Just after they were introduced to each other over 30 years ago by mutual friends, Suzanne and Robert started visiting Catalina Island. Now both retired from the motion picture industry, their love of exploring Catalina Island by land and air has inspired them to support the Catalina Island Conservancy.
“In the beginning, we were just interested in short getaways from our busy work schedules but we both immediately fell in love with the town of Avalon and with the rest of the Island. As pilots, we were also fortunate to be able to fly out to the Catalina Airport a few times! Great fun!
“We both love hiking, and we started doing that from our very first visit to the Island. Although we were vaguely aware of Catalina’s history and environmental attributes, it wasn’t until we had made a few more trips out that we began to learn much more about all that and about the work of the Conservancy. We started with a basic membership and then, over the last 25 years or so, we have gradually increased our commitment. We have also taken the Conservancy’s naturalist training courses to become more familiar with the specific challenges facing the Conservancy.
“We are both retired and have no children, so we recently made a decision to become Leadership Circle members and to also join the Ironwood Society as a way for us to offer our own legacy for the preservation and restoration of our absolutely favorite place. Since we are long-time Southern California residents, it seemed most appealing to us that we keep the bulk of our giving local. We became particularly interested in the delicate balance between recreation and the environmental conservation of the island. We like the Conservancy’s efforts to make those two things work well together.
“Catalina Island is an incredible gem that we hope will continue to survive and thrive long after our time on Earth is over. We are both happy and proud to be able to share our love for Catalina and the Conservancy with all those who already understand its value and with those who we hope will come to discover that value.”