As a trained biologist, Gwendolyn Gallagher has always had a strong interest in nature—for as long as she can remember. From a young age, she enjoyed watching nature shows on tv—the likes of Jacque Cousteau (for those who remember)—and thought to herself, “I want that job!”
She grew up without outdoorsy parents, which is why she’s developed a passion for ensuring nature is accessible to everyone—especially kids—whether their first spark stems from a TV show or, even better, from immersion in the wild and learning to identify a creature firsthand.
“If we can introduce, especially young people, into nature and get them excited about it, they’ll develop a passion for it and become better stewards for the environment,” shared Gwendolyn.
She and her husband Don moved to Los Alamos in 2001 just down the street from PEEC at the time (off Orange St). She briefly served on PEEC’s Board of Directors, where she met long-time volunteers Natali Steinberg, and Becky and Tom Shankland, among others.
Following her retirement, she found herself with more time to share and give back to her community. Spending time at the nature center, surrounding herself with passionate, like-minded people, was a natural fit.
When considering their legacy, she explained, “It’s important that we have a plan for what happens, and we want to give support locally. We want to do something positive with our hard-earned money.”
As a result, they’ve chosen to include PEEC in her estate planning to ensure that children continue to experience those first-hand, life-changing experiences for generations to come.
For more information on PEEC’s Legacy Society or to discover more ways to give, please reach out to Jillian at jillian@peecnature.orgor visit peecnature.org/legacy.
PEEC was founded in 2000 to serve the community of Los Alamos. It offers people of all ages a way to enrich their lives by strengthening their connections to our canyons, mesas, mountains, and skies. PEEC operates the Los Alamos Nature Center at 2600 Canyon Road, holds regular programs and events, and hosts several interest groups, from birding to hiking to butterfly watching. PEEC activities are open to everyone; however, members receive exclusive benefits such as discounts on programs and gift shop merchandise. Annual memberships start at $35. To learn more, visit peecnature.org/support/membership/.