“Stewardess of the soil”, Mary Riche of Des Moines, IA, at the Brenton Arboretum
Mary Riche has been a donor since we launched Nature Sacred in 2020 but her connection to our mission is lifelong.
Mary was born on a farm in rural Iowa and grew up knowing the true value of the dark soil that existed beneath her feet. As far as she can remember, she has always marveled at the unique joy of getting her fingers into the dirt, planting a seed, tending to it, and seeing it peek through the earth for the first time. It is the opportunity to create that sacred connection to nature for others that inspires her to give.
Mary remembers when Kitty, our Co-Founder, shared the seedling of an idea that has now become Nature Sacred on a trip they took to California. At the time, Mary was birthing an idea of her own—a women’s investment club—and over time, both ideas were nurtured just like the Sacred Places we help to create. Mary has been devoted to health and wellness her whole life and being in nature is a big part of her personal resiliency. Her compassion for social justice has been an inspiration to all who know her.
Nature Sacred is one of Mary’s philanthropic priorities. She gives directly through her IRA through a Qualified Charitable Deduction (QCD), because as she puts it:
“When you have Firesouls that are walking out to a blighted area and are able to envision that it could be something more for their children and her friends—having even a small role in making this possible gives me a smile from ear to ear.”
Aside from giving directly via her IRA, Mary has supported Nature Sacred’s mission in many ways. She hosted, with her husband Chuck, a book party for BenchTalk in September 2023 in her Des Moines garden. It was a gathering that perfectly reflected Mary’s commitment to nurturing both community and the natural world.
