A Legacy of Conservation Honoring Magalen Ohrstrom Bryant’s Enduring Impact

The Mississippi Museum of Natural Science Foundation recently received a generous gift from Purvis Grange Foundation, Inc. (PGF) in memory of Magalen “Maggie” Ohrstrom Bryant - a lifelong conservation advocate, devoted supporter of the Museum, and steward of Mississippi’s natural heritage.

The gift reflects Maggie Bryant’s deep and lasting investment in the work of the Foundation and the Museum she cared for so deeply.

“The Mississippi Museum of Natural Science Foundation and MDWFP’s Mississippi Museum of Natural Science are deeply grateful to Purvis Grange, Foundation, Inc. for honoring Maggie. Bryant’s legacy in this meaningful way. We are proud to carry forward the values she championed and to steward this gift with the same care and intention she brought to her life’s work,” said LoRose Moore, Chair, Mississippi Museum of Natural Science Foundation.

A TOUR DE FORCE

Affectionately regarded worldwide as a "tour de force," Maggie was an entrepreneur, conservationist, philanthropist, passionate supporter of education, champion for African wildlife, and an avid racehorse owner/breeder in the US and France.

A networker by instinct and nature, she spent her life connecting people. Friends and family recall that she loved introducing people to one another, bringing together conservationists, educators, scientists, philanthropists, and community leaders from around the world. She believed great ideas often began with a simple conversation and delighted in helping people form lasting connections.

She rarely stopped moving for more than a few days and, during her travels to nearly a hundred countries, she wasted no time seeking the next adventure. Bryant, a skilled horsewoman, derived huge fun and satisfaction from her love of horse racing in the US and France.

Bryant's drive for results was evident daily when she quoted Wayne Gretzky, the star hockey player: "You miss 100 percent of the shots you don't take." She had a willingness to take outsized risks on the innumerable ideas that piqued her interest. Bryant made education a pillar of her philanthropic ventures in the process changing the trajectory of the lives of many people and organizations across the globe. And, at home, Maggie dearly loved her family, her children, grandchildren, and great grandchildren.

TARA WILDLIFE

For Maggie, conservation was never abstract. It was personal. Through her leadership at Tara Wildlife, Bryant transformed the 6,500-acre family property along the Mississippi River into one of the region's most important conservation, outdoor recreation, and education destinations. The land had been in her husband's family since 1805. Maggie believed that protecting wildlife habitat and helping people experience nature firsthand went hand in hand.

Those closest to Bryant say Tara Wildlife remained one of her favorite places in the world. She loved early morning drives to the Mississippi River levee, watching herons along the wetlands, and sharing the property's beauty with visitors. Nothing pleased her more than seeing others experience and appreciate the landscape she worked so hard to protect.

MUSEUM IMPACT

Maggie’s connection to the Mississippi Museum of Natural Science grew naturally from those same values and her influence on the Museum was profound. In 1988, she provided the funding needed to launch Project WILD in Mississippi and welcomed educators to Tara Wildlife for workshops that helped transform environmental education across the state. Over the years, she served on the MMNS Foundation Board, supported exhibits and educational programs, and remained deeply invested in the Museum’s growth and success.

Former Museum Director Libby Hartfield remembers Bryant as a visionary philanthropist who believed deeply in scientific understanding and used her generosity to create lasting change. “Just weeks after I became Museum Director in January 1988, I was introduced to Maggie Bryant,” Hartfield said. “I shared our goal of launching Project WILD in Mississippi - but explained we lacked the funding needed to get started - Maggie immediately stepped forward. She pledged the full amount to our Foundation and offered Tara Wildlife as the host site for the first workshop, covering all expenses. That single gift transformed environmental education in our state.”

Teacher Workshop

Hartfield recalled that Maggie remained personally invested long after the program launched. “She welcomed us back to Tara year after year, attended teacher workshops herself, and genuinely loved meeting educators from across Mississippi. She wanted to fully understand the impact of her support, and her involvement made those workshops truly fun and special.”

Bryant’s commitment to the Museum extended across decades of growth and change. “Serving as a member of the MMNS Foundation Board, Maggie offered guidance during fundraising for the new Museum building at LeFleur’s Bluff and regularly visited to see how the aquariums and exhibits were evolving,” Hartfield said. “She funded the Wood Stork exhibit and supported numerous temporary exhibits, always with an eye toward education and conservation.”

A PRIVATE LAND CONSERVATION PIONEER

Bryant was also a pioneer in private land conservation. Concerned about protecting Mississippi's natural landscapes for future generations, she helped establish the first 501(c)(3) organization in Mississippi dedicated to holding conservation easements. Through that effort, thousands of acres at Tara Wildlife were permanently protected, preserving bottomland hardwood forests, wetlands, oxbow lakes, and miles of Mississippi River frontage. Her work helped demonstrate how private landowners could play a vital role in conservation while ensuring that treasured landscapes remained intact for generations.

