Stories from the Field

In December 2019, Ivy Archer Winters called NatureBridge CEO Phil Kilbridge with a two-part piece of news: her mother Doris Archer Winters had died at the age of 98, and the organization’s capital campaign for the Golden Gate National Recreation campus (GOGA) was finished.

“I was overwhelmed by this news,” says Phil. “Ivy had shared slowly over the course of four years that NatureBridge was in Doris’s estate plans, but we didn’t know any other details.”

Thanks to Ivy — a GOGA Board member and former National Board member — Doris had left $489,000 to NatureBridge via her charitable trust.

“The wildest part? I never met Doris.” says Phil.

How did this gift come to be?

Kim Gesicki-Robinson retired from Merryhill Elementary School in 2019 after spending 30+ years as a teacher, and nearly as many years bringing her students to NatureBridge. After speaking with her for a short time, it’s no surprise that she’d find a way to bring kids into the outdoors even after retirement. It was some of the most meaningful work she did as a teacher, and it was some of the most meaningful time the students spent with her.

“I have former students of mine, some of them in their 30s and 40s, who came to visit me after I retired and all they talked about was our time at NatureBridge.”

Davis Wright Tremaine LLP is one of NatureBridge’s 50th Anniversary sponsors. We spoke with Martin L. Fineman, one of Davis Wright Tremaine LLP’s partners, about the law firm’s longtime relationship with NatureBridge.

"It has been our pleasure to help NatureBridge on a pro bono basis with a variety of legal matters. Just in the last few years, 27 different Davis Wright Tremaine LLP lawyers have performed pro bono work for NatureBridge...The work done to bring children to the outdoors and expose them to the environment is absolutely vital. We have enjoyed being a sponsor of NatureBridge for years, and want to wish the organization a very happy 50th anniversary."

"I used to ice climb quite a bit and often without a rope. In 1998, I took a 100 foot fall...and I was in a wheelchair for months. I also shattered my femur and broke my shoulder a year ago in a really bad paragliding accident in Mexico. So...yeah, I’ve banged up a few things.”

Listening to these injuries listed off one after another, it’s easy to believe you’re hearing from an X-Games athlete or a professional adrenaline junkie; a thrill-seeker and risk-taker of the highest order. Who you’re actually hearing from is Jeff Crow, NatureBridge’s Director of Risk Management.

At a scenic dock in Golden Gate National Recreation Area’s Crissy Field, a tall, metallic pole stands out against the beautiful coastal view—it represents best estimates of sea level rise. The high end marker towers more than five feet above the heads of curious visitors, a startling, tangible reminder of the potential devastation climate change. The Golden Gate wayside installation was the first of its kind created by the National Park Service, so it comes as little surprise that the park is the future home to another inspiring focal point of climate change education: NatureBridge’s Climate Science Lab.

Bob Hansen joined Yosemite Institute in the very early years as assistant program manager. He soon became campus director and spent six years with YI, which would serve as the foundation for a career in nature organizations and park philanthropy. For Bob, the cornerstone of his time with YI was the lifelong friendships and relationships with Yosemite residents, especially the ones built during the season he became the Yosemite Campus Director and was tasked with hiring 12 new educators.