Don and Sheila's Story: A Legacy of Sharing
When you ask Don and Sheila what their favourite part of stewarding their 232 acre woodlot is, their answer is simple: sharing.
Whether it’s sharing knowledge, tradition, accessible trails or homemade maple syrup, the privilege that comes with stewarding a woodlot is not lost on Don and Sheila. One of the most significant ways they share their woodlot is through the more than 10 kilometres of accessible trails, which they enjoy along with their neighbours.
Don & Sheila have been stewarding their woodlot in Viewmount for more than 20 years.
It’s a sunny Sunday afternoon and Don Munro is on his way to a special spot, known as ‘Five Fingers’. It’s nestled atop the peak of the North Mountain, in Viewmount, Nova Scotia, and it’s where five of the trails that weave throughout their mixed wood Acadian/Wabanaki forest all converge.
Don – with the help of friends, family and neighbours – has put in more than 10 kilometres of trails. One of these neighbours is Jim. Jim and Don spent countless hours in the woods over the last 20 years helping to expand their network of trails through the woodlot.
“It’s hard work,” says Don, “But it’s a great time to spend with someone. You end up bonding in a way that’s difficult to describe.”
Jim has since passed away, but his legacy lives on in many of the trail names that he helped create, such as Five Fingers.
This theme of convergence, or coming together, is at the heart of Don and Sheila’s stewardship legacy.
Don invited a forester and some neighbours to the woodlot to learn about tree planting.
“My favourite thing about owning a woodlot is sharing it,” says Sheila.
“Sometimes we will have a group of people who are learning about trees and nature, and we’ll take them for a walk through the woodlot,” says Sheila.
“It’s been really special sharing the woodlot with them; being able to say ‘anytime you’d like to come back and walk the trails, you’re more than welcome’.”
A woodlot rich in history
Being able to share their woodlot and walk the trails with neighbours has also allowed Don and Sheila to learn about and piece together some of the history of the land.
‘There’s a story behind that’, is a common phrase you hear from Don and Sheila when you ask them about their woodlot. After spending 20 years stewarding their land, building trails and improving access, there are countless memories and stories scattered throughout their woodlot.
Don and Sheila have even incorporated some of the history they’ve learned into their trail system. One of these trails is ‘Turnip Run’, named after what used to be an old turnip patch for a farmer who used to live on the mountain and was quite well known in the area.
Three generations of Munros enjoy the trails on the woodlot for cross country skiing (left). A hand drawn map of the trails that have been built on the Munro’s woodlot (right).
The building and naming of trails is one way Don and Sheila preserve some of the rich history of their woodlot – the history that came before they started stewarding it, as well as their own stewardship legacy.
NSWWT is the only land trust in the province that permits certain human use practices on land steward’s woodlot, including trail clearing. This means that when land stewards sign an easement, they maintain authority to steward their land in the way they want to.
But it’s not just stories that Don and Sheila are interested in preserving – they are also passionate about maintaining the rich natural diversity that is present throughout their woodlot.
Don uses a pole saw to hand prune lower limbs on one of the trees on the woodlot.
“We have a mixed Acadian Forest that has most of the major Acadian species,” says Don. “So, I feel my job as a steward is to maintain that quality for our family and future generations.”
Don does this through ecological forestry and a specific kind of silviculture known as ‘uneven management’ or ‘all-age management’, which regenerates the stand continuously while leaving some permanent forest cover, allowing trees to live longer and provide shade.
Preserving their Legacy
For Don and Sheila, joining the Nova Scotia Working Woodlands Trust and putting an easement on their land is a way to ensure that their stewardship legacy and the diversity and history of their woodlot is preserved for future generations.
“When our days of managing the woodlot end, we would like to have it in place for future operators or our family to manage it the way we have managed it by using ecological forestry,” says Don.
Don and Sheila were initially interested in carbon credits, but as they learned more it became more about protecting their woodlot.
“The Nova Scotia Working Woodlands Trust has been very upfront about the process, and they are very aligned with our values around woodlot management,” says Sheila.
Don and Sheila both worry that Nova Scotia’s forests will continue to disappear if better management practices are not more widely implemented. They believe that small woodlot owners, with the support of organizations like the NSWWT, are leading the way and hope that the rest of the province can continue to learn from them.
“My hope is that we can come to a place where we recognize all of the benefits of a forest – not just the economic ones,” says Don.
When land stewards sign on with the Nova Scotia Working Woodlands Trust, they join as partners. Our team of knowledgeable staff works with land stewards every step of the way.
“What really excites us about working with the NSWWT is the support and the passion,” says Sheila. “Everyone we have worked with has been so passionate, interested and well-informed, and we’ve learned a lot from the team.”
Working with the Trust has also allowed Don and Sheila to see their woodlot through new eyes again.
“In being involved in the Trust there are more people coming in to assess and learn about our woodlot; and as more people come in and become interested, we learn even more about our woodlot,” says Don.
“It’s been really exciting to be involved with a team of people who are coming to see and learn about our woodlot.”
If you are interested in learning more about becoming a land steward with NSWWT, send us an email at info@nsworkingwoodlandstrust.org.