She also used Tara for countless conservation endeavors, including the early stages of planning for what is now the North American Waterfowl Plan, landowner workshops on conservation easements, wetlands mitigation, and carbon sequestration.

Bryant believed conservation began with experience. Whether through teacher workshops, youth camps, wildlife tours, or educational programs, she wanted people - especially young people - to develop a personal connection to the natural world. She understood that people are far more likely to protect what they know and love.

WORLDWIDE IMPACT

Hartfield also noted that Bryant’s legacy reaches far beyond Mississippi. “I loved to hear her stories about conservation projects in Africa. Her global conservation work - including major support for cheetah recovery through the Cheetah Conservation Fund and efforts to protect African elephants and white rhinos - reflected her belief that conservation is a shared responsibility,” she said. “One of the most unforgettable moments was when she brought Dr. Laurie Marker and a live cheetah to the old Museum for an educational program for Jackson schoolchildren! That experience captured exactly who Maggie was - someone who believed philanthropy should inspire curiosity, understanding, and action.”

A MEANINGFUL LEGACY

Bryant recognized that the Museum is not just a building filled with exhibits - it is a gateway to understanding Mississippi’s biodiversity and a catalyst for lifelong environmental stewardship. Current Museum Director Angel Rohnke echoed that sentiment. “Maggie Bryant’s generous gift will be an investment in the continuation of excellent exhibits, ongoing research, programming, and enhanced visitor experiences. Donations are essential for our museum and its ability to serve as a scientific leader.”

Bryant’s legacy is not confined to Tara Wildlife or to any single initiative. It lives on in every child who explores an exhibit with wide-eyed wonder. In every researcher who ventures into the field to study Mississippi’s ecosystems. In every family who walks the trails and discovers something new.

Her life reminds us that conservation is not a single act - it is a sustained commitment. Bryant was not content to simply advocate for conservation - she believed in taking action. Whether funding environmental education, protecting wildlife habitat, supporting scientific research, or connecting people with nature, she consistently turned ideas into impact.

Through this generous memorial gift, Maggie Bryant’s commitment continues.

Says Rohnke, “If Maggie could see the Museum today, she would be so proud of the building, grounds, and staff. The museum holds accreditation from the American Alliance of Museums, a distinction earned by fewer than 4% of museums nationwide. This certifies that its exhibits and research meet the highest global standards of excellence. She would see current renovations: a new theater, carpeting, lobby and gift shop enhancements, improved meeting spaces, a new outdoor exhibit featuring a tree house, a mother’s room (The Nest), and our new mining sluice. She would see smiling faces of wonder from babies to adults as they explore our exhibits, aquariums, and trails.”

Because of Maggie Bryant, the work continues.

And because of her legacy, Mississippi’s natural future is stronger.

THE POWER OF UNRESTRICTED GIFTS

Gifts to the Museum directly power conservation and education across Mississippi.

The unrestricted nature of the gift made in memory of Maggie Bryant reflects trust in the Foundation’s leadership, its partnership with the Museum, and its responsibility to strengthen conservation, research, and education efforts across the state. “Maggie Bryant’s generous gift will be an investment in the continuation of excellent exhibits, ongoing research, programming, and enhanced visitor experiences,” said MMNSF Executive Director Susan Frazier.

Unrestricted gifts such as this one are especially meaningful. They allow the Foundation to respond to evolving needs - whether supporting field research, enhancing educational programming, strengthening exhibits, or equipping scientists and educators with the tools they need to serve the public.

More importantly, they represent belief.

Belief in the Foundation.
Belief in its leadership.
Belief in its mission.

Donor support provides the specialized equipment and field resources the museum’s scientists need to care for the state’s largest biological collection - more than two million specimens - and to protect at‑risk species like the gopher tortoise.

Contributions also ensure access to learning by underwriting school field trips, offsetting transportation costs for underserved schools, supporting teacher workshops, and funding large‑scale educational events such as the annual water festival that reaches thousands of students across the Mississippi Delta. World‑class traveling exhibits and major projects like the “Dinosaur Trail” and Bird Flight exhibit are also made possible through philanthropy.

Partnerships with dedicated donors and conservation leaders amplify the Museum’s mission and extend its reach far beyond its campus. Through philanthropic collaboration, the Museum works alongside organizations such as Keep America Beautiful - who recently honored the museum with a national award - and numerous outreach partners to expand education, habitat restoration, and community engagement statewide.

These partnerships allow Museum educators to reach nearly 80,000 students each year and ensure programs are accessible to individuals with sensory and physical disabilities, creating a more inclusive and lasting impact.

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