Leonard and Diane Soucy Memorial Fund
In honor of the founders of The Raptor Trust, Len Soucy (1932-2014) and Diane Soucy (1936-2020), we have established the Leonard and Diane Soucy Memorial Fund (LDSMF): an endowed fund to expand the educational efforts of The Raptor Trust in a way that honors Len and Diane’s lives and vision. At the core of their philosophy was a sincere belief that an understanding of the role of every creature in nature helps create a better world for us all. They believed that environmental education is the means by which all of us can learn about, help, and share our love for wild birds.
The Mission
“I often think about what a marvelous world it is – a really, really interesting, diverse, marvelous place to have visited for a short time.”
Dr. Leonard J. Soucy, Jr. | 1932 – 2014
Len and Diane Soucy set a standard for excellence in wildlife rehabilitation. While Len often took center stage, speaking in public to groups of all sizes throughout New Jersey and beyond, Diane dedicated her life to work behind the scenes. Together, they were an inspiration to countless people, many of whom have gone on to work in the environmental field. To honor their passion for and dedication to sharing the beauty, wonder and importance of his wild feathered friends, we are proud to maintain this fund.
Projects
The LDSMF allows us to hire additional education staff to present programs in the summer months when our educators have traditionally been pulled away from education and into rehabilitation work. This enables us to reach more people each year, as well as partner with other local environmental organizations during their summer camp program season.
The Memorial Fund also provides scholarship opportunities for groups experiencing financial need to attend our programs at a free or reduced price. We recognize that there are many barriers to access for environmental education, and the Memorial Fund allows us to address this issue so that any group can attend our programs, regardless or race, gender, religion or economic status.
Annual Lecture Series
Each fall, the LDSMF honors the memory of TRT’s founders with a lecture featuring a noted expert in ornithology, conservation, or related fields. The Memorial Fund allows TRT to offset the cost to run such an event, enabling us to charge modest ticket prices so that the lecture is accessible to a wider community.
