Celebrating Our Supporters on Earth Day

We’ve heard many interesting and important reasons from our supporters about why they care about protecting nature. Of the many reflections, we heard the following motivations:

• Revisiting childhood adventures by exploring ponds, parks or backyards
• Enjoying the peace of mind felt while walking in the woods or taking in a scenic view
• Creating special memories with family and friends
• Recognizing we all depend on sustainable natural resources management
• Wanting to combat the effects of climate change in your hometown and across the world
• Ensuring that special greenspaces exist for people and wildlife in 10, 50 or even 100 years

Read on to learn a bit more about supporters who shared their stories with us. You might resonate with Emily Long, our long-time supporter from Colorado, who wants to protect nature because it has always felt like home. Or you may be feeling the urgency to protect our planet along with Scott, our monthly donor from California.

Get To Know Our Supporters

Emily Long, Colorado

What do you do for work?
I’m an Environmental compliance specialist.

What is your favorite outdoor activity?
My favorite outdoor activity is rock climbing

Why do you love nature?
I love nature because it has always felt like home to me. As a kid I was always climbing trees, rolling in dirt and finding cool bugs. It made me grounded and comfortable with who I am today.

As we approach Earth Day, do you feel urgency to protect our planet? Why?
Of course, I feel an urgency to protect our planet. The Earth is struggling, and it’s our home; I want to be able to enjoy its beauty for a long time to come.

We know there are a lot of environmental charities to choose from. What about The Conservation helped you decide to support our conservation work?
The Conservation Fund has always felt like a positive driving force to me.

Scott Winkler, California

What do you do for work?
I work as a software engineer.

What is your favorite outdoor activity?
My favorite outdoor activity is horseback riding.

Why do you love nature?
When I was growing up, I was in the Boy Scouts and we did a lot of camping and hiking. Even today I go on an annual backpacking trip with my dad — it’s our form of bonding. Spending time in nature is all that is required to appreciate it.

As we approach Earth Day, do you feel urgency to protect our planet? Why?
Reading about the endless environmental catastrophes happening in the news, it is disheartening to imagine what the world will look like in 30 or 50 years if the status quo is maintained. Now more than ever, it’s important that action be taken to protect our planet.

We know there are a lot of environmental charities to choose from. What about The Conservation helped you decide to support our conservation work?
I like the transparency of the spending reports and knowing that 95% of annual funding goes directly to protecting at-risk land and waters for future generations to enjoy.

This Earth Day, we’ll be celebrating Emily, Scott and all of our supporters. We hope that you’ll take a moment to celebrate your own commitment to conservation and share why you love nature and The Conservation Fund with your friends, family and neighbors to keep the momentum going.