Judith Fritsch

Judy Fritsch is a member of the Wildlife Heritage Circle. As a child Judy visited the Zoo with her family. The impressions left by those visits are enduring.

The Wildlife Conservation Society's dedication to wildlife and wild places has inspired donor Judy Fritsch since she was a child growing up in the Bronx in the early 1940s and visiting the Zoo with her family. As Judy puts it, "The Bronx Zoo has always had a special meaning for me. It was where my husband and I went for our second date in the summer of 1955. And after we were married and had children, we delighted in taking them to the Zoo and giving them the experiences that I remembered from my childhood."

During her sabbatical year from the NYC Board of Education, Judy worked with the Education Department at the Bronx Zoo to develop a program for early childhood learners that is still in use today—as well as teaching some of the classes of young children that visited.

Visits to the Bronx Zoo nurtured Judy's commitment to conservation and inspired her to seek out animals in their native environment. In 1996 Judy traveled with WCS to Africa, where she saw elephants, lions, and other African wildlife in their natural habitats. Over the years Judy has seen sea lions in the Galapagos, giant anteaters in Brazil, wild dogs in Africa's Okavango Delta, Mongolian wild horses in Mongolia, and duck-billed platypuses in Australia. All are animals she had first seen at the Bronx Zoo.

Judy believes in the mission of WCS to save wildlife and wild places worldwide through science, conservation action, education, and inspiring people to value nature. As a member of the Wildlife Heritage Circle, the WCS legacy society, Judy shares that WCS is very special to her and that's why she is including it in her will. We are delighted and honored to count Judy as a member of the Wildlife Heritage Circle. As WCS approached its 125th anniversary in 2020, committed lovers of wildlife and wild places, like Judy, ensured our work will be their legacy for generations to come.

Have you considered a gift to the Wildlife Conservation Society in your future plans? We would love to walk you through the process and thank you for your generosity with a membership in the Wildlife Heritage Circle. Contact the Office of Planned Giving at plannedgiving@wcs.org or 718-220-6894 to get started.