Judy Glick Memorial Fund – honouring the legacy of a wonderful NGT supporter
A couple of months ago, I received the very sad news of the death of Judy Glick, after a short illness over the preceding couple of months.
Over a number of years, Judy had been a loyal, absolutely committed supporter of NGT’s work, beginning with an incredibly generous gift she made in honour of her parents, Dora and Felix Hiller, that (along with matching funds provided by Purryburry Trust) helped us to eliminate the land purchase debt on the Mt Vandyke Restoration Reserve back in 2021. I still vividly remember the deep sense of relief and gratitude I felt when I took Judy’s call. At the time, the Mt Vandyke fundraiser still had a significant distance to go and – until that moment – the target seemed a long way off.
To refresh your memory, the inspirational story of Judy’s gift and the Purryburry Trust matching donation can be found here.
In my communications with Judy over the past few years, some things that stood out to me were her attention to detail and deep interest in the science that underpins our work. It was clear that she took the time to read our newsletter articles carefully, which personally meant a lot to me, knowing the effort that goes into writing these stories each month. Of course, when I later learned that Judy had a professional background in teaching science, this all made perfect sense.
I also had the opportunity to witness how Judy’s extensive past management experience with CERES (an environmental education centre, community garden, urban farm and social enterprise) north of Melbourne gave her insights into what it takes to build and run a successful, community-driven NGO. By this, I mean that she had a sense for some of the behind-the-scenes requirements that others couldn’t as readily see or appreciate.
And so it was that Judy would quietly ask us questions like “tell us, what do you really need for management at Mt Vandyke?”. She was interested in helping us secure the type of practical equipment we had trouble funding from other sources, so that we could progress with our plans. As a result, over the past few years, Judy helped us purchase a tractor, a rainwater tank, a water-carting trailer and even recently a stand-alone solar power system for Mt Vandyke.
As John Bradford, our grassland restoration ecologist at Mt Vandyke will attest, these vital items of equipment are now transforming our ability to get on with the job of more effectively and efficiently restoring this special site (as we prepare for the eventual reintroduction of small mammals inside our predator-proof fence) – which, I am proud to say, we know is exactly what Judy wanted.
We are also feeling incredibly grateful to Judy at this sad time, as we learned that she had taken the step of including NGT in her Will. The bequest made from Judy’s Estate has allowed us to create the 20th Named Fund in the NGT Foundation in her honour, the Judy Glick Memorial Fund. For anyone interested, more information about how to make a bequest to NGT can be found here.
The NGT Foundation is a perpetual endowment fund, with a long-term goal of generating a reliable, stable source of annual income to ensure the financial sustainability of NGT. As well as eventually providing core funding, this will allow us to help fund the effective management of NGT Reserves, including Mt Vandyke, a special place deep in the Cobboboonee forest, with which Judy had a particular affinity.
To Leslie, your family and the many people who were close to Judy, on behalf of everyone associated with NGT, we are truly sorry for your loss. The environment has lost a wonderful advocate.
We are proud to be able to honour her legacy through the establishment of this new, perpetual fund within the NGT Foundation.
Vale Judy.
Mark Bachmann, on behalf of Nature Glenelg Trust, 23rd August 2025
