The Legacy of Rachel Carson

Rachel Carson was an American marine biologist, author, and conservationist. She is best known for her pioneering work in environmental science and her influential book "Silent Spring," published in 1962. Her book sold more than two million copies in just two years, inspiring one of the most powerful conservation movements in our history. She shined a glaring light on the need for conservation in a time when environmental consequences were largely misunderstood - or worse - ignored. She argued that humanity is not separate from the natural world, and should be an active participant in protecting it. 

 

When Rachel Carson died of cancer in 1964, she left a sizable donation to the Sierra Club, including royalties from “Silent Spring.” Her activism became the beacon of hope for conservationists to carry on her legacy of fighting for our fragile planet. Within a decade of her passing, her donation directly supported work that led Congress to pass the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) and the Endangered Species Act, and to create the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). 

 

 

Planned gifts have generated some of the most impactful donations in the Sierra Club. To date, the legacy of Sierra Club members lives on in our work, from growing our outings program to sustaining our conservation campaigns.

 

Planning an estate gift to the Angeles Chapter is a beautiful way to sustain our environment for decades to come. Legacy gifts are not exclusive to people of sizable wealth; in fact, the most meaningful gifts have come from members who shared a powerful story along with a modest donation. 

 

 

If you would like your to endure through our work, please consider a gift that will make a lasting impact on our natural world,

 

- Gift in your will

- Beneficiary designation

- Charitable gift annuity

- Retirement plan assets

- Life insurance

- Charitable remainder trust

- Charitable lead trust

- Real estate and personal property

 

Making a gift to the Chapter may be easier than you think. To learn more about the benefits of gift planning and explore giving options that could work for you, contact our Gift Planning office at (800) 932-4270 or giftplanning@sierraclub.org. If you are already a member of the Rachel Carson Society, and you would like to know how to strengthen your planned giving program, please reach out to Julia Curtis (julia.curtis@sierraclub.org) or schedule a meeting with her.