Thanks to his mom, John Young "never had a summer at home watching cable TV." Every year, John's parents packed up the family, insisting they get away from the eternal glowing box of TV to see the beautiful real world of national parks.
"Like many kids, I didn't fully appreciate the beauty of these trips," he says.
John's childhood trips, whether he liked them at the time or not, have taken root in his heart.
After reading The Country in the City: The Greening of the San Francisco Bay Area in which Save the Redwoods League is mentioned, John contacted the League—and found a cause and place he believed in.
From there, nature took its course. Among other points of connection, he learned about board member Peggy Light's pledge to donate $100,000 from her total $500,000 legacy gift if 100 people signed up as legacy donors. With that nudge, John, 32, created his own gift in his trust, becoming a Redwood Legacy Circle member.
Although he may be considered "young" to make this investment, John wholeheartedly believes that it's never too early or too late to make a legacy gift. Saving the regal redwood forests and stoic sequoia is too important not to. "It just seemed like the natural thing to do," he says.
"The least I can do is help continue this legacy and help families in the future create their own memories with their loved ones in these beautiful forests."