Volunteering: The Essence of Life

“What is the essence of life? To serve others and to do good.” –Aristotle

Inland Northwest Land Conservancy has been active for nearly 30 years, and every acre we’ve protected in that time has been the result of generous donations of funding, time, and expertise from our community. We are proud to be supported by such an enthusiastic, big-hearted, and helpful conservation family. We have hundreds of volunteers to thank for their support, but today we celebrate Judy Stafstrom (pictured front and nearly center of this photo in the lime green jacket).   

Judy has believed in the power of the human-nature relationship since childhood. Growing up in northern Delaware, nature was not hard to find or appreciate. Judy’s gratitude for the land drove her into the world of environmental law where she worked to hold energy companies accountable for their environmental impacts. In her spare time, Judy volunteered with natural resource clinics, the Environmental Defense Fund, and nature conservancies across the U.S. to protect lands and waters that sustain us. Now retired, she has dedicated herself to land stewardship and environmental awareness with us at the Conservancy!  

Her claim to fame with INLC has been her involvement in our Land Protection Committee and working overtime as a Willow Warrior, helping the Spokane Conservation District harvest and plant hundreds of willow wands along the banks of Hangman Creek. Judy is eager to participate in our Volunteer Land Steward program, to further support our beautiful local land that she has come to know and love.

Thanks to volunteers like Judy, we’re able to protect land, restore it to good health, and open it up for others to grow their appreciation for nature. As Judy likes to say, “It’s about the ‘We,’ not the ‘Me.’” Thanks Judy, for living Aristotle’s “essence of life,” for our community, the Earth, and the future!

If you’re interested in volunteering with the lands and waters in which we work, email rrichardson@indlandnwland.org