A few winters ago on the Nature Trust’s Musquodoboit Harbour Conservation Lands, James Kelly was trekking along the icy shoreline, taking a pause to appreciate how remote he was in that moment. Silent in the dead of winter, he shared that “it was really peaceful.”

James Kelly first heard of the Nova Scotia Nature Trust through an outreach coordinator at the Cole Harbour Mental Health Community Centre. They suggested volunteering after hearing about his interest in nature, which stems from his childhood of spending lots of time playing in the woods near his home community of East Chezzetcook. James found the volunteer onboarding experience really welcoming and easy to join; he especially appreciated being able to work at his own pace as a volunteer. 

He started off by attending the 100 Wild Islands Volunteer Hub last year and he will be attending again this year, as he finds it a really fun and a good way to meet fellow volunteers. Being a Property Guardian put his outdoor skills and knowledge to good use, and in addition, he began helping with Nature Trust events. “I’ve done the Hope for Wildlife Open House and I did the Cole Harbour Walk the Park event as Myrtle the Turtle. It was really fun! I have anxiety, so it was interesting being in the costume. It gives you a boost of confidence as no one can see you, and you’re just out there representing a fun thing which is awesome.”

James finds volunteering a therapeutic experience, as it’s a way for him to get out and connect with people in the community. His brother brought his children to one of the events and James got to show them around and share his knowledge with them. He enjoys showing his niece and nephew what he finds in nature and passing down his interest.

James also loves snapping macro photos of bugs and other tiny critters (he recent took a photo of a spotted Mediterranean cockroach!). If he is able to identify the species, he enjoys sharing the photos on his socials with his friends and family. 

Meeting other volunteers has led to further volunteer opportunities for James. For example, a fellow Nature Trust volunteer that he met at a 100 Wild Island Hub connected him to the volunteer work she does for the local Greenway Trail system in his community. He enjoys helping to maintain the trail: “It’s good because my grandmother loves to walk that trail, so it’s good to be able to help the community this way.” Through his Nature Trust connection, James has also learned about other organizations doing cleanups and other work in nature and is keeping an eye out for any future opportunities to help out and volunteer more. Even when he walks the local beach on his own, he tries to remove any European green crabs he spots; he is deeply interested in helping to remove invasive species, as they do a lot of harm to native species.

After James was released from the military, he was looking to contribute while navigating a new chapter of his life and learning more about himself. He finds volunteering in nature therapeutic; he encourages anyone else who may be starting a new chapter or feeling like they are starting all over again to seek that out. He shares that it has been a positive experience for him, and that it’s also mutual as yourself, nature, and the community all benefit from your getting involved. 

We are grateful to James for sharing his story and for his dedication as a Nature Trust volunteer! Learn more about how to get involved as a volunteer.