Donor Profiles

As a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization, NatureBridge relies on support from individuals, foundations, corporations, and government agencies to deliver our mission to connect youth to nature. We are honored to work with hundreds of donors whose commitment and vision inspire personal connections with the natural world to make a lasting impact. Hear in their own words why these donors choose to support NatureBridge.

Donor Spotlight - Derek Jernstedt Executive Director of Quest and HEDCO Foundations

“Teachers know that the program helps improve students’ interest in science, test scores, curiosity, and leadership skills. The students look forward to their NatureBridge trip all year. They hear about it from other kids, and it’s a true highlight of their education.” — Derek Jernstedt

Derek Jernstedt, executive director of both the Quest Foundation and HEDCO Foundation, knows the impact of NatureBridge programs. The Quest Foundation has funded fifth-grade students from Think College Now, an Oakland school, to attend NatureBridge’s program at our Golden Gate campus.

“The NatureBridge trip is a part of Think College Now’s core science curriculum,” Derek says. “The teachers know that the program helps improve the students’ interest in science, test scores, curiosity, and leadership skills. The students look forward to their NatureBridge trip all year. They hear about it from other kids, and it’s a true highlight of their education.”

Derek joined Think College Now at our Golden Gate campus in January 2011 and was so inspired by the experience that Quest Foundation now funds NatureBridge directly. Derek is excited to deepen his relationship with NatureBridge and help more students like those at Think College Now have transformative experiences in national parks. Derek’s advice: “Go and see the kids learning out in nature, learning about their environment.”

Donor spotlight - Judy d’Albert

“What better gift can we give young women to inspire them to become the next generation of stewards of the Earth?” — Judy d’Albert

Judy d’Albert is ready to support NatureBridge.

In 1964, Judy made a life-changing decision to leave England when she was recruited by a school in California. Six years later, she met her future husband, Pierre, on a Sierra Club hike in Yosemite. They would return to Yosemite every season for 30 years. They exchanged vows on the Swinging Bridge early one summer solstice, and trekked and slept under the stars and moon in the high country at every opportunity.
 
As a classroom teacher, Judy was inspired to take her students outdoors, exploring tide pools and natural history. A former student wrote, “She infuses her teaching with such passionate energy that learning and textbooks came to life with vivacity and profundity.”
 
In 2002, Judy donated a gift from grateful alumni to NatureBridge’s Armstrong Scholars Program, which brings 12 teen girls to the Yosemite wilderness for a 12-day backpacking journey each summer in memory of former educator Joie Ruth Armstrong. “What better gift can we give young women to inspire them to become the next generation of stewards of the Earth?”
 
While attending a memorial service for former student Erika Anhood Keese in 2010, Judy realized the Armstrong Scholars were on Erika’s favorite trail in the High Sierra at that moment. Judy has included a bequest in her estate to honor Erika by supporting the Armstrong Scholars Program. The stories of two remarkable women, Joie Ruth Armstrong and Erika Anhood Keese, will be shared under the stars to inspire young women to gulp life.