Donor Spotlight

When it comes to protecting nature, Arizonans and avid birders Sue Hart-Wadley and Searle Wadley have always thought ahead.

In the 1990s, they donated 100 acres of the beloved northeastern Illinois property they called home into a conservation easement. Affectionately dubbed “Wadley’s Wing Haven,” the land was prime for development—but today, thanks to Sue and Searle’s foresight, its varied ecosystems will remain intact habitat for nesting sandhill cranes, yellow-headed blackbirds, beavers and other wildlife in perpetuity.

The easement was just the beginning of their long-standing relationship with The Nature Conservancy, which consulted on the project. “The more familiarity we’ve gotten with TNC, the more we’ve appreciated their ability to bring opposing sides to a table and rationally discuss scientific solutions to sticky problems,” says Searle. “And we see that large impact that TNC can make, being the large organization that it is,” Sue adds.

The couple’s support of TNC has continued for decades. Twenty-five years ago, they left Illinois’ savannas, prairies and wetlands for Arizona’s pleasant weather. Soon after, they began to look at how best to support projects in the Southwest. “We got really serious about estate planning,” says Searle, “and it became obvious that we also have an opportunity to give now.”

Sue and Searle decided to protect nature for future generations by including TNC in their estate plan, and they also wanted to support conservation efforts today. “The urgency around climate change is really paramount,” Sue says.

Recently, they generously donated appreciated securities to TNC, which provide immediate funds for conservation and may result in tax savings for the giver. As a result of their gift, the pace and scale of forest restoration work in northern Arizona—and in fact across the entire region—have been rapidly transformed. TNC’s Arizona team is restoring a staggering 300 acres of western dry forest every single week, and two new tools have been developed and shared with conservation partners and scientists.

“We’ve been very impressed with the reforestation project,” says Sue. “And to see the fruits of what we’ve donated come to fruition like that in a relatively short period of time is rather remarkable.”

“We hope others will consider giving now in addition to leaving a legacy,” says Searle. “It is very gratifying to see the direct benefits in action: We look at this as an investment, and we’re seeing some of the dividends."