Ruckstuhl Park: A Legacy of Love for the Land

In June, we gathered at Ruckstuhl Park as children cheered and found every possible way to explore the new park space created through Dr. Lily Ruckstuhl’s conservation legacy. The park features walking trails, picnic tables, open spaces, and a discovery playground designed to encourage kids to explore and adventure in nature.

When we say conservation takes time, we mean it—it took 26 years to reach this celebratory moment! In 1999, Dr. Ruckstuhl contacted the Northern Virginia Conservation Trust (NVCT) to protect her property in perpetuity. In 2011, she decided to leave the parcel to NVCT in her will. The land was later sold to Fairfax County for Park Use.

Today, children crawl through playground logs, create tunes at the butterfly cymbal station, and learn to identify the tracks of local wildlife. But did you know that the first child to experience the joy of play in this park was a relative of Dr. Ruckstuhl?

Yvonne Zaug, Lily’s last remaining relative, flew in from Arizona the previous fall to visit the soon-to-be park. We reconnected with Yvonne this spring to recount that moment and hear her thoughts on the celebration.“I’m Lily’s last remaining relative from that generation. She was such a unique and good person, and I’m getting old now. I wanted to see her one more time and see the place that meant so much to her. I was also there with my son and granddaughter, so the knowledge and beauty of this place is being passed on,” said Yvonne.

It was essential to us both that Lily’s family be the first to enjoy this conservation success—especially since the land holds more family history than just Lily’s conservation legacy. Many of her family members are buried on portions of the land, which makes this property even more meaningful. Yvonne shared that: “It’s the perfect place for her. She’s still here, and it’s still hers. It’s good to know she’ll be remembered because she was truly one of a kind.”Knowing this, we ensured that Yvonne’s granddaughter was the first to play on the playground.

It may be hard to imagine now, but 30 to 40 years ago, this property was farmland. Lily kept farm animals and dogs on the land—it was her peaceful escape from the city. Yvonne told us that Lily: “Lived in the town for a while and had her medical practice in the city, but she always longed for nature that reminded her of home in Switzerland. It made her so happy to move out to the country. Before she was Dr. Ruckstuhl, Lily had come to the United States by boat with only a few dollars in her pocket."

“She was fearless and had such an adventurous spirit. To then go to medical school and be a doctor was not what most women did, but she wasn’t like most women at that time!”

Lily was motivated to protect her property and eventually leave it in NVCT’s hands because she understood how quickly the landscape around her was changing. The area where Ruckstuhl Park now stands was once farmland or open space. As Yvonne explained, “She hated all of the development that was coming in. It made her sad, but it also strengthened her feelings about this place. The more houses and offices that came, the more she knew her land had to stay. We are grateful that Lily recognized the importance of preserving the land that meant so much to her—and that it can now be shared with all of Northern Virginia. When we asked Yvonne how Lily would feel seeing the park completed and named in her honor, she said

“She would be so proud. She loved kids and wanted to see them play around nature, and the trail through the woods is perfect. Lily would have loved to walk on it. This place truly was her legacy.”