24 ANNUAL REPORT 2018–2019 THE YOUTH <strong>AR</strong>E NATURE’S UTURE With a legacy gift honouring their mother’s wishes, Glen Estill and his brothers are bringing youth like Lauren Moretto closer to nature Lauren Moretto’s internship complements her master’s research on bat habitat management.
25 Glen ANNUAL REPORT 2018–2019 Estill remembers his mother’s wisdom fondly, including her belief that ensuring a future for nature meant supporting its future caretakers. He describes playing with his three brothers along the rocky sand beaches in Grundy Provincial Park in Ontario, as the waves from Lake Huron lapped onto the shore. It was a favourite spot of the Estill family. “It was one of the first places my parents took us camping. I remember the granite and the loons,” he recalls. “We went all over the place when I was growing up. We did a lot of hiking around lakes and up mountains.” Glen’s intimate relationship with nature and his passion for protecting it began on these campgrounds and were fostered by his late mother, Ann. For the last 15 years, Glen has lived in Lion’s Head, on the Saugeen Bruce Peninsula. This is an area Ann and her family came to know well after she and her husband, Don, came to Canada. “It was always taught to me that nature needs to be protected and that in order to survive, we need a lot of it,” explains Glen. Throughout her life, Ann was passionate about the future of Canada’s landscapes and supporting the work that goes into protecting them. She was instrumental in helping with some of the Nature Conservancy of Canada’s (<strong>NCC</strong>’s) conservation efforts on Manitoulin Island. Ann also invested in future conservationists through <strong>NCC</strong>’s Conservation Internship Program. “She was a former [United Church] Minister and had a lot of experience working with youth groups,” recalls Glen. “So when the opportunity came to support youth and nature, she jumped at it.” Ann supported both the 2017 and 2018 intern programs and intended on donating to the 2019 program when she passed away. Before her death, she met several of the interns she helped fund. She always commented on how inspiring it was to talk to such bright, enthusiastic and committed young people working toward a career in conservation. Honouring their mother’s wishes, Glen and his brothers have worked with <strong>NCC</strong> to fulfill her intent and carry out her legacy. “The intern program brings together youth with a deep understanding and passion for nature conservation. It is my hope that, through this program, the interns will gain the experience they need to help conserve Canada’s landscapes. I also hope that mom’s gift will help to inspire others to support this program too,” says Glen. Lauren Moretto and Glen Estill IN THE LAST YE<strong>AR</strong>, <strong>NCC</strong> provided work experience for 86 young conservation professionals, thanks to support from the Government of Canada under the Green Jobs Initiative. Learn more at www.conservationinterns.ca. Lauren Moretto’s internship out of Central Ontario West, specifically at <strong>NCC</strong>’s Happy Valley Forest, this summer was made possible by Ann’s gift to <strong>NCC</strong>. “This internship is providing me with practical experience for habitat management for wildlife in a rapidly urbanizing area, and thus complements my master’s research on landscape level management of natural bat habitat in urban environments,” Lauren says. “Each day, I’m contributing to the protection of significant habitat within the Happy Valley Forest, through invasive species removal, species monitoring and outreach.” Through her gift to <strong>NCC</strong>’s internship program, Ann made it evident how much she cared for the future leaders of conservation. Her generosity toward protecting natural places in Canada and fostering greater educational opportunities for youth has made a permanent impact on the future of conservation. “I feel that I’m developing a bigger picture approach to addressing conservation in urban areas, which is critical for effective conservation,” Lauren states. “This internship is providing me with experience on important aspects of conservation. I believe that I can use these skills to design and implement effective strategies for conservation.” The generous support of donors like Ann Estill and her family is an investment in the next generation of Canada’s conservation leaders. “I was fortunate enough to meet Glen on the Bruce Peninsula,” says Lauren. “He is a very soft-spoken, kind individual and is passionate about sustainability and green living. I told him how much his family’s contributions meant to me for my future. “Throughout my career, I want to work toward effectively balancing the sustainable growth of cities with environmental protection. My time with <strong>NCC</strong> developing this ’big picture’ approach will help me achieve this.”
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