Ivy Elizabeth Payne

In 1987, Ivy Payne, a conservationist and landowner based in Elkhart, Texas, donated 465 acres in the East Texas Pineywoods to the Natural Areas Preservation Association. As Ms Payne said, “my mother taught me the value of honesty and the ability to see the beauty, pleasure and importance of the outdoor world which was not made by man, could never be replaced by him, and should be used wisely and enjoyed, but not destroyed.”

The parcel, featuring trails and waterfalls along Spring Branch Creek, is now held by NAPA’s successor non-profit, the Texas Land Conservancy, with hunting rights managed by Texas Parks and Wildlife. Please listen to the linked file below to hear comments from Earl Matthew, her physician and estate executor, about the gift and Ms Payne’s extraordinary last day.