Living
Legacies
Bequests
for Land Acquisitions
Nicole
Haddock
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Living
Legacies |
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| “For 20 years the NPWS’s annual basic land acquisition budget has been $2 to 4 million. In 1979 that may have bought 20 parcels of land … today it will purchase only a few.” (National Parks Association of NSW)
A bequest to support land conservation is a gift to many; to current and future generations and to both people and wildlife. Bequests may create a new national park or protect a threatened species. For more than three decades the Foundation for National Parks and Wildlife has gratefully accepted donations and bequests of land suitable for nature conservation. They can be gifts of actual wilderness land, or of any assets providing us with the means to purchase land worth protecting. When the Foundation receives a bequest of property or money it sources suitable projects to fulfil the will of our benefactors. The following two examples of bequests made to the Foundation illustrate how different these projects can be in support of the common goal of land and animal conservation. The first one is for habitat preservation and the second for land acquisition but both reflect two women who shared a passion for land and its inhabitants. Their generosity and foresight allowed the National Parks & Wildlife Service to source suitable projects which would benefit the natural world and fulfil their personal wishes.
Looking after your Friends The late Eulie Sandrey bequeathed $20,000 for wetland preservation. From its portfolio of projects the Foundation chose a research project that helps scientists develop a general understanding of how to manage these sensitive habitats across Australia. Ms Sandrey’s legacy funded a biodiversity study into Mother of Ducks Lagoon Nature Reserve in Northern NSW. It is a haven for at least 87 species of birds and 2 species of endangered frogs. Neil Sims, a PhD student from Canberra University carried out the study to understand the processes that underpin the biodiversity in the lagoon. He was able to look at what would be required to best support its growth in the years to come. Through Eulie’s bequest, Neil prepared the Mother of Ducks Lagoon for RAMSAR listing. This would recognise the lagoon as a wetland of international significance and offer permanent protection of the site. For Mother of Ducks to join the list would be a fitting memorial to Eulie Sandrey whose wish was to preserve the wetlands for the future.
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Leaving your Mark
Her friends knew her as ‘Kitty’. The late Catherine Clare White was born in Wollongong in 1912 and grew up passionate about the outdoors. She wanted to ensure others continued to experience the same joy she had when camping and walking in the surrounding bushland. She visited many park areas but Morton National Park was known to be her favourite. Kitty left the Foundation a bequest of nearly than $1 million to buy more wilderness land for national parks. It was therefore decided, with the assistance of her executors, that her generous bequest should be used to secure new land for this park.
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