From left, Congressman Mike Thompson; Charlotte Griswold and Wilda Shock, the Lake County Land Trust's Supporters of the Year; and Pete McGee, president of the Lake County Land Trust at the group's annual dinner on Saturday, October 9, 2010, at the Moore Family Winery in Kelseyville, Calif. Courtesy photo.

KELSEYVILLE, Calif. – The 11th Lake County Land Trust annual benefit dinner was a great evening at the Moore Family Winery, with a sold-out crowd, delicious food, music, speakers and more.

The annual Land Trust dinner is a fundraising effort by the Lake County Land Trust, a nonprofit organization dedicated to preserving valuable habitat and open space in Lake County.

This year the dinner was held at the Moore Family Winery, a beautiful venue that provided a lovely setting for the annual dinner.

The silent auction brought many generous bids, music by Tom Nixon and Doug Kauffman during the social hour was enjoyed, and speakers, including Peter Windrem and Congressman Mike Thompson, delivered interesting addresses.

Two Lake County Land Trust Supporters of the Year were honored: Wilda Shock and Charlotte Griswold. Both women were honored for their ongoing support of the land trust, including volunteering at the Rodman Slough Preserve nature education center.

Peter Windrem, featured speaker for the evening, gave a fascinating talk on the history of the Clear Lake Hitch, or “Chi” and how the effort to preserve Clear Lake’s remaining native fish tie in with efforts by the Lake County Land Trust to preserve the remaining habitat along the shore of Clear Lake from the Clear Lake State Park to the south part of Lakeport.

Congressman Thompson praised the land trust’s efforts and also presented congressional certificates to the trust’s Supporters of the Year.

Land Trust President Pete McGee reviewed the trust’s activities over the year, including introducing the trust’s new executive director, Catherine Koehler.

Jon Ambrose, land trust secretary, was an able master of ceremonies, keeping the program moving and introducing the speakers.

Ciao Thyme caterers delivered a delicious meal and wines were provided by both the Moore Family Winery and numerous Lake County wineries.

The Lake County Land Trust is membership-supported organization. The trust owns and operates the Rodman Slough Preserve and Nature Education Center near Upper Lake, as well as the Rabbit Hill park in Middletown.

For more information about the trust, go to www.lakecountylandtrust.org.