salem, CT and 6 years as Asst. Scoutmaster/ Scoutmaster/Merit Badge Counselor/Adult Leadership Trainer, Troop 123, Salem CT. His Interests include medicinal and edible native plants, outdoor survival skills including tracking and gardening and hiking.
Maureen Cain-Membership, Outreach & Events Committee Chair– Maureen and her family moved to Salem in 1985, and she immediately started an inventory of the plants, mammals and birds seen on their property. Maureen joined the Salem Land Trust in 2000 and has been a Board Member since 2009 and Membership Committee Chair since 2010. She has also been an active member of Connecticut Audubon for over 20 years and enjoys traveling with that organization’s EcoTravel Program. She often helps host Eco-Travel’s local Day Trips. Although she and her husband are the owners of the Pack Creek Mobile Home Estates and Campground in Moab, UT and the Outpost Campground in Steinhatchee FL, Maureen calls Salem home. She loves the birding in Salem!
Alyssa McGurer-Alyssa grew up in Salem, and it was in part the Salem Land Trust’s trails and preserves that fostered her enduring passion for wild spaces and animals. She collaborated with the Salem Land Trust in high school to carry out a tree- and camera-trap survey in Zemko Sawmill Preserve. After graduating with a B.S. in Ecology and Evolutionary Biology from UConn in 2022, she joined the Salem Land Trust Board of Directors. Alyssa is an avid birder and naturalist, and is excited to bring her scientific training and enthusiasm to the Board. She is also working towards a Master’s degree in Biodiversity and Conservation Biology.
Kyle Gregoire, Stewardship Committee Co-Chair– Kyle and his family moved to Salem in 2018 and quickly fell in love with the great abundance of nearby trails, leading to his desire to get involved with the land trust as a steward. He is currently stewarding the Riverside and Darling Road Preserves. He has been both a Boy Scout in his youth as well as an adult leader, which has fostered his enjoyment and respect for nature. Kyle works at a regional nonprofit called “The Last Green Valley” in a community engagement and fundraising capacity and is a former board member of the Inter-district School for Arts & Communication in New London. He is an avid camper, hiker and trail runner and is also a card-carrying member of the Appalachian Mountain Club, Appalachian Trail Conservancy, Connecticut Forest & Park Association as well as the Civilian Conservation Corps Legacy Society.
Board of Directors
President– Linda K. Schroeder– In addition to serving as SLT President, and before that Vice-President, Linda has served on the SLT Membership Committee where her duties have included fundraising, membership, public relations, outreach, editor of the SLT Newsletter and designer and web master of SLT’s web site. She also serves on the SLT Stewardship and Land Acquisition Committees, and co-stewards SLT’s Tatson’s Woods Preserve. Linda was Acting Chairman of the Committee that wrote Salem’s Open Space Plan, on the Committee that wrote Salem’s most recent “Plan of Conservation and Development,” a past member of the Eightmile River Wild & Scenic Coordinating Committee and is presently a member of the Management Committee for neighboring East Haddam’s Burnham Brook Preserve.
Vice-President– David Bingham– David is a founder of The Salem Land Trust. He is on the Board of the American Chestnut Foundation, CT Chapter, and manages an orchard of “mother trees” as part of a project to restore blight-resistant American Chestnuts to our forests. He is on the Board of the Eightmile River Wild and Scenic Coordinating Committee, the Burnham Brook Preserve Stewardship Committee, CT League of Conservation Voters, Rivers Alliance and Audubon Connecticut. He served on the Town of Salem’s Planning and Zoning Commission for over 35 years. David is an avid amateur ornithologist, naturalist, and leads numerous hikes and birding walks to educate the public on environmental issues. He manages family-owned and land trust-owned properties for biodiversity (especially for grassland, shrub land, and early succession forest species).
Treasurer–Richard Chyinski– Rich is a life long resident of Salem and joined the land trust in 1998. He has been SLT Treasurer since 2000 and served as Stewardship Committee Chair from 2000-2015. He is the Steward for The Nature Conservancy’s 400-acre Walden Preserve. Rich is also member and past Treasurer of the Connecticut Butterfly Association and for many years he has led educational butterfly walks all over the Northeast. When he travels, it is usually to search for butterflies in the US and abroad. He now serves on the Eightmile River Wild & Scenic Coordinating Committee and the Five-Town Trail Committee.
