Faces of Conservation

Sue Towers & Bob Slavin: Registering for Nature

Unlike many couples planning their weddings, Sue Towers and Bob Slavin were not consumed with registering for dishes or DVD players. More important to them . . . . donations. Last year, they requested that the 120 family and friends attending their October 3rd wedding in Bethany Beach consider donating to The Nature Conservancy of Delaware in lieu of gifts.

“This is a marriage later in life for both of us,” shares Towers, a public relations specialist at Beebe Medical Center in Lewes. “While we wanted to celebrate the occasion with friends and family, we didn’t desire material possessions of any kind.”

A native of southern California, Towers has enjoyed living near the beach in Lewes since 2003. However, she was surprised at the small percentage of lands and waters being preserved for fish and wildlife. After volunteering at several of the Conservancy’s annual horseshoe crab counts along the Delaware Bay, Towers found an organization pursuing a cause that was close to her heart.

“For me, Sussex County has begun resembling the southern California I witnessed as a child in the 1950’s and 60’s,” comments Towers. “When I visit there today, it is wall-to-wall houses.”

Slavin, manager of the Prudential Gallo real estate office in Rehoboth Beach and Delaware native, adds, “People move here because of the natural beauty. But the very appeal that brings them here is slowly being destroyed.”

In directing donations to The Nature Conservancy, Towers and Slavin showed creativity, a voluntary approach and inclusiveness – the same qualities that attracted them to the organization. Their generosity not only brought awareness to their guests about conserving Delaware’s natural heritage and open spaces, it also benefited the state forests, rivers, wetlands and especially, its beaches. Many thanks to the happy couple and congratulations!