Frances Howard protects her family’s legacy and nature
Frances Howard protects her family’s legacy and nature
donor profile
Written by Giuliana Grillo de Lambarri, communications intern
“My father milled this land, so what better tribute to him than to donate it to the trust and preserve that?”
Tucked a mere 20 minutes away from the Canada-U.S. border is the hidden treasure of Barlett Mills Nature Preserve, a sprawling 74.38-hectare (183.80-acre) property in Bocabec, N.B. This enchanting locale boasts a stunning blue lake concealed within a dense softwood forest adorned with moss and lichen-covered floors. During the spring, vernal pools emerge, turning this place into an ideal breeding ground for amphibians while strengthening its status as a picturesque landscape that shaped Frances Howard's childhood.
In Frances' earliest memories, she vividly recalls playing outside in the wild or fishing for sunfish with her cousins and siblings, all while enjoying sights only nature can provide.
Her father's mill had been the heritage of a much longer story. It was built in 1810 by their ancestor Leonard Bartlett, the first of the family to move to the region that would eventually bear their name. Leonard ground buckwheat and corn, cut and milled lumber, and carded wool using the flow of the water.
In such balance lived the family for eight generations.
It was, in part, a desire to preserve this legacy which motivated Frances to donate the property through Canada’s Ecological Gifts Program. That, and a deep appreciation for the cherished memories this land’s rich ecological habitat afforded generations of Bartletts.
Nestled within an Ecologically and Biologically Significant Area (EBSA) in the Quoddy region, the land is home to species like the boreal aster, the cinnamon fern and the thread-like naiad, as well as at-risk species like the barn swallow and the snapping turtle.
In addition to its rich history and abundant biodiversity, the Nature Trust was honoured to welcome the Bartlett Mills property into its network of preserves for another reason unique to the property—its location less than five kilometres from the Caughey-Taylor Nature Preserve, creating a wildlife corridor.
According to Graham Forbes, a biodiversity professor at the University of New Brunswick and Nature Trust board member, wildlife corridors help connect diverse habitats that are more resistant and resilient to climate change, making them essential to biodiversity conservation.
Frances and Lance, inspired by the impending arrival of their first grandchild, chose to take proactive steps to address the looming challenges of climate change and the biodiversity crisis. Their dedication to protecting the land extends beyond a personal commitment to family heritage; it is a visionary act to protect humanity’s future.
"I can tell my grandchildren someday 'I did this—and I did it for you," Frances says.
Are you a landholder whose property holds precious memories or shelters irreplaceable habitat? Consider joining Frances and the dozens of New Brunswickers like her who chose to become land donors to the Nature Trust of New Brunswick.
It's not just generosity, it's a bold pledge to safeguard our natural and familial legacy. Your contribution is a key player in halting and reversing nauture loss, ensuring productive habitats flourish for generations.
If you have a property and are thinking about what to do with it, you can donate it to the trust just like Frances to preserve its natural beauty. For information about donating land, email us or call us (506) 457-2398.
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