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 the Story of Long Cove

28 Sep 2021

On a rugged shoreline tucked into Port Medway is one of the Nature Trust’s early conservation successes: a 200-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 that property. The Nature Trust is grateful for his many years of dedicated service to protect nature, and delighted to have the chance to tell the story of 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.

Volunteer of the Month: Ken McKenna

14 Jul 2021

Our volunteer of the month is Ken McKenna, a passionate birder who contributes his expertise through our Birds Eye View program! In the face of alarming numbers showing rapid declines in bird populations all over the world, bird data from volunteers like Ken helps the Nature Trust monitor the health of bird populations and habitats. “You’re already doing it, so why not share what you’re finding?” he explains. “The monitoring gives you a base to see how things are changing. If protecting a property can stop something from declining, and our data helps stimulate that action, that makes it all worthwhile.”

Volunteer of the Month: Mary Guptill

30 Jun 2021

This month, we’re delighted to showcase Mary Guptill as our Volunteer of the Month! In 2018, Mary and her husband Delbé made a 44 acre land donation that encompasses almost an entire island on Belliveau Lake. Protecting the island had been Mary’s quest since the 1980s, and since giving it to the Nature Trust to protect in perpetuity, Mary has continued to volunteer there as a Property Guardian to support its stewardship.