Growing up in the Armdale neighbourhood of Halifax, Kathy Chisholm’s parents instilled in her an early love of the outdoors. “I don’t know if there’s a gene for appreciating nature, but my dad was a big factor growing up in terms of being in the woods, picking blueberries, just caring for the trees,” she says. “My mom would plant flowers in her garden. I loved being outdoors. I think that’s where it all started for me.”

Hugh’s family was a bit further removed from nature. “I grew up in Whitney Pier in Cape Breton and I was surrounded by a steel plant and coal piers and the only birds we ever saw were pigeons,” Hugh explains. “But every summer my parents would take us to Ingonish; that was my exposure to nature, and where I fell in love with nature and outdoors and exploring.” Hugh and Kathy both laugh as they describe the parenting approach of that time. “Tell them what your mother used to say!” says Kathy. “’Go out and play and don’t come back until it’s dark! I have housework to do!’” Hugh agrees. “Believe it or not, our mothers used to lock the doors behind us and say don’t come back until whenever! I think it had something to do with floor cleaning.”

Kathy and Hugh now live on Frederick Lake, where they are surrounded by nature. “Ever since we retired we’ve pretty much been in nature every day,” Hugh explains. “We have a dog, so we’re always in the woods somewhere. The nice thing about having a dog is that they force you to go out even in bad weather. We get to see things that are changing over time.” That includes seeing the effects of human and industrial activities. “Some of the areas we hike are previously logged areas, and you don’t hear any birds or see any sign of wildlife. You don’t see the understory that you typically see in a healthy forest. It’s heartbreaking when you see areas that are going to take a long time to recover.”

“But there are still some beautiful places,” adds Kathy. “And it’s so important that those places are protected, for a healthy environment. It’s very frustrating to me to see that we’re so motivated by greed. It’s an issue that could mean the end of life on the planet, and that to me is terrifying. Sometimes I just feel so badly for the critters trying to just live in the woods, to have their own existence as we have our own existence.”

Kathy and Hugh encountered the Nature Trust when they began to get involved with conservation organizations working to protect areas of their own neighbourhood around Frederick Lake. “You can feel pretty helpless in this world,” Hugh says, “but groups like the Nature Trust give the little guy an opportunity to make a difference.”

They have since made a commitment that will make a difference for nature far beyond their lifetimes: they have included the Nature Trust in their Will. Kathy explains: “There are so many things people want to leave to their families, and personally I think the greatest thing you can leave is fresh air and clean water and an environment that supports a huge variety of life. I think that’s the most impact we can have in our lives and I’d like to be able to help with an earth that is ailing.”

Their previous Will had divided up their estate across several different charities, but they decided to change that and leave their entire estate to the Nature Trust. “We don’t have any family that needs money from us,” says Hugh, “and we thought, Let’s just put everything in one basket. That way we can make the biggest impact and maybe help the Nature Trust acquire property that would otherwise be beyond reach.”

“It’s a gift to us as well,” Kathy continues. “We’re getting something back, for nature, and that feels really good. I feel it’s the right – the only – thing to do, and I’m just so grateful to be at this age, seventy, and have this opportunity to be able to make a difference.”

In addition to their incredibly generous estate gift, they also recently added another gift: a life insurance policy, of which the Nature Trust is the beneficiary.

“It’s a wise investment as well as a feel-good thing to be able to do,” Hugh says. “We’re able to increase what we can leave to the Nature Trust by spending a little bit of money now that, over time, will gain value. The longer I live the more I’m worth from the value of this insurance policy, so the more I’ll be able to leave to the Nature Trust after I’m gone. It’s a really strategic way to increase your giving while you’re still able to enjoy the thought that it’s going to make a difference down the road.”

Hugh and Kathy also receive a tax receipt for each year’s policy payment, significantly reducing the tax they have to pay now as well as creating a generous future gift for the Nature Trust. Their future estate gift via their Wills will also greatly reduce or even eliminate the tax that is owning on their estate.

These estate gifts closely align with their worldview. Kathy emphasizes the “importance of looking to the long term and not just the short term. It’s one of the most important things we need to pay attention to.”

“I would strongly encourage people to support organizations like the Nature Trust because that’s the only future that is going to be a sustainable future,” she adds.

Thank you to Kathy and Hugh for sharing their story as well as their generous gift of a natural legacy. Learn more about creating your own natural legacy, through a gift in a Will or via donating a life insurance policy or reach out to speak with Barbara Haley, Senior Advisor, Legacy Giving.