London, Ontario, 15 April 2008

Beryl Ivey's Estate adds $500,000 to Ivey Natural Lands Legacy

  Beryl Ivey was a founding member of the Thames Talbot Land Trust and among our staunchest supporters. When she passed away at Christmas 2007 it was a great loss to the cause of conservation across Canada. The TTLT is honoured to have received an estate gift from Beryl of $500,000 on 15 April 2008 which increases the Ivey Natural Lands Legacy contribution to $1.5 million. Her bequest gift to TTLT is directed towards our efforts at Skunk's Misery.

Nothing outlasts the land and a planned gift to the Opportunities Fund of TTLT is a wonderful way to create an enduring natural legacy. More information

To learn more about our Skunk's Misery Natural Area Conservation Plan Click Here

Thames Talbot Land Trust receives $1 Million Ivey Natural Lands Legacy.

London, Ontario, 14 October 2005


  Thames River
  
Conservation history was made today when noted environmental philanthropists Richard and Beryl Ivey of London announced a $1 Million gift to the Opportunities Fund of the Thames Talbot Land Trust. The Ivey Natural Lands Legacy will be matched by other donations to the Land Trust in order to provide permanent protection to natural lands within the Thames Talbot region, centred on London.
In announcing their gift, Richard Ivey said, “Ontarians feel strongly about the natural heritage of our province and one of the most effective expressions of these feelings is the development of a Land Trust legacy.” Land Trusts are non-profit, charitable organizations, which secure land for public benefit. The President of the Trust, Bernie VanDenBelt, explained that,
“The quality of life of present and future generations depends upon the continued health of our natural and agricultural lands. The Ivey gift will greatly assist the Trust in establishing a legacy of healthy landscapes.”
The Ivey Natural Lands Legacy will further the mandate of Thames Talbot as it protects lands and waters of ecological, agricultural and cultural value through a variety of mechanisms such as land acquisition, conservation easements, landscape restoration and education. Volunteers direct the activities of the Land Trust and are active in communications, fund raising, and conservation lands management. Landowners interested in protecting the natural and cultural heritage values of their property may contact the Trust to learn about the range of conservation options available.

The announcement came as Richard and Beryl Ivey gathered with other Founding Members and Directors to celebrate the first five years of the Land Trust’s operations. Thames Talbot’s accomplishments to date include the establishment of the Meadowlily Nature Preserve in London through a gift in 1992; the initiation of the Thames River Headwaters Project which is using conservation easements to protect habitats and water quality; and the completion of several scientific reports to guide future conservation projects. Mary E. Kerr, a founding Director of the Land Trust, summed it up this way, “A Land Trust is really a promise made to future generations.”

Residents of the London region are well aware of the philanthropy of Richard and Beryl Ivey through their many generous gifts to health, education and the arts. What may be less well known is that, throughout Ontario and across Canada, the Iveys are widely recognized for their leadership in giving to the environment. In nearly 30 years at the helm of the Richard Ivey Foundation, Richard and Beryl established the foundation as Canada’s pre-eminent environmental grantmaker, a tradition proudly continued by their children. The Nature Conservancy of Canada and the World Wildlife Fund have figured prominently in the Iveys’ support of biodiversity conservation, and dozens of other worthwhile organizations have benefited from their largesse as well.
London and the surrounding area lie within Canada’s Carolinian EcoRegion, which is home to our nation’s largest diversity of plants and animals as well as 25% of the human population. Enormous conservation challenges must be overcome if future generations are going to benefit from a healthy environment. Recognizing this, Richard and Beryl Ivey have established the Ivey Natural Lands Legacy through a $1 million gift to the Thames Talbot Land Trust. The Land Trust will match these funds and use them to secure, protect and restore valuable natural landscapes on a permanent basis. Richard and Beryl have long recognized the need to conserve our natural heritage, both for its own intrinsic values, and as the key to our future health and prosperity. Through this gift, they are providing an example for others in our community to follow.

The Thames Talbot Land Trust has established the Opportunities Fund to support the costs of securing and stewarding natural and cultural lands in perpetuity. The Fund receives some of its capital through bequests in wills, memorial gifts and other planned gifts. Learn More.

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