“Any job very well done that has been carried out by a person who is fully dedicated is always a source of inspiration.” -Carlos Ghosn
We said farewell to our Director of Land Protection, Jassy Bratko, this past June as she retired from her position. Jassy served on the Board of Directors for NCLT from 2012-2017 until NCLT needed her skills and knowledge as the organization transitioned to new leadership. Jassy stepped up with her characteristic soft spoken grace and incredible work ethic.
During her time from 2017-2022, she saw the improvement of all of NCLT’s public conservation areas, updating trail maps, clearing and marking trails, and creating new trail networks. Along with NCLT’s “2019 Volunteer of the Year” and husband, Tom Bratko, as her stalwart support, she oversaw the installation of bridges at Dwelly Farm, Rome, and Underwood conservation areas. Her land protection projects included the completion of 7 projects and 2 assists protecting more than 280 acres in 8 different towns in north central Massachusetts. She organized volunteer trail work days for United Way Day of Caring, informational Landowner Workshops, and was instrumental in writing NCLT’s 2019 Strategic Conservation Plan, among so many other duties, projects and tasks. Jassy’s careful, kind, and conscientious nature put the landowners she worked with at ease, while making sure NCLT was able to move forward responsibly with multiple projects at once. She is a dedicated conservationist and passionate champion for access to nature for all.
She will be sorely missed, but assures us she’s not going far and made sure we put her on our land volunteer list. We hope she has a happy retirement and can’t wait to hear about all her new adventures! From the bottom of our hearts, thank you, Jassy!
