Jesse Milani grew up in Thunder Bay, Ontario, in what he describes as “smack dab in the middle of the boreal forest.” His childhood was filled with fishing at his grandparents’ camp, hiking with friends, and exploring the many lakes and forests surrounding his home. When he finished high school, he didn’t know what he wanted to do but found himself much more interested by the camping and naturalist skills he was learning in his spare time than in his indoor job at an auto body shop. “I thought, ‘Why don’t I make this a career?’ That was five years ago, and I went full speed ahead,” he recalls.

Jesse fell in love with his chosen career: forestry. After completing several forestry degrees, he now works as a forest tree improvement researcher while also pursuing a Master of Science in Forestry remotely through Lakehead University. His research is focused on forest genetics: “I am developing a genomic selection model to examine the genetic traits of black spruce trees and compare them to their physical characteristics, such as growth and height. The goal is to construct a predictive model that will enable us to assess various traits, including those related to insect resistance or climate change adaptation. This model could significantly enhance the ability of foresters to breed trees that are more resilient, grow faster, and are better suited for future environmental challenges.”

When he arrived in Nova Scotia in summer 2023, accompanying his partner during her own professional training, he immediately looked for ways to connect with Nova Scotia’s forest. “Last summer I worked as a forester, so I was outside all the time with my dog. Now I work remotely for a company, which is nice for commuting but not ideal for getting outside – the reason I got into this industry!” He was delighted to find the Nature Trust’s Property Guardians program, where could put his fieldwork experience and expertise to good use. He adds, “Getting my dog out into the woods at the end of the day is always a great day for him!”

As a Property Guardian, Jesse has already explored quite a few conservation lands all over the province, including several along the Eastern Shore and urban wildlands in day-trip range of HRM, including the Blue Mountain Wilderness Connector and the Purcells Cove Backlands.

“It’s been nice for me, because I’m a self-proclaimed ‘tree nerd,’ Jesse explains. “I’m used to a completely different forest region back home in Thunder Bay, so seeing different species, different birds – we don’t have cardinals back home, for example. And seeing different trees I wouldn’t see back home helps me brush up on my tree ID!” Nova Scotia’s Wabanaki forest mix also includes mixedwoods he didn’t grow up with, which give the forest an added seasonal bonus: “The fall is a huge upgrade from back home. In Thunder Bay we have birch and aspen (poplar) so it’s yellow and green and then everything is dead. But here, going for a drive and seeing all the maples, all the variation in the woods – that’s been really nice. I went up to Cape Breton last fall with my partner and it was great to see an actual transition through the fall.”

Jesse is impressed with the scale of the Nature Trust’s work. “It blows me away to look at the map and see how much land is being protected. The 100 Wild Islands, the goal of Twice the Wild – it’s great to see an organization that’s pushing to conserve land and leave it as it is.” He adds, “As a ‘mainlander,’ it’s nice to see the amount of effort going into protecting the coasts. The passion of everyone is infectious.”

“Having Property Guardians is such a nice way to get people involved,” he continues. “People are already active and wanting to be outside, and by incorporating that, it’s hitting two nails on the head.” And Jesse is helping the Nature Trust share that invitation to get involved – he represented the Nature Trust at an Open House last month at Hope for Wildlife, where close to 3,000 visitors learned about the terrific work they do, along with the Nature Trust and other environmental organizations across Nova Scotia. While he had a great day introducing the Nature Trust to new visitors (including facilitating a tree ID activity!), he also loved seeing all the other ways to get involved in nature. “I’m deep into forestry and trees, but sometimes I see something else – whales, sea turtles, should I switch? Everything is just so interesting. But at the end of the day, trees are the coolest thing to me.”

The Nature Trust is always thrilled to find people who share our passion for forests – and for so many other parts of nature. And for Jesse, part of the thrill is how easy it is to experience nature here in Nova Scotia. “You don’t know what land’s protected until you look into it and then you realize how close it is to your house,” he says. “To get out for an afternoon and walk a boundary, it’s not that much effort and you’re going to be outside in the fresh air doing something good for the people around you. It’s not just about what’s there today, it’s about what’s going to be there in the future – and the only way to make sure that happens is to have Property Guardians going out there.” We couldn’t agree more.

Learn more about our Property Guardians program!