When Kim McCallum and her family moved to Sambro more than 20 years ago, the river quickly became a regular destination for them to visit. Locals call it “the brook,” and Kim’s children grew up wading in the shallows, then later venturing to the swimming hole further upstream. Her retrievers tug eagerly at the trail, noses to the ground, alive with the scents of deer, coyotes, and rabbits that share the woods.

Over the years, Kim began noticing the toll of human activity with garbage left behind by swimmers, fishers, and late-night gatherings. Picking up debris became second nature, something she did without thinking, a habit her son Ben adopted as well. So when she learned that Pennant River would become part of the Nova Scotia Nature Trust, and that volunteers were needed as Property Guardians, it felt like a natural fit.

Her first training session introduced her to the basics of property monitoring: observing trails, noting changes caused by human use, and recognizing where maintenance might be needed. Flooding, mucky sections, or fallen trees all became part of what Kim carefully reported back. With the introduction of a digital app, Landscape, for monitoring, documenting became even easier, replacing her old routine of snapping photos and sending emails.

For her, the work is not just about maintenance of the trails she knows and loves but about stewardship. She describes the satisfaction of coming out of the woods with a bag of garbage, or clearing a fallen tree with her husband so the trail remains passable. These small, quiet acts of care are deeply rewarding, even if few people ever see them. Her love for Pennant River is rooted in peace as much as purpose. The popular swimming hole may draw many visitors, but those who walk to the end of the trail, where the river meets the lake, discover a very different experience. “Just sitting there,” Kim says, “is very quiet and very peaceful.”

She finds volunteering as a Property Guardian restorative as it allows her to give back to her community without a direct public facing role, but by doing the behind the scene work that helps protect somewhere precious and dear to her.

Kim’s lifelong relationship with nature – camping with her family, adventuring in the Yukon’s backcountry, and later raising her children in Sambro – prepared her for this role. Volunteering with the Nature Trust isn’t about grand gestures but about consistency: showing up, paying attention, and caring enough to act.

Pennant River might have been lost to development had it not been donated to the Nature Trust. Instead, it remains a sanctuary for both people and wildlife, safeguarded by the quiet dedication of community members like Kim. Her story is a reminder that protecting nature often starts with something simple: a walk, a habit, a bag of garbage picked up along the way.

Thank you to Kim for her outstanding volunteer effort! Learn more about our Property Guardians program.