Bartelt endowment supports water quality work

The late Gordon Bartelt

December, 2006 -- Thanks to a generous gift from Margaret Bartelt of Little Rock, The Nature Conservancy now has a permanent endowment to support its water quality efforts in Arkansas. Margaret worked with the Conservancy earlier this year to create the Gordon Bartelt Water Quality Fund in honor of her late husband. Gordon, an avid outdoorsman who had master’s degrees in aquatic biology and civil engineering, died in July 2005.

“Gordon loved the outdoors, particularly Arkansas’ Ozark Mountains and pristine streams,” Margaret said. In fact, it was a float trip on the Buffalo River in 1983 that sparked the couple’s passion for the state’s natural treasures. The very next year they moved from their home in Omaha, Nebraska, to Arkansas, where they became active in the Arkansas Canoe Club, the Ozark Society, and the Sierra Club in addition to The Nature Conservancy. For years, Gordon shared his skills in paddle sports as an instructor with the Arkansas Canoe Club’s Canoe School.
Considering her husband’s lifelong interest in river conservation, working with the Conservancy to establish a water quality fund seemed only natural, Margaret said.

Interest generated from the endowment will create a lasting source of funding for a wide variety of water-related conservation activities in Arkansas, such as aquatic species inventories, stream restorations, hydrology studies, landowner outreach and pollution prevention measures.

If you are interested in directing a gift to the Gordon Bartelt Water Quality Fund, contact Susan Borné at (501) 614-5071 or sborne@tnc.org.

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