Volunteer of the Month: John Saville

31 Oct 2022

John Saville has long been concerned with the health of the environment. His commitment to protecting the environment inspired him to reach out to the Nature Trust offering to become a volunteer Property Guardian. We even quickly found a match for his talents and interests as a Master Gardener, with his first role being to help renovate and restore the native species garden at the Nature Trust office in downtown Dartmouth. We're happy to share John's story as our recent Volunteer of the Month!

Volunteers of the Month: Bob & Brenda Cox

30 Jun 2022

Originally from Arkansas, Bob and Brenda Cox have been visiting Cape Breton every year since 1996 after their interest in the area piqued from listening to a Rankin Family CD. Today, the pair share their time between Virginia and Nova Scotia, and have been volunteering as Property Guardians in the Mabou area of Cape Breton Island since 2019. We’re delighted to share their story as our volunteers of the month!

Volunteers of the Month: Property Guardians Colin O’Neil, Roberta and Roy Harding

17 Mar 2022

Colin O’Neil, Roberta and Roy Harding have been volunteering as Property Guardians at the Nature Trust’s conservation easement land on the Meander River for the past three years. We’re delighted to highlight their volunteer efforts as a great example of stewardship and having the whole family get outdoors, connect with nature, and spend time making a difference together.

Lynn and Bob Guscott: Volunteering is a win-win

28 Feb 2022

This month, we’re delighted to introduce Bob and Lynn Guscott, two Property Guardians who gladly make the trek from just outside of Halifax to Cape Breton to steward Nature Trust land in the majestic Mabou Highlands.

Irwin Barrett: An Artist’s Eye on the Natural World

31 Jan 2022

You may not know Irwin Barrett, but you’ve almost certainly seen his work. Over the past several years, his incredible photographs of landscapes across Nova Scotia have helped us showcase the wild legacy you are helping the Nature Trust save. We’re delighted to celebrate Irwin as our Volunteer of the Month and to share more about the unique artistic perspective he brings to Nova Scotia’s amazing landscapes.

Bruce Blakemore: Lasting Love for Coastal Conservation

22 Nov 2021

Our volunteer of the month, Bruce Blakemore, first connected with the Nature Trust when she and her late husband, Hugh Jones, wanted to conserve their own coastal property at Purgatory Point. They immediately jumped in to steward the nearby conservation land of Crow Neck Beach as Property Guardians, and here Bruce shares the story of that inspiration.

Ed Sulis: Work Hard, Have Success, Enjoy

28 Oct 2021

Our Volunteer of the Month, Ed Sulis, is a self-taught forest enthusiast and invasive species adversary who helps steward Nature Trust properties and other natural areas on land and by sea!

Ben Howell Davis and his History with Long Cove

28 Sep 2021

On a rugged shoreline tucked into Port Medway is one of the Nature Trust’s early conservation successes: a 155-acre hidden gem called Long Cove. And one of our longest-serving Property Guardians, Ben Howell Davis, has been working to keep it in its natural condition since the late 1980s, when he moved into a rustic cabin on the adjacent property. After 14 years of official stewardship, he is passing the torch to the new owner of his property. The Nature Trust is grateful for his many years of dedicated service protecting nature, and delighted to have the chance to tell the story of his efforts at Long Cove.

Pam Gerry: Property Guardian By Canoe

09 Sep 2021

Pam Gerry, our Volunteer of the Month, is happy to put her itch to get into nature (and her canoe) to good use as a Property Guardian for our conservation lands at McGowan Lake and Barren Meadow!

Jacqui Reeves: Tending Nature’s Garden

30 Aug 2021

With everything that’s happened over the past year (events moved online, staff working primarily from home, etc.), the garden of our downtown Dartmouth office, Nature’s House, has grown quite wild - a bit more wild than we intended! Fortunately, having volunteered with the original planting process, our Volunteer of the Month Jacqui Reeves was well equipped to help out with some expert gardening care.