Giving Back To The Places We Love

Giving Back to the Places We Love

WRITTEN BY KELSEY HOGAN, FORMER ACTING COMMUNICATIONS COORDINATOR

Protecting our cherished natural spaces is part of a family legacy for Charly and Laura Bonga, who championed a trail building project at Noremac Nature Preserve during the COVID-19 pandemic. Our Acting Communications Coordinator, Kelsey Hogan, spoke with Charly and Laura Bonga to learn more about how the pandemic was a time to reconnect with nature.

Charly and Laura Bonga were instilled with a love of nature from a young age. The two grew up spending time outdoors with their family, enjoying long hikes on nature trails and paddles on the river. Like many New Brunswickers, their childhoods memories are filled with picking berries in the summer, fiddleheads in spring, and playing along the grassy riverbanks of the Wolastoq/Saint John River among the frogs and ducks.

These early childhood experiences filled them with an appreciation for New Brunswick’s natural spaces and have fueled a desire to give back to the places that have given them so much. “We have both always been excited by the outdoors and trying to help with environmental causes for as long as I can remember,” said Laura.

Born and raised in Saint John, the sisters returned to their hometown after graduating from Acadia University during the COVID-19 pandemic and spending time tree-planting out west. They both feel fortunate to have accessible natural spaces right in their backyard to explore – Blueberry Hill Nature Preserve, Boars Head Nature Preserve, and Manawagonish Island, to name a few of their favourites. With time on their hands during the pandemic, they were keen to give back as volunteers to support stewardship of local nature preserves.

Charly & Laura Bonga at a trail building event at the Noremac Nature Preserve

The newly established Noremac Nature Preserve is located around the corner from the house where the two young women grew up. This preserve protects 8.93 hectares (22.06 acres) of old-growth Acadian forest that provides habitats to diverse wildlife, including flying squirrels, Canada lynx, and barred owls. Walking through the mature stands of white cedar, red spruce, balsam fir, white pine, maple, and white birch, visitors to this unique property are enveloped by the peace and calm of the forest, which provides refuge to wildlife and humans alike from nearby urban areas. “All of a sudden, you’re in this magical, quiet, mossy forest. You feel like you’re so far removed from the city. It smells so nice in there,” said Charly.

At a grand opening event a few years ago, the sisters were captivated by land donor Marion Cameron’s vision for a trail system through the nature preserve, which would allow future generations to experience the untouched beauty of the old-growth Acadian Forest. Marion wanted other people to be able to enjoy the donated land, in perpetuity.

Volunteers at a trail building event at the Noremac Nature Preserve

To bring Marion’s inspiration and vision to life, Charly and Laura organized trail-building events. They enlisted the help of experienced Nature Trust stewards, Evan Baker and Eric and Jane Hadley, to help design the trail and guide them on techniques. Building a new trail takes a community effort, so the sisters recruited friends, family, and volunteers from local hiking groups. During the week, Charly and Laura both worked at a climbing gym and would chat about their weekend trail building project. Soon, some climbers joined in the project, eager to help out and learn more about the conservation efforts on the nearby preserve.

Before long, they had a dedicated group of 15 volunteers, including their friend, Josh Carew, and father, Mike Bonga. Laura was eager to share how much the project has galvanized community teamwork, especially during a time of social disconnection. “It’s been really good to meet new people and for them to meet each other.”

Nature Trust stewards like Laura and Charly are incredible community builders and ambassadors, not only for our organization, but for the wildlife and unique places in our province. They recognize the importance of protecting these unique places for the benefit of people and wildlife forever. “It’s really important for our wellbeing to be able to enjoy nature and go for walks, and also not have to drive really far to do that and enjoy it in our own backyard,” said Charly.

The Nature Trust team would like to thank all of the volunteers who supported the trail building project at Noremac Nature Preserve. A special thank you to Charly and Laura for their passion, dedication, and enthusiasm for bringing them together to steward cherished spaces across New Brunswick.

As stewards, Charly and Laura play an essential role in maintaining a network of nature preserves in the Saint John region and beyond. They also generously contributed to the Conserve Y(our) NB: Protect Ross Island campaign by donating their beautiful artwork to the cause. Thank you, Charly and Laura!