Bill Flemer visits Nova Scotia less than he used to. As a youngster, thanks to a tradition initiated by his grandparents in the 1930s, his family would visit every summer. Leaving their home in New Jersey, they’d fly to Boston, board a turboprop for the invariably foggy descent into Yarmouth, and after a long and dusty day’s drive, arrive at Birchdale Camp. “When it finally came into view, we knew we had arrived at our favourite place in the world.”

Set deep inside the wilderness of Digby County, Birchdale Camp was rustic and remarkable; a private retreat for hunting, fishing, and outdoor enthusiasts since 1911. Among its guests were notable “Sports,” including Teddy Roosevelt, Babe Ruth, and Ted Williams; Hollywood stars; and families like the Flemers, who would make yearly return reservations for their favourite cabin and favourite guide.

“The guides and staff were local and always made us feel welcome. We spent our days messing around in canoes, fishing off the dock using grasshoppers for bait. All guests would eat meals together in the big main lodge, and the fresh-baked bread from the woodstoves was unforgettable”, recounts Bill.

Summers at Birchdale helped to instill a lifelong appreciation for nature in young Bill, as did another Flemer family tradition. A wholesale nursery business started by his great-grandfather in 1913 burgeoned a lineage of nurserymen that would conclude with Bill himself. “Growing up, the management of land, the growing of plants, and the vagaries of weather were always central to our lives.”

Deciding to study horticulture and botany at the University of Wisconsin was a natural choice for Bill, who then worked alongside his father at Princeton Nurseries. Over time, the business grew into one of the most prominent commercial nurseries in the United States. With the company’s closure after nearly a century of success, Bill and his family made plans to protect the beautiful and bountiful lands it held. “As a society, we don’t have many opportunities to preserve wonderful old places, given the pressures of growth and the resulting sprawl. It’s great to know that the land we were privileged to care for over so many years will continue to be loved and cared for”, adding, “Companies come and go, people come and go, but the land lasts forever.”

Recently retired, Bill last worked with the D&R Greenway Land Trust inspiring others to appreciate nature as he does. He now spends his time in Hopewell, New Jersey, enjoying his musical interests and adventures with his Great Pyrenees, Fiona. Often, his thoughts will find their way back through the thick forests of Southwest Nova Scotia to Birchdale. “For us, it was heaven on earth.”

Like Flemer, those fortunate enough to have experienced the splendour and singularity of Birchdale were saddened when the camp closed to the public in 1972 when a Carmelite order of the Catholic Church took ownership. “The monks lived there in seclusion for several decades. The old guns, fishing gear, and things collected in the woods were all removed from the main lodge, and the cabins were each renamed for saints, not trees as they had been,” explains Bill. But when the property sold again to an American keen to restore and reopen the site, Bill and his wife quickly arranged a visit. “We were delighted to see the old Birchdale world coming back to life.” Today, Birchdale hosts a new generation of guests as present-day owners operate the lakeside property in harmony with its pristine surround and storied past; music to Bill Flemer’s Bluegrass-loving ears.

Bill would hear more encouraging news when an old schoolmate, also with ties to Nova Scotia, informed him about the Nature Trust’s work saving the ecological integrity of land in Digby County. Bill knew he wanted to help and began donating to the organization in 2008. When a Nature Trust Landlines story appeared featuring Stewart Lindsay, the first-ever American Champion of the Wild, it sparked Bill to join him as a loyal U.S. supporter. Champion donors are essential to the Nature Trust, as they provide committed, significant support that allows planning for the future and guarantees the sustainability of its conservation work. Champions also provide “unrestricted” funds to ensure that areas of greatest needs can be addressed.

Bill’s generosity is meaningful in many ways. It has also reunited him with the wild wonders of his childhood summers, the heritage of his family, and his passion for conservation. “It gives me great comfort to know that the Nova Scotia Nature Trust is working all over the province to preserve it, with the help of people, Canadian and American, who love it as I do.”

The Nature Trust is pleased to welcome Bill as our newest Champion of the Wild and honoured he has chosen to invest in the future of our natural legacy, with other like-minded Champions, to help us shape the future of land conservation in our beautiful province.

Learn more about becoming a Champion of the Wild or contact Barbara Haley at barbara@nsnt.ca or 902-579-9977.