By Connie and Peter Roop, Natural Resources Foundation of Wisconsin members
The Roops in the Antarctic.
While hiking the Osa peninsula of Costa Rica with the Natural Resources Foundation, the deadly fer de lance, one of the most venomous snakes on Earth, slithered right between us. We looked at each other and agreed—it was time to make our will.
We are both deeply committed to the natural world. So “naturally” we turned to the Natural Resources Foundation. We learned of the Foundation’s conservation endowment program,which provides people the opportunity to establish a permanent fund for the conservation cause they care most about, either in their lifetimes or through a future bequest.
This unique and worthy organization worked closely with us to help us dedicate a gift to the Foundation in our estate plans and to start an endowed fund in our lifetimes called the Connie and Peter Roop Fund. We started our endowed fund by creating an acorn fund with a small amount of “seed” money, and we add to our fund each year.
Our endowed fund will help preserve critical habitat for the more than 40 species of Wisconsin’s migrating birds that find refuge over the winter in the Osa (saving poisonous snakes, too), as well as provide opportunities for Wisconsin children and adults to participate in environmental field experiences in Wisconsin through the Foundation’s extensive field trip program. Thanks to the fearsome fer de lnce we have begun an endowment we never dreamed of creating before our time in the Osa.
The opportunity to create a permanent, endowed fund tailored to support our environmental priorities is a privilege. We find great joy in the difference our fund will make supporting our educational and conservation ethic long into the future, when we are no longer here to support those causes ourselves.
To make a donation to the Connie and Peter Roop Fund in support of the Osa Peninsula, write in the name of the fund on the Foundation’s donation page.