Zenaida Mott

Zenaida Mott

The Mott Family of Mill Valley and Ross has parks in their DNA.  Bill's father, William Penn Mott, led East Bay regional parks and California state parks as well as served as director of the National Park Service through a prestigious career.  Zenaida's brother, Dr. Lee Merriam Talbot, was an architect of the Endangered Species Act and Marine Mammal Protection Act and served as General Director of the International Union for Conservation of Nature.  Her father, F. N. U. Talbot was a senior official in the U. S. Forest Service, and her grandfather, C. Hart Merriam, M.D. was a founder of the National Geographic Society and was tapped to lead what became the U. S. Fish and Wildlife Service.

The Talbot and Mott families' commitment to conservation and passion for nature was handed down through the generations.  So it was only fitting that when Zee Zee passed away last fall, her family directed remembrances to the Parks Conservancy.  The collective contribution from family, friends, and fans of Zee Zee importantly will support One Tam's Bothin Marsh restoration plans.  

Her daughter Larie said, "I know my mom would have loved to know her contributions would be going towards such a thoughtful, beautiful and sustainable project as you are embarking on with Bothin Marsh.  She loved that area and enjoyed painting it as well as watching it from her home.  I think Bothin Marsh is unique in that it is set in such a well utilized, highly visible area just outside a major metropolitan area to be a prototype for what is possible in sustainable vision and planning."

In addition, Zee Zee was a founder of the Baywood Artists, which was established with intention to capture the beauty of wonderful and wild places on canvas and raise awareness while raising funds for sites like Bothin Marsh.  The collective recently hosted an art show to celebrate its 25th anniversary, with sales proceeds benefiting the One Tam collaborative.  Said Larie, "My mom was a big proponent and avid supporter of Bay marshlands and deeply understood the importance they had in the ecosystem.  She often painted these areas and their wildlife to help bring education and understanding to these endangered areas."

We are grateful to Zee Zee's family for extending her legacy through our work, especially benefiting a landscape to which she felt a special connection.