I have been a Nature Trust volunteer for over 20 years, participating in everything from cleaning beaches and trails, to fundraising, and then moving onto Treasurer and President. My love for nature began when I was a child playing on the shores of New River Beach and along the Pocologan River, near where my grandparents lived in Charlotte County.

To me, conservation in New Brunswick is important because children and adults should always have access to natural spaces where they can enjoy the tides coming and going, explore tidal pools, and collect shells and dig clams. I also want to make sure that people can enjoy other important ecosystems where rare plants and animals exist and are protected for the future.

My grandparents had a place in the country, and as a child, I would spend hours exploring the meadows and woods. There was a special patch of dogtooth violets that I eagerly visited each spring when there was still snow in the woods. There was a carpet of these happy blossoms that assured you that the winter was over.

Together, we must help species at risk and protect biodiversity and ecosystems that are quickly and steadily disappearing. We need these unique places to better balance the development of the province. We also must save these beautiful places for future generations.

That’s why I’ve been a proud supporter and Board member since 2010.

My first most cherished memory is sailing through Letete Passage on a calm day. I remember quietly admiring the many islands and intertidal shoreline. Suddenly, one of the largest mammals on earth surfaced the water. It was the first time I had ever seen a Northern Right Whale.

Conserving the biodiversity of life is our most important and urgent challenge. We must value nature by knowing what we have and understanding how it is interconnected in order to save what we have left. Protected areas are the key to biodiversity conservation. Well-managed, spacious preserves are effective in providing a place for plants and animals to thrive.

As an outdoor enthusiast, I have explored many of the Nature Trust’s nature preserves and am eager to discover new ones. I’ve been volunteering with the Nature Trust since 1997. I’ve served on the Board, and the Executive Committee and I continue to volunteer and donate.

I was born on Grand Manan and grew up in Charlotte County. I’ve always been near the Bay of Fundy. A few years ago, I took my bike to White Head Island and cycled along the coast. I was coming to what appeared to be the end of the road when I saw a rough path. I hid my bike and took the path to an outlook where there were three stunning rocky outcroppings.

The tide was coming in, with rolling waves hitting each of the rocky outcroppings in turn. It was hypnotizing and pure magic. The light, the sound of the waves breaking in sequence on the shorelines, birds calling, seagulls wheeling overhead. I felt I was the only person in the world, and I stayed there for at least an hour.

I’ve been in the insurance and financial planning business for over 30 years.

Charitable giving has always been a special interest of mine.

Our province is full of enchanted places. One of my favourites is Navy Island, across the harbour from the Town of Saint Andrews. It’s a magical spot where ospreys bring fish to their nest, sea and shore birds call, and seals keep watch. You’ll find shipwrecks, beaches and woodland to explore and cliffs to climb.

Once you reach the south shore, you are all alone with the sea and the sky. The cool, clean air and peacefulness restore your soul.

Together, we must conserve all that we can as long as we can for those who support us. That’s why I’m proud that my family and I are donors and long-time supporters of the Nature Trust. I would be delighted to discuss land preservation with anyone who has questions.

There are so many nature treasures here in New Brunswick. One of my favourites is the Caughey-Taylor Nature Preserve, which is known in the St. Andrews area as Sam Orr’s Pond. The Nature Trust worked tirelessly for years in order to protect this beautiful space.

When the first part of the preserve opened, my ninety-something mother-in-law from Britain was here. She was charmed. Now, we take our grandchildren to visit the preserve every year. They love the trails and climbing up to see the view. It’s a special place for all ages. Nature is like that. It offers something very special for everyone.

I am an Honourary Director of the Nature Trust and a Past-President. I’m the retired Director of the Environment and Sustainable Development Research Centre at the University of New Brunswick, and also the recipient of the Earth Day Canada’s Individual Award and the Gulf of Maine Visionary Award.

I remember the first time my mother-in-law came to visit us in New Brunswick. We took her canoeing along the Portobello Stream up as far as Indian Lake. It was a perfect July day, not too warm and with a bit of a breeze.

We saw Osprey overhead and heard the calls of a variety of other bird species in the marshes. The recollection of those sights and sounds of the birds, the water lapping against the sides of the canoe, and the opportunity of enjoying a beautiful natural area of New Brunswick with my family have remained as a cherished memory as the years go by.

I believe that it is important to conserve nature in New Brunswick so that people of all ages can appreciate the many different aspects nature has to offer — like wetlands, old-growth forests, river estuaries, waterfalls, and caves.

We must conserve nature, so that everyone can experience a beaver giving a warning with a loud swat of his tail, seeing the migrating birds along an ocean coastline, and watch a crimson sunset from the edge of a northern lake.

I’m very proud that I have been involved with a land donation to the Nature Trust (Warren Kent Coleman Nature Preserve, Keswick Ridge) and I’m happy to speak to anyone with questions about the process.

I love wildlife encounters! I was walking one day in what is now known as the Seymour Woodland Nature Preserve. On my walk, I came across a very tiny porcupine on my path. He was so small that if he encountered a twig, it would trip him and he would fall over. I looked around, but I could not find his family. I left him there, hoping that he would be missed by his mother before misfortune befell him. Another time, a baby partridge fell right onto my head! It could have fallen out of its nest, or perhaps it was a bad landing on a first flight.

I was born and grew up in the country. Travelling into the big city of Fredericton for junior high and high school, I was amazed at the number of classmates that had never been for a real walk in the woods. I came to realize what a joy and a privilege I had just a short walk from my back door. I could spend my time in the forest, walking paths seldom walked by other humans.

Conservation matters because we must appreciate all of the marvels of nature found on these properties. It is important that the critters and creatures that call our natural spaces home have a place where they are protected and free to live their lives. That’s part of the reason we chose to donate our land to the Nature Trust.

I’m pleased to share my experiences with anyone considering such a venture.

I grew up in the Acadian Peninsula in the Village of Neguac, more specifically in the Rivière des Caches and Hay Island area. I have great memories of life on the farm and a fishing family.

One area in particular was the subject of many discussions on the Acadian-Mi’kmaq relationship during the years of deportation. It’s called the Pointe à Morin, near the Burnt Church Reserve, which extended into the Miramichi Bay.

My grandfather, Joseph Allain willed that piece of land to my family and we decided to donate it to the Nature Trust. We urge people who are interested in Conservation of natural spaces to visit the Joseph Allain Nature Preserve.

We also urge the francophone population to contribute to the funding drive and consider donating natural sites or coastal land. It is an excellent way to ensure that our children and grand children can share the same experiences which we enjoyed.

I would be pleased to discuss this great cause with anyone seeking further information.