Wigleys’ Bequest Supports Education, Science, and Resource Conservation

Dr. Roland L. Wigley and his wife of 64 years, Nancy, were both naturalists from a young age. They first became supporters of EDF in 1972, with specific interest in habitat protection, biodiversity, and resource conservation.

To ensure their support of the environment continued beyond their lifetimes, they thoughtfully included a bequest to EDF in their estate plan. “We are very happy that our parents’ made the choice to include charitable gifts to outstanding organizations like EDF with a science-forward environmental focus,” their daughters share. “We know responsible stewardship of our planet was very important to them.”

Roland’s love of the outdoors began as a boy, fishing with friends and family in a local brook. While in graduate school during the summer of 1949 he served aboard the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service’s research vessel Albatross III, where he had the good fortune of meeting Silent Spring author Rachel Carson. After graduate school, Roland went on to have a decorated career as a research marine biologist with NOAA Fisheries, specializing in benthic invertebrates.

Nancy spent her childhood summers on Cape Cod. Upon retirement, she completed a course at the Cape Cod Museum of Natural History and became a certified master naturalist—leading field walks for the Museum, volunteering, and sharing knowledge on the plants and animals of the Cape.

Roland and Nancy wanted to support what they believed in: science, education, and the natural world. Environmental protection and resource conservation were central passions throughout their lives, and their gift represents a means of extending those values into the future—for others to enjoy the planet’s rich biodiversity and beauty as much as they did.