There’s a moment, just past the shaded bend in the trail, where the climate shifts—cooler, moister, quieter. That’s the part Susan looks forward to most: the hush beneath the hemlocks on the St. Croix property. “It’s the stillness of it. The peace,” she says. “Every time I step into that section of the forest, I feel it.”

For Kathy, the forest offers the same deep sense of peace—but it also connects her to her grandchildren. Sharing quiet walks in the woods with them is one of her greatest motivations for protecting nature. Kathy and Susan are united in their commitment to safeguarding wild places—not just for themselves, but for future generations. Susan first learned about the Nature Trust through her network and firmly believes the organization is playing an essential role: “absolutely crucial at this point in time and filling a really important role.”

Today, both women serve as volunteer Property Guardians with the Nova Scotia Nature Trust, caring for the St. Croix property—a forest they know and love. They met through mutual friends about ten years ago. “We hit it off immediately,” Kathy recalls. Their friendship deepened through regular walks in the woods near their homes. So when Susan learned the Nature Trust had acquired the forest near her property, she didn’t hesitate. She invited Kathy to join her in becoming a Property Guardian. “We love walking together. This would be a great fit,” they both agreed. 

For Susan, having a partner brought confidence and a sense of safety in exploring the rugged terrain. The property’s unique karst landscape can be unpredictable, with hidden sinkholes and uneven ground, but it only deepens their appreciation for the land—and the learning it inspires. Learn more how to stay safe on karst landscapes here in our St. Croix property announcement. They’ve split responsibilities of using the Landscape monitoring app on their walks (with a few laughs along the way), and Kathy recently brought her grandson, who happily helped log their observations. It’s a simple, meaningful way to share the outdoors with him and a bonus to have a techy person to take on the app responsibility for the walk. 

Both women have long-standing connections to nature. Kathy grew up nearby an arboretum as her playground which led to studying ecology at Dalhousie and working in the outdoor and conservation space. She finds peace and purpose in nature’s biodiversity and sensory richness of the forest “It’s where I recharge my batteries,” she says.

Susan’s relationship with the land deepened when she and her husband moved to St. Croix nearly three decades ago. Surrounded by woods and immersed in gardening, her awareness of environmental issues has grown, along with her appreciation of the quiet resilience of the natural world. Being part of the Nature Trust has enriched their experience and Susan and her husband donated land to the Nature Trust in March 2022.

From training sessions and the Valley hub meetings to connecting with like-minded volunteers, makes both women feel supported and inspired. “It’s a privilege to be involved with a group of people who have the same dedication,” Kathy says.

For Kathy, this work is about more than just stewardship—it’s about legacy. With three grandchildren in Nova Scotia, she wants them to have the same opportunities to experience wild places that she’s had.

Among their most memorable moments is Kathy including her grandchildren in her walks and another time, during a guided hike with the Flora Society of Nova Scotia, Susan discovered a patch of rare Ramshead orchids by paying attention to the terrain, following the water to the low ground which became a moment of joy, wonder and pride.

Looking ahead, Susan and Kathy are eager to return to the newly restored shoreline at the St. Croix property, where a historic dyke was strategically breached as part of a tidal wetland restoration project in November 2024. Done in partnership with TransCoastal Adaptations, the Confederacy of Mainland Mi’kmaq, and CB Wetlands & Environmental Specialists, the initiative has reconnected the land to natural tidal cycles, allowing saltwater to flow in and out with the tides. Learn more about the project here.

“It was really interesting to see how much water had come in,” Susan says, noting their plan to return at high tide to fully experience the transformation. Kathy adds, “I’m looking forward to continuing to watch the landscape heal itself,” reflecting on how this restoration is only possible because the St. Croix property is protected in perpetuity by the Nova Scotia Nature Trust. With the tides flowing back in, rare orchids blooming and hemlocks standing in peace in the way nature intended. And for Kathy, part of that renewal is simply “quiet walks in the woods with my good friend.” Thanks to dedicated stewards like Susan and Kathy, this forest will continue to offer stillness, beauty, and wonder for generations to come.

Thank you to Kathy and Susan for their dedication and inspiration! Learn more about our Property Guardians program.