Dr. Alan and Betsy Carpenter

Having hiked and traveled throughout the California landscape together, Alan and Betsy Carpenter have a sincere appreciation for nature. The Carpenters expressed their commitment to preserving the great outdoors through their charitable remainder unitrust with The Nature Conservancy. They have been strong supporters of the Conservancy for many years, not only due to their love of the wilderness, but also because of their confidence in the Conservancy to protect the places that they hold dear to their hearts.

Their interest in preserving nature began at a young age when the Carpenters first met in high school in rural Vermont. Betsy’s father served as her early role model, having been very active in working with the Vermont government on environmental issues. Alan’s interest in conservation increased in his late teens after he moved to California where he served as an apprentice to renowned environmentalist David Brower, the executive director of the Sierra Club. The Carpenters have remained very active in the outdoors and passionate about nature throughout their lives. Most recently, they hiked to the bottom of the Grand Canyon and climbed Half Dome in Yosemite.

In November 2001, Alan and Betsy Carpenter donated their home to establish a charitable remainder unitrust with the Nature Conservancy. The Carpenters were pleased to make a gift and be able to support their living expenses at their retirement community. They chose to make their gift with the Conservancy after meeting staff members on Conservancy led trips to Santa Cruz Island and Mount Hamilton in California and the town of Churchill off the shores of Canada’s Hudson Bay.  As the Carpenters put it, "the fundamental mission of the Conservancy really resonated with us and the Conservancy’s experience administering charitable remainder unitrusts" was what convinced them to make this gift.

The Carpenters designated their generous gift to support the Conservancy’s work in the Sierra Valley. The Sierra Valley area has always been a special place to the Carpenters, where they often bicycled past hooded blackbirds and horned larks and fields blue with camas lilies. This place is "part of our souls’ renewal and part of our backyard", says Alan. Their gift will help to ensure that future generations will also be able to experience this special place.

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