Meet Leslye and David

Dynamic, energized, and engaged, Leslye and David Hardie have deeply rooted themselves in the community that is “magic and wild” through their belief that “the joy of living in community is the collective understanding that we need to secure the future.” Based in Wilson, they are passionate supporters of the Jackson Hole Land Trust. Hear more from Leslye:

I drove out here with my brother over Christmas holidays when I was in college around 1975 on bald Mississippi tires to stay with his college friends and help with the drive. David came here from Scotland with his family to start a long relationship with the CM Ranch in Dubois. Both of us decided this needed to be our home but first we needed to earn some money. The place was magic and wild. We have now been here 35 years, married here, and had two sons born at St. John’s. We built a home over 31 years ago in Wilson and with each trip into town we are full of gratitude and awe at the open space. With each year that passes, our understanding of the gift the Jackson Hole Land Trust has given to maintain and defend this space grows. The JHLT’s efforts to safeguard treasures like the Hardeman Barn and meadows made possible the permanent home of Teton Raptor Center. This conservation collaboration creates opportunities that benefit our Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem far into the future. Travel through other mountain towns shows a lack of wild animals, raptors, and acquiescence to the profit pressures to overdevelop.

We hope to protect open space and wildlife in perpetuity with our legacy gift. The JHLT has proved over many decades that they are capable and effective at working with all state, federal, and private landowners to that end. The joy of living in this involved community is the collective understanding that we need to secure the future. We would encourage everyone who loves the extraordinary beauty of this area to join us in its preservation through the JHLT.