BUCKSPORT — Great Pond Mountain Conservation Trust (GPMCT) honored Bob Gomes of Bucksport as 2014/15 Volunteer of the Year at the land trust’s annual meeting in July.

In his two years of volunteering for the local conservation organization, Gomes has slogged through miles of snow and ice to check wood duck boxes, staffed booths at events like the Cabin Fever Reliever, Bucksport Bay Festival and Orland Gun Show. He also helped chaperone 75 sixth graders from Bucksport Middle School on a field trip to Orland’s Great Pond Mountain Wildlands.

He has taken a number of opportunities to educate himself in the business of running a land trust, attending the past two Maine Land Conservation Conferences and other workshops. Gomes also sits on GPMCT’s Stewardship Committee.  He has become the road commissioner of sorts, taking on the gargantuan task of locating by GPS and marking the 130 culverts on Wildlands roads.

He has spent many hours on GPMCT’s tractor since last summer, mowing, grading, raking and enduring hot sun, blackflies, deerflies and every other kind of fly. As a retiree from Lane Construction, Gomes encouraged the company to grade over four miles of multi use trails as a donation. This effort saved the trust many hours and thousands of dollars in maintenance.

Gomes lives in Bucksport with his wife, Ruth, who also volunteers for GPMCT.