“For me, the River has always been home. I’m a fourth-generation Murray Islander, and my connection to this place runs deep—woven into childhood summers spent on the Island, racing in Escanaba Bay, and watching the mail boat pull in four times a day. My mother called the River her “emotional home,” and I couldn’t agree more. The River community has always been about family, tradition, and neighbors who become lifelong friends.
My path to TILT began early. My father served on both the Thousand Islands Land Trust and Save The River boards, and was close friends with Ken Deedy, whose vision for conservation left a lasting impression on me. In 2010, after my mother donated 60 acres on Murray Isle—a dream my father had first voiced years earlier—I saw firsthand how TILT could safeguard what we hold most dear. Over the years, I’ve also seen the threats: increasing development and signs of change appearing where natural beauty once stood. TILT’s work gave me hope that the River’s future could look different.
That’s why I chose to join the Thousand Islands Forever Legacy Program. I believe in TILT’s stability and stewardship, and I know the land I love will be protected long after I’m gone. For me, it’s about honoring my parents’ vision, giving back to a community that shaped me, and ensuring that Murray Isle and the River remain wild, beautiful, and shared for generations to come.
As I think about the future, my greatest hope is simple: that this place— engraved in my soul—retains its natural state, so that families yet to come can feel the same joy, connection, and belonging that I’ve been fortunate enough to know here all my life.”