Thanks to a generous gift in a Will, we are proud to announce an 86-acre expansion of the lands in Nature Trust care in Lower Wentworth!

Wentworth is well loved for its scenic dense forest and its abundant all-season recreational opportunities. For the Nature Trust, it represents an opportunity to protect freshwater ecosystems and old and unique forests. The newly protected Wallace River property builds on existing Nature Trust lands in the region and enhances connectivity between provincially protected areas nearby, including the Douglas Meadow Brook Wilderness Area and the Wentworth Valley Wilderness Area.

The western section of the property is bordered by the Wallace River, with approximately one kilometer of river frontage protected on the site. The forest includes at least one stand of Eastern Hemlock, an ecologically significant tree species. Our team observed Canada Jay, a bird species of conservation concern, during their recent site visit, and the forest also contains potential breeding habitat for Canada Warbler, listed as Threatened under the federal Species at Risk Act.

The site assessment also identified an astounding 40 species of lichen, six of which are considered species of conservation concern in Nova Scotia: Corrugated Shingles Lichen, Crumpled Bat’s Wing Lichen, Fertile Shield Lichen, Pompom-tipped Shadow Lichen, Valley Oakmoss Lichen and Waterside Rockshag Lichen.

The property is home to abundant plant and animal life beyond the species of conservation concern, making it a rich and thriving place for biodiversity – now protected, forever.

This property was generously donated to the Nature Trust as an estate gift (received as part of the bequests in a Will) from the late Greta Tuttle Tratt. Greta grew up in Wentworth, and the newly protected property was part of her family’s farm; her grandfather had initially purchased the main area of the farm in the early 1900s when he first brought the family to Nova Scotia from Newfoundland, and this property was added not long after. Greta was born on the farm and lived there throughout her childhood, attending school through Grade 11 at the one-room school down the road. She earned her BA secretarial degree from Mount Allison University in 1955 and, after working in the registrar’s office there for several years, she moved to Edmonton to work as non-academic staff in the physics department of the University of Alberta, where she stayed for thirty-five years.

She returned to the family homestead in Wentworth, where she lived for several years. She eventually built her own house in lower Wentworth, on an adjacent property. Greta loved nature and being out on the land with the wildlife (including looking for snakes under the culvert), and she loved to walk down to the river – even after she moved off the land into Tatamagouche, she was known locally as “the walker” because she loved to walk everywhere.

Ten years before she passed away, she added the Nature Trust to her Will. She had clipped and saved numerous articles about the Nature Trust’s work over the years, and she committed via her estate plan to donate both the Wallace River property and make a significant monetary donation. In addition, her executor agreed to sell another property not suitable for conservation and donate the proceeds to the Nature Trust. For all lands donated to us for conservation, we raise corresponding funds for our stewardship endowment to ensure that the property will be cared for in perpetuity. The monetary component of Greta’s gift will help the Nature Trust ensure our promise of forever wild on the Wallace River property she so loved during her lifetime.

Landowners play a crucial role in protecting the natural environment, particularly here in Nova Scotia where so much land is held in private ownership. If you are considering creating a lasting natural legacy through this incredibly generous option, we invite you to learn more and request our free Legacy Giving Guide & Toolkit. It’s especially important to contact us in advance of making your arrangements if you are considering donating land in your Will or adding restrictions to a monetary gift because we will then be able to let you know if we’ll be able to meet your needs/wishes, and also help you determine the most appropriate program and options for your gift.

We are so grateful to Greta for donating her Wallace River land to the Nature Trust so that it can be protected – forever – and for also including a monetary donation as another estate gift.

We are also grateful to all of our generous Nature Trust donors, whose support makes the protection of this property and all of our other conservation achievements possible.

This project was undertaken with the financial support of the Government of Canada through the federal Department of Environment and Climate Change.

The Nova Scotia Nature Agreement is a project of the Province of Nova Scotia. Working with conservation partners, the goal is to increase the amount of protected and conserved areas and advance an integrated approach to the protection, conservation and recovery of biodiversity, including habitat, species at risk and migratory birds, in the Province. The Nova Scotia Nature Agreement is funded by Environment and Climate Change Canada, through the Canada Nature Fund.