Guest post by Deb Hanson

The CREW Land & Water Trust is launching its annual end-of-year giving campaign on #GivingTuesday, December 1st, 2015 – an international day of giving that harnesses the positive power of social media, and energizes people to give their money, time and talent to causes they care about.

This is a chance to give back to CREW and do good for all of southwest Florida, and I will be one of the first to donate – even though I don’t live in Florida anymore.

Here’s why I will give to CREW…

CREW Connects people to nature: When I give my hard-earned dollars to the CREW Trust, I know it will make a big impact. As a small nonprofit, the CREW Land and Water Trust depends on donor dollars to fund not only land acquisition, but its well-respected and highly successful environmental education programs. CREW’s high quality environmental education programs help people to connect to the land and water, to fall in love with this special place, and to build understanding about how the watershed supports us and how we impact those resources. The CREW Education Fund helps pay for interns, field trips for school kids, and scholarships for future environmental resource professionals.

CREW is a leader in protecting water resources of Southwest Florida: During the past 25 years, the CREW Trust has helped acquire over 28,000 acres of the Corkscrew Regional Ecosystem Watershed. While land acquisition has slowed in recent years, the CREW Trust continues to look for opportunities to buy land both within the project boundaries and around its immediate boundaries. CREW contributes matching funds which help pave the way for larger purchases like the Caracara Prairie Preserve. Protecting the watershed improves water access and quality throughout southwest Florida.

CREW manages its donations carefully: Brenda Brooks is a detail person. I know because I worked for her for four years! As CREW’s Executive Director, she knows how important it is to spend donations wisely on programs that further the CREW mission. Under her watch 87% of all income is spent on programs. Every penny is accounted for and every dollar is leveraged into higher yields through frugal spending, wise investments and in-kind services. When you donate to CREW, you can be assured your money is managed well and used to do good things.

CREW saved my life: I’ve been walking on CREW lands since 1992, even before trails and signs and environmental education programs. It is the place that I go to for peace, solace, restoration and inspiration. Once, when life got to be too much, I turned to CREW and was lucky enough to find work there. Taking that job saved my life. It restored my soul and gave me purpose. It gave me days in the woods and waters learning the rhythms of the seasons, and sharing with wonderful people all the joy and beauty of CREW. I’ve seen CREW do the same for so many other people. It’s where people go to run, to meditate, to watch wildlife, to walk hand-in-hand with a loved one, to get engaged, to announce a pregnancy, to get married.

CREW is special. The CREW Trust is its guardian. Let’s help keep it that way. Give to CREW today. Give generously.

#Giving Tuesday – December 1st, 2015.