Secretary- Anita Rothblum- Anita moved to Salem at the end of 2008 and loves watching all the birds and animals (turkeys, deer, and occasionally coyotes, bobcats, and foxes) that wander through her yard. She joined the Salem Land Trust in 2009 and has spent several years assisting with stewardship, first on the Zemko Sawmill property, and now on the Big Brook Gorge and the Alf & Sylvia Bingham Preserves. As a member of the Outreach & Events Committee, Anita developed and analyzed a survey to help O&E understand what SLT members think of SLT events and what activities members enjoy when they visit SLT preserves. Professionally, Anita has a B.S. in Biology and in Psychology, and a Ph.D. in Experimental Psychology. She has worked for 36 years doing Human Factors. She retired in 2018 as a Research Psychologist for the U.S. Coast Guard Research & Development Center.
Elbert Burr– Elbie brings a strong background in Land Use law, Planning and Zoning, Zoning Board of Appeals, and conservation and wetlands protection to the SLT. He is a strong supporter of open space for controlled active and passive uses. Elbie is a past member of the Niantic River Watershed Committee and the Fishers Island Conservancy. He also brings a full background in water testing and proactive action to correct failed water tests. His financial and print knowledge brings good background to SLT’s fund raising efforts. Presently he also Chairs the Salem School Building Committee and has served on Salem’s Board of Selectmen.
Todd Butler, Stewardship Committee Co-Chair– Since 1987 Todd has worked at Pfizer, Groton, CT as a synthetic organic chemist and has been a Salem resident since 1994. He has served on SLT Board of Directors since 2001 and as Steward for the Shapere Easement. Todd was elected and served on the Salem Planning and Zoning Commission, 2004-2006. He is a Boy Scouts of America Volunteer serving 3 years as Assistant Scoutmaster, Troop 3, New London CT; 4 years as Den Leader / Assistant Den Leader, Pack 22, Salem, CT and 6 years as Asst. Scoutmaster/ Scoutmaster/Merit Badge Counselor/Adult Leadership Trainer, Troop 123, Salem CT. His Interests include medicinal and edible native plants, outdoor survival skills including tracking and gardening and hiking.
Maureen Cain- Membership, Outreach & Events Committee Chair– Maureen and her family moved to Salem in 1985, and she immediately started an inventory of the plants, mammals and birds seen on their property. Maureen joined the Salem Land Trust in 2000 and has been a Board Member since 2009 and Membership Committee Chair since 2010. She has also been an active member of Connecticut Audubon for over 20 years and enjoys traveling with that organization’s EcoTravel Program. She often helps host Eco-Travel’s local Day Trips. Although she and her husband are the owners of the Pack Creek Mobile Home Estates and Campground in Moab, UT and the Outpost Campground in Steinhatchee FL, Maureen calls Salem home. She loves the birding in Salem!
Alyssa McGurer-Alyssa grew up in Salem, and it was in part the Salem Land Trust’s trails and preserves that fostered her enduring passion for wild spaces and animals. She collaborated with the Salem Land Trust in high school to carry out a tree- and camera-trap survey in Zemko Sawmill Preserve. After graduating with a B.S. in Ecology and Evolutionary Biology from UConn in 2022, she joined the Salem Land Trust Board of Directors. Alyssa is an avid birder and naturalist, and is excited to bring her scientific training and enthusiasm to the Board. She is also working towards a Master’s degree in Biodiversity and Conservation Biology.
Kyle Gregoire, Stewardship Committee Co-Chair– Kyle and his family moved to Salem in 2018 and quickly fell in love with the great abundance of nearby trails, leading to his desire to get involved with the land trust as a steward. He is currently stewarding the Riverside and Darling Road Preserves. He has been both a Boy Scout in his youth as well as an adult leader, which has fostered his enjoyment and respect for nature. Kyle works at a regional nonprofit called “The Last Green Valley” in a community engagement and fundraising capacity and is a former board member of the Inter-district School for Arts & Communication in New London. He is an avid camper, hiker and trail runner and is also a card-carrying member of the Appalachian Mountain Club, Appalachian Trail Conservancy, Connecticut Forest & Park Association as well as the Civilian Conservation Corps Legacy Society.