Our Generous Donors: Susan and Steve Bell

The Barbara Stover and Susan Bell Birding Academy is more than just a name—it’s a tribute to a legacy of curiosity, connection, and care for the natural world. Made possible through a generous gift from Steve and Susan (Stover) Bell, the Birding Academy reflects a passion for the natural world, biodiversity, birds, and lifelong learning.

The decision to honor both Barbara Stover and Susan Bell was deliberate. “I knew that neither of them would agree to have their name on something unless they were honored together around a shared passion,” Steve Bell noted. That passion, rooted in a deep appreciation for nature and the role birds play within it, became the foundation for what would make the Birding Academy possible.

Barbara Stover’s love for birds took flight with a Cardinal at a backyard feeder at her Fox Point home. She loved the study of birds, the deductive identification process of birding, and the role birds play in nature. “For Mom, nature came first,” Susan Bell reflected. She went back to school at UWM where writers like Charles Darwin, E.O. Wilson, Henry David Thoreau, and Edward Abbey inspired her about nature. “Birds were a natural extension of her studies, and she built her skills around that love,” noted Susan. She pursued birding through hands-on exploration and reading, eagerly sharing discoveries with friends and family.

As a longtime neighbor of Schlitz Audubon, Barbara regularly found inspiration and delight in the Center’s trails and community. She volunteered in the bookstore of the original building where she embraced her twin loves of books and nature. Susan noted, “Mom would be thrilled that others of all types and in all stages of their birding journey would have access to the resources provided by the Birding Academy.”

Through her involvement, Barbara began her family’s, Steve’s and his family’s, multi-generational support of Schlitz Audubon. Her husband, Harney Stover, was a board director and co-chair of the capital campaign that made today’s beautiful Visitor Center possible. Barbara and Harney and Susan and Steve were contributors to the capital campaign. At Harney’s passing Steve’s dad and stepmother, Bob and Joni Bell, contributed the beautiful bird wood carving, custom cabinetry, lighting and photographs in the Hearth Room. Susan and Steve recently funded an expansion to our accessible boardwalk in honor of Susan’s sister-in-law and brother, Anne and Jim Stover. Susan also extended her Audubon wingspan by serving on the National Audubon Society board for eleven years, chairing the board for over three years until fall of 2024.

The Birding Academy continues this family legacy—built on vision and impact. For the Bells, it’s about how education unlocks action, and ultimately positive impact. By elevating Schlitz Audubon’s role as a nature educator for all, the Birding Academy establishes deeper connections to birds in our community and helps birds of our region thrive. “Education and engagement build understanding” Steve explained. “And when people understand and appreciate nature, they’re more motivated to take action to protect it.”

The Bell and Stover families’ dedication to bird education goes well beyond affection for these feathered wonders. They recognize how birds are both teachers and indicators of ecological health. As Susan says, “Birds show us the way.”