There are countless ways our members support The Nature Conservancy. Perhaps none is more personally fulfilling than joining the Legacy Club, which was established in 1993 to recognize the commitment of those who have named the Conservancy in their estate plans.

The Texas program’s Legacy Club comprises nearly 450 dedicated individuals from across the state. They believe in our mission and take to heart the responsibility and desire to conserve lands and waters for future generations.

In 2006, our Legacy Club welcomed its first multi-generational family when Roger and Phyllis Sherman joined their daughter Sue Morrison in its ranks. Originally from Minnesota, Roger and Phyllis have called Texas home for more than a decade. Sue was already a longtime supporter when she convinced her parents to become active in the Conservancy. That led to a number of visits to preserves and projects around the state.

One of those trips was to the Clive Runnells Family Mad Island Marsh Preserve in Matagorda County, where the lush coastal prairies reminded the Shermans of Minnesota’s own southern prairies. The Clive Runnells Family Mad Island Marsh Preserve is the site of the Conservancy’s Coastal Education Program, which provides programs for schoolchildren in kindergarten through twelfth grade as well as teacher training programs in environmental education.

The Shermans decided immediately to make a lasting gift, one that would improve Mad Island Marsh Preserve and benefit Texas children for years to come. Thanks to their generosity, the Conservancy will soon begin construction on an annex to the existing outreach and education center that will increase the facility’s capacity, allowing us to host more programs with increased participants. Through their past generosity andmembership in the Legacy Club, the Shermans have found a way to protect the grasslands they love so much while creating a conservation legacy that will stand untouched by time. In doing so, they have realized the very essence of the Legacy Club.

Nature picture credits (top to bottom, left to right): Photo courtesy of Phyllis and Roger Sherman; Photo © John Eriksson (geese); Photo © Dan Tharp (cattle drive)