The four Sircom sisters – Elizabeth, Kate, Meg, and Gillian – grew up in Hantsport. “It was the 70s,” says Kate, “when kids were generally outside a lot.” She describes it as “fairly stereotypical, being sent outdoors and called back for supper.” They romped through the woods around their house, followed nearby creeks, and trekked down to the Avon River to explore the mud flats with other local kids.

As the sisters grew up, they left Nova Scotia to experience different parts of the world. Kate spent four years on Canada’s west coast, then worked in Indigenous communities in the Arctic for eight more.  Meg taught English in Japan and Korea, then moved to Montreal.  Gill spent almost 15 years in Quebec and northern British Columbia, while Elizabeth lived in France for 25 years.

They all eventually made their way back home, pulled by family and familiarity. Kate and Elizabeth both live in Hantsport. They’re very near the family home where they grew up and not too far from Wolfville, where Meg lived until her death in 2011 and where their mother still lives. Gillian lives on the South Shore.

The sisters’ experiences all over the world gave them each a unique appreciation for nature. Kate and Gill loved the stunning and wild outdoors of the West Coast and the Yukon, but still love to explore Nova Scotia’s more intimate landscape, canoeing and camping in wilderness areas.  Kate aims to make sure she’s outdoors at least an hour a day, whether it’s cycling, skiing, or just going out the back door to walk a trail with her dog. As an elementary school teacher, she takes her students outside as much as possible. Gill bikes to work along the Rails to Trails, on all but the iciest of winter days.

Having spent the longest time away from Nova Scotia of the sisters, Elizabeth says, “I have seen the difference between a country with a very dense population and one without, and I can see how the ‘unpopulated’ areas get quickly eaten up. People here seem to think you can drive anywhere and go anywhere and it doesn’t have any impact, but I have a different take on that.” It makes sense, then, that she calls herself a “stay in one spot” person and chooses to live in the countryside where nature is at her doorstep.  More specifically, she was drawn to return to the Minas Basin because of its importance to her “inner landscape” as a visual artist and musician. “I have a visceral, almost mystical attachment to the Minas Basin, especially the Avon River estuary – I find that whole area absolutely magical.”

Given how prominently nature figures in their everyday lives, it is not surprising that all the sisters support conservation. Their parents began supporting the Nature Trust in 1997, at almost the very beginning of our organizational history. As the sisters returned to Nova Scotia, they all became Nature Trust monthly donors, as well as supporters of other environmental organizations in the province. When Meg died, her sisters asked that donations be made in her name to the Nature Trust, to honour her life and her love of nature.

“I like the positive approach of the Nature Trust,” says Kate. “You feel like there’s progress all the time. And you can’t go wrong if you take a piece of land and preserve it – it’s simple.” Elizabeth agrees: “You can see tremendous results in other places that have done this, for example in England – how much land their National Trust has been able to protect in a densely populated country, and how much long-term success they’ve had.”

“Conserving land for nature is an environmental action that’s easy to talk to other people about,” continues Elizabeth. “So often discussions tend towards doom and gloom, but the positive approach of the Nature Trust is something we find very nice.  It also encourages individuals to make gestures towards conservation on their own properties, and every little bit helps.”

Kate is happy to be able to enjoy the nature that her support helps to protect. “My sister Gill and I recently took our canoe to the St. Mary’s River. I’m happy to know that there’s this river system that is beautifully preserved, and I feel very privileged that I can enjoy it.”

To learn more about monthly giving visit our NatureMakers page or contact cynthia@nsnt.ca.