The Nature Conservancy. Protecting nature. Preserving life.™

The Nature Conservancy honored Harriet Bullitt and 18 other Conservation Heroes at its 50^th anniversary Born To Be Wild celebration, Wednesday, Oct. 27^th, in Seattle.

An evening that was all about honoring Conservation Heroes of the last 50 years also came with a message—we need to find the Heroes for the future. Dr. Jane Goodall, the keynote speaker, told the crowd of more than 550 Nature Conservancy supporters, “It would be useless to battle as these heroes have battled, as you have battled, if we don’t bring along the new generations of children. Don’t let these 50 years go to waste.”

Her message was echoed by Karen Anderson, the Conservancy’s Washington director, in her closing remarks. “Tonight, the only thing I’m asking you is to bring us your children. Teach them about the steady work of conservation. We work at the pace that trees grow, but our work lasts forever.”

The celebration also featured electrifying performances by Tlingit storyteller Gene Tagaban and Gansango, a Seattle-based African music and dance troupe. Roger Milliken, Jr., chairman of The Nature Conservancy’s worldwide board of directors, flew in from Maine for the celebration and presented scarves and carved wooden boxes to Heroes present at the event: Dr. Dee Boersma, Polly Dyer, Kathy Fletcher, Billy Frank Jr., Dr. Jerry Franklin, Russell Jim, Rick Leaumont, Gov. Dan Evans, Elliot Marks and William D. Ruckelshaus. And the Conservancy honored the memories of Ric Weiland, one of the five founding employees of Microsoft, and quintessential Seattle philanthropist Patsy Collins, for lasting legacies to The Nature Conservancy.

Harriet Bullitt was honored with an Owl drum, created by Makah artist Micah McCarty, and a dance presentation by Gene Tagaban.

“Harriet Bullitt knocks holes in the walls that separate us,” said Eliot Scull, a member of the Conservancy’s Washington board, in announcing the award. “She has a zeal and a passion for community, nature and the arts, and has brought them all together to benefit our natural world. We are tremendously grateful for her care of the natural world.”

In addition to Harriet Bullitt, other heroes honored were:

• Dr. Dee Boersma, for showing us the impact of human activity and climate change on marine ecosystems.
• Polly Dyer, for protecting the Washington coast and wilderness throughout the state and country.
• Kathy Fletcher, executive director of People for Puget Sound, for decades of fighting for the cleanup of Puget Sound.
• Billy Frank Jr., for his leadership in restoring tribal treaty rights and protecting salmon for future generations.
• Dr. Jerry Franklin, for transforming how we think of and manage old-growth forests.
• Russell Jim, of the Yakama Nation, for advocating to reclaim the land of eastern Washington from the nuclear legacy of Hanford.
• Rick Leaumont, for fighting to save the Hanford Reach from dams and development.
• Gov. Mike Lowry and Gov. Dan Evans, for founding the Washington Wildlife and Recreation Coalition, and making the environment a state government priority.
• Elliot Marks, for being the first director of The Nature Conservancy in Washington.
• William D. Ruckelshaus, for being the founding administrator of the EPA, and strong advocacy for Puget Sound.
• Joan Thomas, for her role in creating the Washington Wildlife and Recreation Coalition.

The Conservancy also honored Conservation Heroes in philanthropy:

• Paul Allen and Jody Allen, for advancing forest conservation with The Nature Conservancy worldwide
• Holly and Henry Wendt, for support of Washington’s coastal temperate rainforest

And the Conservancy honored the memories of Ric Weiland, one of the five founding employees of Microsoft, and quintessential Seattle philanthropist Patsy Collins, for lasting legacies to The Nature Conservancy. Their visionary gifts are transforming conservation in Washington, the Northwest, and the world.