Gift + Estate Planning

“I think it’s important to keep in touch with the younger generation because they provide a window into our future.” – Beverly Moazed

For years, kids at San Elijo Lagoon got to tour in nature with volunteer Beverly Moazed. As a birder, she was fascinated with the lagoon’s avian residents and migratory visitors and would inspire her classes to look up into the sky, or to hear a common or not-so-common bird call.

Beverly’s estate was realized in 2017. We knew of her passion as a volunteer and lifelong educator, but her estate gift to the Nature Collective came as a surprise, as legacy gifts sometimes do. Beverly’s legacy gift inspired us to open our newest endowment for conservation education.

“We became involved in 1983 with The Friends of Holmwood Canyon, which partnered with San Elijo Lagoon Conservancy (now known as Nature Collective) to save the canyon. We had just bought our home close to the lagoon and felt strongly about preserving both the canyon and the wetlands that we came to love. Leaving a legacy with San Elijo Lagoon Conservancy is one of the best ways to act locally to preserve open spaces for future generations.”

– Bill Miller and Ida Houby

Ida Houby grew up spending summers in the Danish Isles, swimming in the ocean and walking the seashore meadows. Bill Miller played in the woods and fields of upstate New York, where hiking and canoeing on its rivers and lakes deepened his love for nature.

Their favorite San Elijo Lagoon trail is from the top of Holmwood Canyon to La Orilla Trailhead with its glimpses of the endangered Ridgeway Rails, and early morning sightings of Hooded Mergansers.

From a young age, Margaret Chivers recognized the feeling of being in love with nature, It was part of her life at every step. She was a 40-year resident of Solana Beach and a member of San Elijo Lagoon Conservancy (now called the Nature Collective). Margaret wanted to leave something special for future generations so she began estate planning with an intent to protect wild lands, healthy waters, and long and winding trails for everyone.

Margaret grew up in England. She especially enjoyed being outdoors and traveling as a teen with her good friend Maureen among youth hostels in Europe.

After living in Colorado and Alaska, Margaret found her lifelong home in Solana Beach. San Elijo Lagoon was a special place for Margaret and her family. Her daughters, Caroline Brown and Susan Chivers, fondly recall visiting the trails countless times, as the lagoon was their backyard playground. Later in her life, Susan and her husband followed a lagoon trail that literally took them to the front steps of what would be their new home in Solana Beach.

“If we can leave a legacy for kids who are interested in outdoor experiences, we will have done a good thing.”

– Bob Moore

Bob was one of the first 20 volunteers that joined the San Elijo Lagoon Citizen’s Watchdog Patrol in 1986. This county-sponsored group watched over the lagoon before the Conservancy formed in 1987, which is now the Nature Collective. Bob was a guest at many early Conservancy board meetings and on July 31, 1989 he officially joined the board. He was board president 2003–2006.

Former board president and founding member, Denise Stillinger, worked for decades with Cindy and Bob. Denise reflected that Bob was all about hard work and details. Whether he was rolling up his sleeves to remove old mattresses dumped in the lagoon or smoothing his suit and straightening his tie to represent the Conservancy as board president, Bob always showed up with passion and leadership.

San Elijo Lagoon Conservancy established the Alan B. Thum Land Stewardship Fund in 2003 to honor the memory and accomplishments of a good friend and dedicated conservationist. Proceeds from the fund support research on special aspects of San Diego’s unique and threatened coastal wetlands.

Ordinary people are not always hailed for the extraordinary things they contribute. Alan’s work is honored as an everyman with an eloquent voice who spoke out to make a difference. As a marine biologist and Encinitas resident, he was an early advocate for monitoring the entire watershed for progress on water quality.

About Dr. Alan B. Thum: Born in 1943 in Washington, D.C., Alan B. Thum moved to Claremont, California in 1956 and became a longtime Southern California resident and environmental change-maker. He received his PhD in marine biology from Oregon State University. He was an effective and tireless advocate for clean water, riparian and estuarine habitats, and San Elijo Lagoon.