A Lifetime of Adventure and a Legacy of Resilience
“Catalina Island changes you. Experiencing such rare ecosystems firsthand and building lifelong friendships with the Island community gives us a powerful sense of hope and optimism for the future. We’re proud to support the Catalina Island Conservancy and help ensure future generations have the chance to visit, learn about conservation, and become the leaders and stewards our natural world so urgently needs.”
Catalina Island has long been a cherished getaway for outdoor enthusiasts Brian and Lori Rennie from Joshua Tree, California. The couple visit multiple times a year to enjoy its rugged beauty and unique ecology, as well as the welcoming community committed to preserving it. Over decades of hiking, exploring, and flying into the Airport in the Sky in Brian’s private plane, their connection to Catalina Island has only deepened.
Brian and Lori see preserving Catalina Island as a natural extension of their conservation efforts in their desert home just outside Joshua Tree National Park. For Brian, a lifelong passion for the outdoors—including rock climbing and mountaineering—was forged at an early age through his adventures with the Boy Scouts. His connection to Catalina Island began in the 1970s, when he spent 6 months at the USC Marine Lab doing research for his master’s degree in marine biology. Lori, a Chicago native, quickly discovered her own passion for nature after meeting Brian in 1999. She founded a youth outdoor education nonprofit for public school students, driven by her belief in cultivating the next generation of environmental stewards—a value deeply aligned with the Catalina Island Conservancy’s own youth programs and education mission.
Brian and Lori chose the Ironwood Society, the Conservancy’s planned giving program, to help ensure a resilient future for this natural wonder. Named for the endemic Catalina ironwood tree (Lyonothamnus floribundus ssp. floribundus), one of the most ancient living organisms on the Island, the Ironwood Society offers several ways to make a difference. Members can choose to make their gifts by will or trust, name the Conservancy in their assets, give through an IRA charitable rollover, or support the Conservancy and generate income through a charitable remainder trust, among many other personalized options. Each gift helps protect and restore Catalina’s endemic and native species, accelerate conservation science, expand environmental education, and create responsible outdoor recreation and cultural experiences.