Patricia Hackbarth was born and raised in central New York, and if you ask her, she’ll readily admit that her initial family trips were not peaceful, nature-oriented vacations.

“We had these dreadful car trips, with five of us packed in there, and we were all tall,” she says, laughing. “When I was 11, my parents came to their senses and rented a cabin on the lake in the Adirondacks for a week. My eyes were opened.”

That vacation sparked a lifetime love affair with nature, and Pat became a Natural Resources Defense Council Member in 1980 after discovering the organization had won a lawsuit against a major corporation that was exploiting the environment.

“I didn’t think it was possible to win against the big guys. They’re addressing issues I care about, and they seem to
be doing fantastic work,” she says. “And everything they’ve done over the years has proved me right in deciding to support them.”

Pat, 66, knew creating a legacy gift could make a long-term difference for NRDC, so she decided to make NRDC a beneficiary of her individual retirement account (IRA), and to leave a gift to the organization in her will as well.

“My relationship with the planet is bigger than my lifetime,” she says. “When an ecosystem is in long-term danger, knowing you can make an impact for a long time when that problem will persist for a long time makes you feel powerful and effective. You can make such a big difference.”

Support What Matters Most to You

You can make a meaningful gift to the planet by including NRDC in your will or other estate plan. Contact Michelle Mulia-Howell at giftplanning@nrdc.org or 212.727.4421 to learn more.