Blog: Volunteer Stories

Dan Hutt: Look to the Eastern Shore

01 Nov 2024

When you picture the jewel-toned waters and white sand beaches of the 100 Wild Islands, chances are good that you are picturing Shelter Cove. It’s one of the show-stopping coastal vistas that has brought the Eastern Shore into the Nova Scotia mainstream – and Property Guardian Dan Hutt has been helping to take care of it from almost the beginning of its life as a Nature Trust conservation land.

Louise Cook: Learning in every season

03 Sep 2024

The Bras d’Or is world-renowned as a sailing paradise – and for Louise Cook, it called out to her to unexpectedly set anchor and make a new home. More than twenty years after originally getting "stuck" in Nova Scotia, Louise is dedicated to learning about and caring for the nature all around her, including as a Property Guardian for our North Mountain Ridge Conservation Lands.

Jesse Milani: The forest and the trees

01 Sep 2024

When Jesse Milani arrived in Nova Scotia in 2023, he immediately looked for ways to connect his self-proclaimed "tree nerd" passion for forestry with Nova Scotia’s own unique forest. He was delighted to find the Nature Trust’s Property Guardians program, where could put his fieldwork experience and expertise to good use.

Companion Planting: A special garden group of volunteers

31 Jul 2024

In 2019, the Nature Trust initiated a project to create a native species garden at Nature’s House in downtown Dartmouth. It is now cared for by a passionate group of volunteers, whose dedication and expertise have fostered a most pleasant and productive ecosystem not only for the native species but also among each other. Their work exemplifies the larger purpose of the Nature Trust – that by working together, nature can thrive.

Featured artist: Meghan Marentette

31 Jul 2024

Meghan Marentette is a Nova Scotian author and artist who creates diorama picture books for children. Her book Rumie Goes Rafting (published by Owlkids in April 2024) was inspired by and created in the Purcells Cove Backlands. In this interview, she talks about her relationship with nature, as an artist.

Peter Himmelman: Part of the team

01 Jun 2024

“Nature is how I unwind,” says Peter Himmelman, who’s been volunteering as a Property Guardian since 2021. His love of the outdoors shines through not only his family life but also his professional life as a teacher and certified Outdoor Educator. Read his story!

Andrew Kingdon: Right Place, Right Time

01 May 2024

You could say that Andrew Kingdon’s volunteer story is one of those “right place, right time” stories – as long as you know that the “right place” for Andrew is a bog, knee-deep in mud. He's one of our Wilderness Property Guardians, taking care of some of our wildest wild places - read his story!

Taking Wing with Alix d’Entremont

02 Apr 2024

Greg Lukeman: Many Ways to Care

01 Mar 2024

Greg Lukeman has been volunteering with the Nature Trust since 1999, which makes him one of the longest-serving consistent volunteers in our 30-year history! “Once you start doing something,” he encourages, “then you can see all the areas where there could be something to do. There’s nobody that doesn’t have a talent that could be helpful.” Of his own wide-ranging volunteer contributions, he shrugs. “They’re all small ways to be involved, but it’s nice to be part of the success of the Nature Trust.”

Robin Johnston: Making a difference close to home

01 Feb 2024

For Robin Johnston, being a Property Guardian is about building a relationship with land close to her home. “People feel very strongly about the place they actually live. The more people you have out there with eyes on the ground, who are engaged, the more they could make a positive difference in the place where they live.” Read Robin's stewardship story as we celebrate her as our volunteer of the month!
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