Mary (right) pictured with her mother, Betty, on a trip to the redwoods to see both her parent's honor trees.
The first time Mary Topliff saw the redwoods her family had just driven through one of the iconic trees.
"I remember a picture of us standing outside of the tree and then the car was going through," she said. "It was the most unusual thing to see, being able to drive through a tree."
Her father, an outdoorsman, often brought the family to nature—whether on a camping trip or that first drive through the redwoods. When he passed away, Topliff and her mother, Betty, 92, chose to honor his memory by supporting Save the Redwoods and picking a tree in his memory.
"It was a very moving experience," Topliff recalled.
Since then, Topliff has become a member of Save the Redwoods' Legacy Circle by including the organization in her estate plan.
"I'm proud to be a Legacy donor, to think about having some part in helping the organization continue the work that they're doing, and preserve the redwoods, and save even more redwoods," she said.
Topliff's hope is that her gift will allow future generations to witness the same "awe-inspiring beauty" and experiences she did as a young girl first visiting the towering trees.
"I would like to think that if you come back here in this very same spot 100 years from now, it'll look just like this or feel like this maybe," she said.
To learn more about how you can leave a legacy gift to preserve the redwoods for the next generation, please contact Deborah White at 415-820-5828 or DWhite@SaveTheRedwoods.org.