Bill and Joy Justis are long-time supporters of Capitol Land Trust and recently made a legacy gift.“Are you a birder?” Bill Justis asks with a grin.
From where we sit at the kitchen table with his wife, Joy, we can see a lively scene outside the large picture window—birds flitting to and from the feeders, squirrels chasing each other across the lawn, and trees swaying gently in the breeze.
“We love watching the wildlife that comes to our yard,” Bill says. “It’s our entertainment. Like watching TV.”
Early Roots of Conservation
Bill and Joy Justis have been Capitol Land Trust (CLT) supporters since its earliest days, when the organization was powered by only a handful of people such as Kathleen Ackley, Eric Erler, and volunteer Ralph Munro.
“Bill is really good with tools and carpentry and metalworking,” Joy says. “He enjoys getting out on the land and helping to build kiosks and make other improvements. I just write the checks!” she jokes.
Recently, the couple decided to make one of their most meaningful contributions yet: a legacy gift to Capitol Land Trust. Their gift helps ensure that CLT’s work—conserving and caring for the forests, streams, wetlands, and shorelines that sustain our region—will continue for generations to come.
“Thurston County is our home,” Bill says. “We wanted to keep our major contribution here, investing in what makes this place special.”
Joy adds, “We have to learn to say no to things that aren’t healthy or sustainable and say yes to things that are.”
Growing Up Close to the Land
Both Bill and Joy both grew up on farms. Bill on 30 acres in Boston Harbor, where Puget Sound was his playground, and Joy on a hop farm in more arid Moxee City, Washington, where water was scarce. They remember a time when families grew nearly everything they ate.
“Nothing came in a can,” Bill says. “We had hundreds of jars of home canned food in the basement. Beans, pickles, tomatoes, fruit, everything.”
They also came of age during pivotal moments in environmental history: the collapse of salmon runs above the Grand Coulee dam, the banning of DDT, the OPEC oil crisis. Those experiences shaped their lifelong belief in local land conservation.
“We didn’t understand the long-term consequences of our decisions back then,” Joy says. “It breaks my heart to think that there is such denial as to what is happening to our planet.”
Finding a Like-Minded Community
Their shared values brought them together. Joy, a lifelong member of The Mountaineers, met Bill at one of their events in 1994; two years later, they married. Several years later, they met CLT’s then-associate director, Kathleen Ackley, and found a local community that shared their love for nature and their hope of a more sustainable future.
“The organization’s mission resonated with us, and we’ve been supporters ever since,” Bill says.
A Gift for the Future
For Bill and Joy, leaving a legacy gift was the natural next step—a way to ensure the places they love are protected far beyond their own lifetimes.
“A future of consumption is not sustainable,” Bill says. “CLT is conserving critical habitat—wetlands, tidelands, and undeveloped shoreline—things that are so important to our quality of life here. They are also helping kids and families experience nature firsthand. If we can’t inspire the next generation to care for the planet, what’s going to happen to it?”
Joy nods. “My parents were very generous. They lived by the belief that ‘the more you give, the more you get’. And we’ve found that to be true. Giving from the heart—to share, to help—that’s what brings real joy.”
Their legacy gift will ensure that Capitol Land Trust can continue its mission for years to come—protecting the lands and waters that make our region such a special place to call home.
Create Your Own Conservation Legacy
Just like Bill and Joy, you can ensure that future generations experience the joy, wonder, and natural beauty of this place we all love by including Capitol Land Trust in your estate plans.
A legacy gift is a simple, powerful way to make a lasting difference. Through your will, trust, or retirement account. You can leave a gift of any size that supports local land conservation, outdoor learning, and community well into the future.
Next Steps
- Explore these resources
- FreeWill, a free and trusted will-making platform
- Step-by-step guides on how to make a will
- Codicils, updating a will
- Seek professional advice
Consult your financial or legal advisor to decide the best way to include CLT in your will or trust. - Let us know
If you’ve included CLT in your after-life plans, please fill out this simple form to let us know. We want to appreciate you today and show you the impact you will create with your gift.
Legal Name: Capitol Land Trust
Address: PO Box 14065, Tumwater, WA 98511
Tax ID #91-1413484
Welcome to the Legacy Club
When you include CLT in your estate plan or will, you become part of our Legacy Club—a community of your peers who have also elected to put Capitol Land Trust in their estate plan, bequest, or will. Every legacy gift, big or small, makes lasting difference to the health of our environment and our community.
Questions?
We’re here to help. Reach out to Alison Beglin, Development Director, at [email protected] or (360) 819-1465.
Capitol Land Trust does not offer tax or legal advice. Check with your professional tax advisor to make sure that any charitable giving strategy makes sense for you.
*If you are considering a donation of real estate, please connect with our staff to review the details of your wishes—whether to sell in support of local land conservation or conserve forever—to ensure alignment with CLT’s Gift Acceptance Policies and Conservation Plan.