Tom and Gina Russo’s connection to the Spalding Conservancy began years ago through the proximity of their home to the preserved space. Their relationship with the land and its ecosystem, however, didn’t begin to flourish until about five years ago.

“We moved to Lancaster in 1989 and we've lived in the same neighborhood ever since,” Gina says. “We love our neighborhood, we love the community and we knew about the Spalding Conservancy. We first encountered it [when we were] cross-country skiing on a winter’s day.”

At first, the Conservancy was simply part of their surroundings — a peaceful boundary at the edge of their neighborhood. But over time, especially during the isolation they experienced in 2020 during the height of the pandemic, its importance became clear.

“We didn't go there a lot until COVID,” Tom remembers. “And then I think we were there every day, because it really brought home the importance of having an opportunity to be out in nature and how restorative that is. We realized what a special place this was. And we wanted to protect it.”

That daily connection led to deeper awareness. “We also found out that Spalding was part of F&M and that the College used it for classes for biology and environmental science,” Gina adds. “And that made it seem even more important to preserve it and make sure that it had the full use of what it promised.”

"It really brought home the importance of having an opportunity to be out in nature and how restorative that is. We realized what a special place this was. And we wanted to protect it." - Tom and Gina Russo

The Russos’ philanthropy at Franklin & Marshall (and at Dartmouth College where they met as first-year students) has always centered on creating opportunities for access, learning and discovery. Their early engagement at F&M was inspired by the late Professor David Schuyler; they recall him as a dear friend whose passion for the environment and law reverberated with his students. They’ve since come to appreciate the research conducted at Spalding today, including ornithological studies undertaken by Charles A. Dana Professor of Biology Dan Ardia and his students.

Longtime friends of F&M, the Russos were among the inaugural supporters of the Squash Aces, a program that connects School District of Lancaster students to academic and enrichment opportunities beyond the classroom, F&M student mentors and the College’s varsity squash programs. They also established the Thomas A. & Georgina T. Russo Family Foundation Gallery in the Susan and Benjamin Winter Visual Arts Center, which was dedicated in 2021.

Now, through their latest gift, Tom and Gina are helping ensure that the Spalding Conservancy remains both a living classroom and a community resource. Their gift sustains stewardship, education and outreach efforts — including funding a dedicated part-time position to coordinate the Conservancy’s ecological care, volunteer initiatives and long-term strategy.

For Gina, the gift reflects a shared belief in reflection and renewal. “It's really important for the students to have access to nature close by,” she says, “but also just a place to go and reflect.”

Thanks to the generosity of the Russos, that opportunity — to pause, to connect and to be inspired by the natural world — will endure for future generations of Diplomats and Lancastrians.