“In an age of artificial intelligence, climate change and constant demands in technology,” says East Coast Credit Union VP, Operations, Sally van de Wiel, “we’re pleased to support an organization that provides opportunities for our community members to connect with nature.”

Clearly, Atlantic Canada’s biggest credit union takes its community outreach seriously; and such insights into the Big Picture — like that simple, human need to connect with nature — only makes their partnership with the Nature Trust all the more dynamic.

This marks the fourth consecutive year that East Coast Credit Union (ECCU) has partnered with the Nature Trust to support our Connecting with Nature Event Series — and yes, members of the ECCU team hit the trails, too! In some cases, they’re even more involved than that. Like Sharon Jones, a Senior Manager of Service Delivery at ECCU, who went on our Mabou Highlands hike in July of this year (“Great hike! Beautiful views!”) and is also a Nature Trust volunteer.

Sally van de Wiel speaks to how excited the ECCU team gets when hearing announcements from the Nature Trust, like the Mabou land securement and so many other wins for nature in 2019 thanks to our Lasting Landscapes campaign.

“This has been such a great year for the Nature Trust. We’re always happy to hear of these wonderful accomplishments,” says Sally.

From the solar panels on East Coast Credit Union rooftops to the super green LED lighting inside the branches themselves, the ECCU is a business doing it right. Like the Nature Trust, they partner with Bullfrog Power, too, to help keep the grid green. Sally mentions that since their partnership with Bullfrog, they’ve avoided 1,086 tonnes of carbon emissions, or the equivalent of removing 229 cars from the road for a year. Impressive!

But of course, what the Nature Trust is most impressed by is the impact that East Coast Credit Union has on one of our most popular programs, Connecting with Nature.

It takes a great deal of resources and staff time to organize the eight Connecting with Nature outings that happen across the province and throughout the year. This is where support from corporate Nova Scotia makes a big difference. Without that support, to continue such an expansive program would be a challenge. But with friends like East Coast Credit Union, these outings go off without a hitch, thrill those who partake in them, and provide wonderful stories to tell.

With its well-rounded community outreach efforts that include youth support programs and economic development initiatives, in addition to environmental responsibility, it’s a pleasure to work with East Coast Credit Union once again—and to help people connect with nature.