“Born in the Netherlands, I was restless from the moment I took my first steps, and started exploring the world immediately after graduation,” says Cindy. “Although I inevitably always come back to Scotland. I feel blessed to have had the opportunity to travel and see the world.
“When I graduated, I became a lawyer in Italy and there I was introduced to nature through WWF. They took us on lovely walks and I learned about bees and butterflies and how important they are.
“Then I decided to move to Namibia, where I developed a love of Africa’s big animals – everyone does! But really I just like all nature. In my garden, I love watching the foxes, badgers and birds – everything. I like space, nature and remoteness, which is probably why I’ve ended up in the Highlands.
“I first adopted an animal with WWF when I lived in Namibia, and the more I travelled, the more animals I adopted. Then I became a WWF Guardian. (The Guardians are a group of supporters who help fund a specific project with a minimum donation each year.)
”Wherever I moved or went on holiday, I would always ask about WWF projects in the area and visit those locations if I could. I follow UNICEF as well to see what’s being done for children all over the world.
“In Namibia, and later on in Tanzania, I lived in tiny villages close to national parks and spent every weekend there. It’s not just nature that made a huge impression on me, it was people too, especially people like the Maasai.
”The projects I visited in Tanzania, and others tackling poaching in Rwanda and the Congo, are not just good for the animals, they also create employment for people, such as forest guards. The connection of nature with people is so important – we won’t be able to protect nature if we don’t include communities in conservation work.
”You learn a lot from spending time outside your own comfort zone. You become more appreciative of what we have here. There’s not going to be a world for us if we don’t start fixing the Earth – and fix it soon!
“I want to contribute to something that’s close to my heart with my legacy. I don’t have children, but my brother does. I truly hope there will be a world for them that’s full of animals when they, and their children, grow up.”
Find out more about leaving a gift in your will
If you have any questions about leaving a gift in your will, contact Grace by calling 01483 412153 or emailing grace@wwf.org.uk, or you can visit our Gifts In Wills page
BANNER IMAGE: © JONAS LYSHOLDT EJDERSKOV / WWF-DENMARK
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