Dear Friends,
As we revel in the first hints of a colorful fall season, all of us at the Preserve send our warmest autumnal greetings as we approach the end of a truly impactful year.
Together with our community, the Preserve has achieved many milestones in 2026, including national recognition for our Native Plant Nursery and welcoming our first full-time curator. These milestones will continue in 2027 with the opening of our Discovery Den nature play exhibit for children and families, the launch of a new 5-year strategic plan and our formal reaccreditation as the country’s only museum dedicated solely to native plants.
Our success is anchored in the deep community bonds we share. We are now over 1,800 members and 365 volunteers strong, and have welcomed more than 30,000 visitors in the last year. You’ve helped us grow into a more accessible resource for all, and you’ve shared our unique destination with your friends and family. In fact, our inaugural First Friday complimentary admission program has already introduced hundreds of new faces to our site, and we expect it to grow even more!
With this compelling growth, we are calling on you - our Preserve community - to achieve another major milestone:
Help us raise $300,000 by the end of 2026 to provide the resources needed to maintain this progress.
Yes, this is our most ambitious fundraising goal to date. But we’re optimistic because we know what happens when people who love the Preserve come together.
Will you help us meet the moment?
We are thrilled to announce that, for the first time ever, the Preserve Board of Trustees has offered an exciting Annual Fund gift match challenge.
If our community collectively donates $50,000 to the Preserve’s Annual Fund by October 15, we will unlock this $50,000 match!
We know your generous response to this challenge will bring success to achieving our year-end goal, so I humbly ask you to make your gift to the Annual Fund today and help us make Preserve history.
On behalf of our community of avid gardeners, passionate conservationists and our youngest changemakers, we thank you for supporting the Preserve when we need it the most.
I look forward to sharing our progress and to celebrating our BIG fundraising milestone wins, together.
Proudly and gratefully,
Pete Couchman
Executive Director
