John Shepard and Suzanne Brunz
"Our responsibility to set things right…"
John Shepard and Suzanne Brunz, Lake Superior, Minnesota
To honor the late Charles Gresham, Trust for Public Land established the Gresham Challenge, with $1 million from his generous estate gift designated to inspire others to give. Keep reading to meet one of the first Legacy Partners to answer this call, ensuring healthy, livable communities for generations to come.
What inspired you to take the Gresham Challenge?
Though we haven't yet been convinced that we're not still decades away from giving up the ghost, Suzanne and I had begun thinking about planned giving through conversations with our financial advisor. The Gresham Challenge seemed like a wonderful opportunity as it provided needed cash to TPL's work in Minnesota right away to be matched by a gift on our behalf from the Great Beyond! We wouldn't be able to witness the benefits of a gift that was 100% posthumous; this way we get to enjoy some cake now knowing that TPL will be able to savor another helping down the road. Delicious!
What would you like to say to future generations about the importance of land and access to nature?
For almost all of our history as a species we have lived close to nature. Only very recently have humans lost touch with wild places and the natural systems that our fate and that of the planet depend upon. Our alienation to nature is extensive and profound, and it is coming back to haunt us in the form of climate change, damaged ecosystems, and breaks in the web of life—as evidenced, for example, by the severe decline of natural pollinators. It is both our responsibility to set things right and an opportunity to follow a path that leads to a more healthy, sustainable future.
What's one of your favorite memories in nature—at your favorite park, or on public land?
The COVID-19 crisis has hit home for us like never before how precious green space, parks, and time in nature is. The first weekend of the lockdown in Minnesota, after we had already been staying very close to home for a couple of weeks, we visited two state parks. Walking for a couple of hours through the last of the melting snows, bathing in the sunshine, felt incredibly nourishing—and we weren't alone in feeling that way: The first park was busier than we'd ever seen it, and the second had a handmade sign at the entrance proclaiming it was full, though we were happy to be able to enter as space opened up. Closer to home, daily walks through local parks and green spaces have seemed extra precious and a very real balm during a stressful time. All this reinforced to me the importance of TPL's vision and mission.
Contact us to learn more about making a legacy gift to Trust for Public Land.
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