LEAVING A LEGACY FOR NATURE

Meet Neil! Neil's love for the environment inspired him to leave a legacy for future generations. A bequest to WWF is a personal gift of great importance. Learn more about why he decided to leave a gift in his Will to WWF-Australia.

Why is caring for the planet important to you?

I guess it goes back years. I grew up in the country and when I was a little kid I really wanted to be a vet. I wanted to help animals and since then I have spent a lot of time scuba diving so have interest and concern for the marine environment as well. The thing about the marine environment is the vastness of it, and the alienness of it as well. People can talk about wanting to see the world, but if you haven't seen the underwater world - then you're missing 80% of what’s available on the planet. 

What is your hope for the future of the environment?

I hope that I’ll leave behind a world where people are more tuned in to the fact that it's not “human beings” and “nature.” Rather, we are a part of nature. We’ve all got to cooperate. We’ve all got to think about how we’re going to do this to sustainably. How we’re going to preserve habitat while still feeding our population. How we’re going to get what we need from the marine environment without overfishing and endangering species. How do we think about things in a realistic way.

What made you consider including a bequest in your Will?

I guess I hadn't really thought about getting a will written - like a lot of people my age wouldn't necessarily. As part of some other more broad financial advice I was told I should look into it. So then I started thinking - what do I want to do with my legacy? What do I want my legacy to be? I realised that the area I’m most passionate about is preserving this amazing planet, so it just made sense to support WWF. They cover so many areas from conserving the environment and conserving species diversity. It’s a charity that has the size and the scale to make an impact globally. 

What do you want your legacy to be?

I think of children in two or three generations time only seeing tigers on the internet or in a book and not knowing how much species diversity we’ve lost - and it feels to me like a no brainer. My legacy is for future generations. 

What’s it like to be part of the WWF community?

For me being part of the WWF community means being part of something that’s been front of mind since childhood. My parents always supported WWF. It’s got the scope and the scale. That means there’s so much impact from what they are doing. I might not be able to make a huge impact now. But for me to know that at some point in the future I potentially can make a larger impact is fantastic.

No matter how large or small, when you include a gift to WWF in your Will, you are providing our wildlife with a voice for the future. Your bequest leaves a legacy that ensures your values of protecting wildlife and the environment carry on for future generations. Get in touch with us today to discover how you can leave a Gift in your Will.