# Woman donated Connecticut island for wildlife and education in 1995 2026-08-13T20:19:48+00:00 | World & Diplomacy | Indian Opinion Desk Corroboration: 1 independent outlet In 1964, Elizabeth Hird and her husband Basil Rauch bought Outer Island, a five-acre summer retreat in Connecticut's Thimble Islands. After Rauch's death, Hird donated the island in 1995 to the US Fish and Wildlife Service to protect its natural resources and support education and research. The island, once used by Mattabesic Native Americans and later owned by Yale's first zoology professor, is now part of the Stewart B. McKinney National Wildlife Refuge. Hird continued to live on the island until her death in 2002 at 87. Today, Outer Island hosts a laboratory, a pavilion and runs research and education partnerships with Connecticut State University and Friends of Outer Island. The site serves as habitat for migratory birds and marine life, and remains a living classroom for studying Long Island Sound's ecosystems. ## Coverage - timesofindia.indiatimes.com Tags: Connecticut, conservation, Elizabeth Hird, Outer Island, US Fish and Wildlife Service Canonical: https://indianopinion.org/woman-donated-connecticut-island-for-wildlife-and-education-in-1995/ License: Summary and commentary (c) Indian Opinion, reusable with attribution. Facts belong to the linked sources. Cite: https://indianopinion.org/woman-donated-connecticut-island-for-wildlife-and-education-in-1995/#story-in-brief Review state: restored archive article, accurate at time of publication, not offered to search indexes.