Growing up in Jamaica, Jenna Waugh developed a profound respect for nature. There, she learned the elements of life were embedded in the earth: the land providing gifts and the weather heeding warning. Jenna does miss her childhood home, but her early experiences have allowed her to connect and give deeply to wherever she lands.

“I really enjoy living in Nova Scotia,” says Jenna, “It feels comfortable, very relaxed and laid back, and I love the cold!” A newlywed, Jenna met her husband when she moved to Halifax. Still young, she has already studied and worked in Gerontology and Marine Rigging and is now finishing her degree in Geography at St. Mary’s University.

“I’ve always had a passion for rocks,” says Jenna. “Recently, I noticed this particular one on my walk home every day, and I thought, ‘What would people think of me if they saw me digging it up?’ But I went ahead anyways, and now it sits proudly on my mantle”, she laughs. “It’s Quartz, heavy, clear, and sparkling, and I suppose it reminds me a bit of home”.

Somehow, amidst her career changes and studies, Jenna also makes time to volunteer. She discovered the Nature Trust when searching for a new opportunity tied to her enthusiasm for the environment and geology. With her background in the medical field, she was the perfect candidate to be the organization’s inaugural First Aid Kit Manager, a position crucial to keeping Nature Trust staff, volunteers, and visitors safe.

Jenna hopes to continue to live and work in Nova Scotia in a career that encompasses her skills in Geographical Information Systems to inform environmental protection. “We only have one earth. There is nowhere else to go”, says Jenna. Like the rock she now treasures, Jenna finds an intrinsic home in discovering value and providing care. Nova Scotia and the Nature Trust are so lucky to have her.

Please join us in thanking Jenna as our recent Volunteer of the Month, and for bringing her skills and expertise to our team! To find out more about becoming a Nature Trust volunteer, visit nsnt.ca/volunteer or email Christina Nunn at volunteer@nsnt.ca.