Deborah Dancik, Nature Canada member and legacy donor, shares her story on why she chose to support our organization.

I grew up around the Great Lakes and came of age during the time of acid rain. The pollution in Lake Erie was just awful and heartbreaking to me. Part of Lake Erie was considered dead! The toxic pesticide DDT was damaging birds and eggs. I was involved in the very first Earth Day in 1970. It was a real “rock your socks” period and was the beginning of the modern environmental movement. And I came to understand that protecting and restoring nature was all about the common good.

My passion for birds, waterfowl, wetland and wetland conservation continued to develop when I moved to the prairies and started exploring local bird sanctuaries. That’s how I first heard about Nature Canada. I was impressed with the science-based approach and connection to the Audubon Society. It was—and still is—important to me to support an organization with a local, provincial, national and international voice.

Right now, one of the most important issues to me is air and water quality. As members of Nature Canada, there is strength in our numbers. For doing advocacy or lobbying work, you need many voices. You also need a strong national voice, supported by the grassroots. Nature Canada has a strong and measured voice. They know when to push, when to shout and when to whisper. Nature Canada has also been very smart, very shrewd, about cultivating partner and allies.

When it comes to leaving Nature Canada in my Will, it comes down to this. If Nature Canada is something I’ve cared about this long, why wouldn’t I carry that forward into the future? I give every year, and I reaffirm my decision every year. I think to myself, ‘do I still want to give, does this match my values?’ and the answer is always ‘yes!’.

I trust Nature Canada because they have a long and distinguished track record. I know that projects and priorities change and I’m comfortable with that. I don’t need to control everything from beyond the grave. I hope that my gift will be used in a way that meets the urgency of the day. If you really want to impact the future, if you really want to impact the world that our children, grandchildren, nieces and nephews will move into…there could not be a better way to give and support our common good than a gift to the environment.