Betsy J. Nugent

I'm thinking of Betsy Nugent today. She was a linchpin in the Virginia Beach Audubon Society and a mentor to nature lovers for many years. She once told me that beech trees hung onto their honey-brown leaves for most of the winter and you could hear the leaves rustle when the wind blew. Now when I hear the gentle swishing of beech leaves on my winter walks, they always remind me of Betsy. I put a video of rustling beech tree leaves on both the Audubon Society's and my Facebook page.

Betsy touched the lives of many with her kind demeanor, non-judgmental attitude, and strong leadership. She was ready to talk about books, politics, ethics, history, local issues, and anything else, and was a good writer. We are remembering our years of birding together for fun and record building. Much of our knowledge of birds and native plants we credit to time spent with Betsy. She was an excellent teacher and finest person. And Clay provided good back-up. When we'd get home, he often...

Betsy was as beautiful a person as her red cardinals. And a wonderful neighbor