Bob and Alice live on a beautiful 56-acre property they have lovingly rewilded from farmland with pioneer forest by planting native trees, shrubs and other plants, restoring a stream and creating space for wildlife to thrive.
“We are part of the landscape here, and it’s a real honour to be ignored by all the wild species we share our space with. Not only does the wildlife here not consider us to be a threat, they don’t really consider us at all. It was heartbreaking recently when our neighbour clear-cut most of the forest on her property. We have owl nest boxes in our part of the woods, and there was a pair of barred owls there. We could hear them hooting and hooting as the clear cutting was getting closer and louder and we wished we could tell them they were on the safe side of the boundary line. I’m honored to volunteer with Nature Nova Scotia, and Nature Canada has been a consistent and critical partner for us, helping raise local voices for nature. We are proud to give monthly and have made a gift in our Will. Alice and I believe that we all need to be a good ancestor, one step at a time. And just like you can’t change the woodpile all at once, you do a bit every day, and your intentional (and joyful!) steps add up.” – Bob
“I’m an artist and nature has always been my muse. My mother was also an artist and I remember joining her for walks in the woods, discovering waterfalls and having my own freedom to explore and find birds, salamanders and all kinds of wonders. I remember as a kid it might have been geeky or nerdy to be interested in nature—but we all know it’s very neat and cool! I love capturing landscapes: earth, water, wind. We believe that nature has an inherent value, a right to exist for its own beautiful sake. And I feel that Nature Canada aligns with our values. And we feel strident that in our lifetime, we must do what we can for nature, and that we will be best remembered as people who lived our lives as protectors of nature. We live those values today, and want to make sure they live on, forever.” – Alice
Bob and Alice, proud members since the 1980s, Guardian of Nature monthly donors & newest members of the Whittemore Legacy Circle