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Peace River Sanctuary // Camp Mystic

Akeley was a longtime proponent of nature conservation and in 1959 donated 8 acres of her Connecticut estate to The Nature Conservancy's Connecticut Chapter. Upon Akeley's death in 1966, her will established a Peace Sanctuary Trust that leased the 45 acres of property in Mystic, Connecticut to the Thames Science Center, a New London, Connecticut-based conservation organization. In 1984, the 8 acre tract of land donated to The Nature Conservatory was returned to the care and ownership of Akeley's trustees, who in turn established the unified property as the "Peace Sanctuary." The property still stands as a wooded wildlife retreat open to the public.

The property was the subject of much activity during the time that it was under the care of the Thames Science Center. The preserve was the site of several botanical and ornithological research studies and was a popular field trip destination for local schools: the cost of admission was fifty cents per child and free for teachers. In 1968, over 2,200 adults and students attended any of the 61 programs the Sanctuary offered, including guided tours and day camps for children in the summers.  Boy Scout and Girl Scout Troops were also frequent visitors at Peace Sanctuary to work on merit badges or to help maintain the grounds as part of their community service.

Camp Mystic - emphasis on fresh fruits and vegetables, MJA claimed that one summer her campers "gained a total of 1,000 pounds." Offered a wide breadth of activities, including special Saturday night events such as dances, circuses, and plays written by Akeley herself. Some programs were open to parents and local Mystic neighbors for a small admission fee, with all proceeds donated to charities. Also hosted variety of notable guest speakers, including explorers Vilhjamur Stefannson and Herbert Spinden, poet William E. Brooks, Martin and Osa Johnson, ornithologist Herbert K. Job, and many others. Akeley's guests were invited to stay in Mystic for the weekend in exchange for entertaining her campers and chopping firewood for the girls.

Travels in Africa // Accomplishments?

Akeley was heavily involved in nature conservation and preservation, as well as a talented photographer. Throughout her 1931 expeditions through the Belgian Congo Sanctuaries, during which she served as the Secretary of the American Committee for Scientific Research in the Parc National Albert, Akeley and her husband repeatedly declined to collect the full number of specimens that had been allotted to them by the Belgian government. Choosing, at one point, to collect only five of the ten gorilla specimens that were expected of them in an effort to do as little destruction to the native wildlife as possible. Akeley instead produced an immense volume of photography to document what her expedition had uncovered as a means of preserving fragile ecosystems.