Leaving a Legacy

At the end of each interview last week, we asked the candidates for my position if they had any questions for us. One of the candidates turned and asked me: "Given TNC is all about tangible, long lasting results, after 19 years on Yellow what would I say were my tangible, long lasting results?" Wow! I felt like this was my exit interview. I immediately jumped to one of my favorite activities on Yellow, seed collecting. I love to collect seed, to clean them, to plant them whether in beds, trays or out on the island. These are my babies and what will represent the island in the future and I've been intimately involved with each and everyone. It is both tangible and long lasting.

Since that response I've thought about the question a lot. While my original thoughts immediately jumped to the physical island itself for tangible, long lasting results, there is another way to look at it. Today we had 60 donors in our legacy club visit the island. We will have another 60 tomorrow and another 120 the first weekend in May. These people all have TNC in their will and this is their legacy of tangible, long lasting results. I couldn't, TNC couldn't, succeed in our mission without these generous donors.

These donors like to know that their dollars are making a difference. Yellow Island is a perfect place to showcase how TNC works in multiple arenas: in the terrestrial habitat using science to figure out what is the best way to maintain an anthropogenic prairie, in the marine environment working with WDFW to ensure the marine protected area (MPA) around Yellow and Low islands stays protected, and also the cultural aspect of maintaining the historic Dodd cabin as a residence for the steward. In all three cases TNC is making tangible, long lasting results. And as for me, I am the one who has been blessed over the last 19+ years to push our mission forward in these areas.

So my other legacy that I'm proud of that I hope has tangible, long lasting results is that I inspired others to appreciate and in their own way work to protect the environment. It's similar to planting seeds: plant one and the plant grows with multiple seeds each growing with multiple seeds etc. It's called exponential growth. (I used to be a math instructor in a former life.)  Likewise with the people we inspire. It is this exponential growth in human buy in that will eventually save this planet, our Mother Earth.

Some cell phone shots from today's donor trip.