Being out in nature is Bonnie Bobryk’s “happy place.” Every time she steps out the door of her home on Cape Breton, she says, “I am in awe of nature and having the privilege of living there.”

Bonnie grew up on a farm in eastern Alberta, where her childhood playground was a hilly field of virgin prairie. “I did not know at the time how rare and special that was,” she recalls, “but it was my favourite place.” She came to Nova Scotia in 1979 to study at the Nova Scotia College of Art and Design, but whenever she went back to Alberta as an adult, she would return to that prairie and find herself “in awe, realizing I was walking on land that had never been turned by a plow,” barely marked by old teepee rings and other artifacts of indigenous presence. She also spent time in the wilderness of the Rockies, as well as in Nova Scotia, as “being out in nature as much as possible is something has always been very important to me, from a child to now.”

After completing her degree at NSCAD, Bonnie worked as a professional photographer for many years. Now retired, she still does photography for her own enjoyment, and unsurprisingly she mostly takes close-ups in nature – plants, trees, rocks, sky, water. It’s one of many ways that she explores and cultivates a deeply human connection with nature, even at home. On her own property, where she not only observes but also nurtures a wildlife garden, she thinks of herself not as a landowner but as a steward, a perspective that feels particularly important because her home is adjacent to indigenous-owned land. She reflects on Margaret Atwood’s poem, “The Moment,” a beautiful piece that well expresses Bonnie’s own feelings about our place as humans in a much larger story of the world. “I feel great gratitude and awe to be part of something greater than ourselves,” she explains. “We’re really actually very small, in the whole scheme of things.” And although Nova Scotia’s nature is very different from the Alberta prairie of her childhood, she finds this resonance in both places. “In the prairie, there’s that feeling of looking off into the distance and feeling very small under a huge sky and expansive landscape. In Cape Breton it’s more about the mountains rising up, and we feel quite small, not just physically. That makes me feel more connected to the other creatures in nature, the birds, the insects, the animals.”

With this sense of stewardship and connection to nature already part of her worldview, it was a natural step to connect to land conservation work. She learned about the Nature Trust from a friend and quickly decided it was something she wanted to support. “It feels really good to donate,” she explains. “I think whether it’s a large or small amount, that act of giving, knowing that I’m helping to protect nature, I feel like I’m getting back more than I give.”

Bonnie is particularly inspired to support conservation work on Cape Breton, not only contributing to protect new lands (including those protected recently along the North East Margaree River) but also stepping in to volunteer as a Property Guardian in that focus area.

“It’s been great becoming a volunteer,” she explains, “meeting like-minded people and making some connections” during the Property Guardian training workshops and hubs. She’s excited to get out and monitor the property to which she’s been assigned, and to introduce some outdoorsy friends to the land and to the volunteer role. She extends the invitation to learn more about the work to anyone looking to deepen their connection to nature conservation, particularly encouraging people to look at the maps and photos of the actual properties that the Nature Trust protects.

“I think it’s crucial to protect nature,” Bonnie adds, “because in the end it not only benefits the areas we protect but also us, knowing that we are part of something much bigger. We’re part of nature, we’re not separate from it. So whether I’m birdwatching, observing insect activity, hiking among old growth forest or planting a wildlife garden, I feel that connection.”

We are so grateful to Bonnie for her support as both a donor and a volunteer! Read more donor stories from our inspiring community here.