“The Tobique river was an incredible classroom”: Let Nature Be Your Teacher

WRITTEN BY: ELLEN STERNS, FORMER FUND DEVELOPMENT OFFICER

Julie McCrum grew up on 147-acre farm in North Western New Brunswick. Endless backcountry and the beauty of the four seasons allowed her to experience, as she nostalgically says: “nature at its best”. Winter brought sledding and snow forts, with spring came wildflowers, and with summer came the freedom to explore the woods and open fields.

“My world was nature, discovery, and the joy of seeing it through a child’s eye. It was amazing. The four seasons, the fall colors…the images are still with me sixty-five years later.”

Julie McCrum at the Inglenook Wetlands Nature Preserve
R. Woodward

Julie describes her childhood like something out of a fairy-tale. She told us stories of partridge nests, summer camp, and canoeing with her grandfather in rural New Brunswick. She sentimentally remembers being at his side the first time she heard the haunting call of a loon. He quietly whispered not to worry; it is just the loon welcoming us to the lake. She says “The gentle sound of his voice was reassuring, and I learned to love that call. I still do.” Julie’s parents and grandparents passed on a deep appreciation of nature, one too special to ever be forgotten, and it has since been passed on to her two sons.

Julie’s surroundings continued to change again and again, but her love of nature was forever constant in her life. A relocation to Ohio and a new life on Lake Erie brought with it a love for watching bird migration and cozying up in cold winters. Years later, a move to South Carolina meant ten beautiful months of outdoor activities, and her appreciation of nature began to materialize through new hobbies: gardening and bird watching.

Julie recently connected with a neighbor who had seen some birds migrating through the area. Their nine-year-old grandson, Graham, was visiting from Virginia.

Graham

Graham showcasing his love for nature

“I have a baby and a mom”. I squinted at my computer screen to focus on the small plastic crate with two tiny crabs that Graham proudly held up to the webcam. I had not been on the call for three minutes before he started showing me his vast collection of pets.

“I have always had a thing for nature. I like collecting. When I was five, I had three moss terrariums!”

As Graham grew, so did the collection. The terrariums lead to oysters, cicadas, periwinkles, beetles, ants, crabs, fish, and a rabbit. He proceeded with the rest of his show and tell: “My queen ant in this test tube, is not just any type of ant, she’s a queen. She’s eating her piece of beetle I gave to her. I put her in a formicarium, and her colony will grow in here.” He happily pointed to a tiny box at his side.

It was clear that even at such a young age, Graham had a love for wildlife and the outdoors. He told stories of exploration and wonder and even shared his first memory in nature- spotting cardinals on the Bald Cypress Trail near Virginia Beach with his mother at the age of three. It was love at first sight, and something that Graham says he does not want to see disappear in his lifetime.

“I want to conserve it for my children and other people’s children, so that in the future it’s not just a bunch of piles of logs and wood. I think if you take a tree you have to replant a tree.”

 As a nine-year-old, Graham already has experience planting trees at school. With pride he told me: “Now we have some nice teenage oaks in our school yard.”

Like his family, Graham loves hiking, building rafts, bridges, and boats. His favourite landscape is the coast. He is lucky enough to live by the ocean and spends many hours playing in his sandy rock filled backyard. He explained to me how the freshwater river filters into the bay and becomes brackish. My brain is now racked with new facts. He taught me a lot in one hour.

Graham met Julie, to him, “Ms. McCrum”, while visiting his grandparents in Aiken, South Carolina.

“I tried sitting in a chair with a hat on, I put birdseed on the hat and birdseed on the chair and on my hand. I was sitting like this (he tilts his head back) and they were landing, and they couldn’t see who I was. I got impatient and so my grandparents called Ms. McCrum and she brought over her bird blind.”

Julie

Julie McCrum with her favourite bird, the Tufted Titmouse

“Graham has learned that newts love mealworms, what variety of seeds the birds prefer, and who eats suet or seed. He would sit in the woods, count the birds, and record their activity…he wanted to feed one from his hand- it hasn’t happened yet, but I have faith it will soon.”

Julie’s contributions and love for our natural world continue to amaze us. As she teaches youth like Graham about the importance of nature, we cannot help but sing her praises.

“What better legacy can we leave? We are better people for having shared our love of the changing seasons, the colours, the birds, the flowers and our love of the natural world.” 

While living in Ohio, Julie was given an incredible opportunity to share her love of nature through her own children’s nature program called Magic Mornings. She would answer questions like: “Where do butterflies go in the rain?” And “What birds build a nest in a tree or in a hollow?” Through her own experiences on the Tobique River, Julie recognized that the best classrooms do not have four walls. She believes that children are our future, and what better education than the outdoor experiences that teach us curiosity, exploration and wonder?

A few years ago, Julie and her siblings generously donated the Inglenook Wetlands Nature Preserve, ensuring that their most cherished natural space would continue to be a classroom, a home, and a forested wetland, forever.

“It is a wonderful feeling knowing that Inglenook Wetlands will be wild forever. It is a legacy to be cared for, respected, and appreciated…I know the moose are browsing the cedar, the wildflowers are poking through the ground, the migration is in full swing, and shortly, another season will begin.”

Thank you to Julie and Graham, and Graham’s mother Emily, for working with us to develop this wonderful story. It was a pleasure to share it with our supporters and learn valuable lessons from two important conservation advocates.

Inglenook Wetlands Nature Preserve
R. Woodward