Margie Esola grew up in the city, but her parents always made sure the family spent their summers exposed to nature. “Medford Lakes [an hour outside Philadelphia], that was our nature. We were urban people, but my parents instilled that in me. I remember walking down to the lake with my grandpa to catch catfish.”
This early outdoor exposure led Margie to a desire to work in the environmental movement. In 1997 she moved to Gig Harbor and volunteered with the Peninsula Heritage Land Trust. After the 2000 merger that formed Great Peninsula Conservancy, she was an early board member. A lawyer by trade, Margie generously volunteered her time writing conservation easements for the organization.
“The mission is so simple. Especially with conservation easements—as a property owner you can say, ‘I don’t want this to go away, I want to preserve this legacy for future generations.’ There’s a really awesome way to do it, and you get a tax break on top of it!”
Now, Margie continues to volunteer her time for Great Peninsula Conservancy as a Volunteer Land Steward (VoLS), monitoring GPC’s conservation easement on Sehmel Homestead Park. After reading a recent GPC newsletter, she learned about GPC’s Legacy Challenge, which matches each submitted legacy pledge (a notification to GPC that you’ve included GPC in your estate plans) with a $1,000 donation. She thought to herself, ‘I want to do that!’
“Those of us who’ve grown up and seen open space go away—you don’t want that to happen to future generations. I just want GPC to continue the good work they’re doing. I can’t predict what the world will look like in 10 years. Part of it is frightening, but I’m also hopeful when I see these thousand points of light and how much you can do with a community-focused organization.”
When she retires later this year, Margie is excited to volunteer for GPC’s youth education program, Land Labs. “I really admire the mission, focusing on young people, educating students. To me that’s really critical. Getting more youth involved in the program.”
Margie’s past legal experience included working with will and trusts. She recommends using the local bar association in your county as a resource. They offer referral services and sometimes have affordable estate planning packages. These days, you can also use simple online tools to make your will for free.
“Everyone should have a will, because you never know. And it’s not hard!” Another simple option to include GPC in your estate planning is the beneficiary designations on your financial accounts. “You might segregate out one account, or a percentage, and you can name your beneficiaries on that. Payable on death: GPC.”
No matter the route, no matter the amount, if you include GPC in your estate plans, let us know! Four spots remain in the $20,000 challenge match. Submit your pledge and activate $1,000 today!
Thank you, Margie, for your generous foresight to help ensure the longevity of conservation, stewardship, and community engagement across the peninsula for years to come.