Dear Friends,
Much of the work that protects wild animals happens far from the spotlight, carried by quiet people who ask for no recognition and give everything. On Saturday, October 31, the Great Lakes Wildlife Alliance lost one of them.
Laura J. Karel passed away unexpectedly at her home in New Berlin. She was 68.
Laura spent her whole life on her family’s historic Loomis farm. She had no social media presence and no interest in one. She chose a life rooted in the land she loved and in protecting animals.
Laura was one of GLWA’s most generous supporters and served as one of our donor matches, which means her giving doubled the impact of every gift made alongside hers. Year after year, she quietly funded our work to challenge outdated state wildlife management and stand up for wolves in court.
Her deepest passion was wolves. She was fiercely committed to seeing them live free from human-inflicted suffering, and she backed coexistence, biodiversity, and the frontline work it takes to defend them.
Laura also loved birds, and hummingbirds held a special place in her heart. Her compassion didn’t stop at any one species. She believed nature has rights of its own, not just value to people, and she wanted the cruelty inflicted on wildlife to end, for every animal, everywhere. To Laura, a hummingbird at the feeder and a wolf in the north woods deserved the same thing: to live free from harm.
Laura lived quietly, but her impact lives on through us. Please honor her with a $10 memorial gift in her name to carry her work forward.
With deep gratitude for Laura, and for you,
Melissa Smith
Executive Director, Great Lakes Wildlife Alliance
speakforwildlife.org
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