Bindi Irwin is keeping her father’s legacy alive, 15 years after his tragic death.
Speaking to The Bump, the pregnant wildlife conservationist shared how her dad, Steve Irwin, inspired her and her husband Chandler Powell to nickname their daughter Baby Wildlife Warrior, ahead of her arrival.
“My dad would have been the best grandfather,” 22-year-old Irwin said. “I always joke that if he was still here, we’d never see our baby because he’d take her on all kinds of adventures! I want to make sure our baby girl gets to know my dad and thankfully, we have many documentaries and photos we can share with her. I think she’ll love getting to watch footage of Dad working with all kinds of animals and learning about his legacy.
“My dad was the first person to create the term ‘Wildlife Warrior.’ Being a Wildlife Warrior means to stand up and speak for those who cannot speak for themselves. We’ve been referring to our daughter as our Baby Wildlife Warrior. I know in my heart that she will forge her own path to make our planet a better place.”
Steve tragically died in 2006 at 44 years of age after being pierced in the chest by a stingray in the Great Barrier Reef.
But Bindi and Powell’s baby-on-the-way isn’t the only one who has been given a nickname, as mother Terri Irwin has been given a special moniker as a future grandmother.
“My extraordinary mama is my best friend and I know that she is going to be such an amazing grandmother,” Bindi gushed. “We spent a long time searching for grandma names that also had an animal link. We decided that she’s going to be called ‘Bunny.'”
This article originally appeared on Over60.