HONORING A LEGACY
A Father’s Gift
Bruce Haberichter loved being out in nature. For over a decade, Bruce volunteered at the Waterfall Glen Forest Preserve in DuPage County, Illinois. “He organized groups of people who would meet each month to clear and take care of a savanna on the preserve,” said his father, Jean Haberichter. A not-so-typical volunteer task that Bruce undertook at the preserve was monitoring the amphibians. “He had an ear for frogs,” Jean said with a laugh. “I would go with him on occasion, but I wasn’t much help.” Bruce would venture out in the evenings with a cassette recorder to document how many species of frogs he could hear on the savanna and the strength of the sounds. “He could pick out what sound went with what species,” said Jean. “They could then monitor the health of the savanna by
the data he collected, and the number of species he identified.” Bruce was meticulous in everything he did as an electrical engineer and active steward of the outdoors. When he passed away in 2010, his family planted a tree in his memory at Waterfall Glen. But Jean wanted to do more. “I knew of The Nature Conservancy, and I liked their approach to protecting land,” he said. To honor Bruce’s commitment to nature, the Haberichter family made a generous gift to TNC in his memory. “He loved the outdoors,” said Jean. “It’s what my son would have wanted.” Now, living just outside of St. Louis, Jean enjoys reading about the work of TNC, knowing that Bruce’s legacy and passion for conservation continues to make a difference in the world.
Define Your Legacy Over the years, thousands of individuals from all walks of life have taken action to protect our natural world for future generations through legacy giving. Many of these passionately committed supporters choose to join The Legacy Club, a distinction for those who have included TNC in their estate plans or established a life-income gift. Legacy benefactors understand the long-term nature of our work and want to support conservation beyond their lifetime. Their gifts provide financial support and inspiration to keep our conservation work going strong through times of great uncertainty. Legacy gifts are not only meaningful for the giver but are pivotal to our success in advancing conservation outcomes. We honor every legacy through our work and thank them for making a lasting commitment to protect lands and waters for generations to come. To learn more about how you can join The Legacy Club, contact Mona at (314) 968-1105 ext. 1118 or at mona.monteleone@tnc.org
THIS PAGE TOP Bruce Haberichter © Courtesy of Jean Haberichter; BOTTOM Black-eyed Susan © Carrie Blythe
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