FREEPORT

Jeff Ryan will be the presenter at the Freeport Conservation Trust annual meeting on Thursday, May 25, at 7 p.m. at the Freeport Community Center, located at 53 Depot St.

The public is invited to the free event and there will be refreshments.

“Freeport Conservation Trust is pleased to offer our members and the public the opportunity to hear an interesting speaker as part of our annual meeting,” said Kathy Damon, FCT president. “At the event we will also review the highlights of FCT’s activities in 2016-17. These include protection of Winterwood Farm by a conservation easement and acquisition of an additional parcel in the Cousins River marsh, along with many walks and public events, and the addition of new trails to our extensive selection of public access opportunities.

“This is the 40th year that FCT has been conserving special places in Freeport and offering trails for people to get out in the woods and to the shore,” added Damon.

Ryan is the author of “Appalachian Odyssey,” published in 2016, about his 28- year-long adventure hiking the Appalachian Trail. He will share stories and photos, wit and wisdom.

As Ryan will recount, when two friends went for a day hike in Maine in 1985, they had no idea they were starting a 2,100-mile, 28-year adventure.

Inspired by Ryan’s trail journals, “Appalachian Odyssey” is not a “how to” guide, but an enduring story told through a refreshing blend of history, photography and anecdote. This Appalachian Trail book is an uplifting reminder that the most meaningful accomplishments in life rarely happen overnight, but are achieved by making steady progress toward our goals.

Hailed as “destined to be a classic of nature and travel writing” by the former executive editor of National Geographic, “Appalachian Odyssey” is an inspiring journey from beginning to end.

Ryan is also the author of “Blazing Ahead: Benton MacKaye, Myron Avery and the Rivalry that Built the Appalachian Trail,” the story of how the Appalachian Trail was conceived and built. The book will be published by the Appalachian Mountain Club and available in September.

Freeport Conservation Trust’s mission is to protect, preserve and connect open space lands and provide public access to natural areas in Freeport, including forests, farmland, scenic vistas, wildlife habitat and shoreland.