MARY JANE RODGER, executive director

Originally hailing from Ontario, Mary Jane holds a Master’s in Forest Conservation and is a Registered Professional Forester in NS. Mary Jane has worked with the Medway Community Forest Coop since 2015, minus a small term with the federal government in 2022-2023. She is happy to be back at the MCFC and the NSWWT and managing several innovative projects to steward and restore Wabanaki forests on both Crown and private lands. Mary Jane has been involved with many facets of Nova Scotia’s shift to ecological forestry, playing an influential role the Lahey Forest Practices Review and serving on the Department of Natural Resources initial Minister’s Advisory Committee.

Email: maryjane@medwaycommunityforest.com

Ellen Riopelle, Outreach & Communications coordinator

Originally hailing from Calgary, Alberta, Ellen learned to love the outdoors at a young age, from camping in the Rocky Mountains to biking and hiking the trails and woodlands of Nova Scotia. Always intrigued by the interplay of people, place and expression, she obtained her Master of Journalism from the University of King’s College. Her background in teaching English and investigative journalism has resulted in a career in communications, focused on environmental organizations and the wider non-profit community. Ellen is delighted to use her skills to support the vital work of the Nova Scotia Working Woodlands Trust.

Email: ellen@nsworkingwoodlandstrust.org

Mhari Lamarque, Land Trust Manager

Mhari learned to love the outdoors young, camping and exploring Nova Scotia. In 2016, she completed her Master’s in Resource and Environmental Management at Dalhousie University and proceeded to dive into agricultural biodiversity conservation work. She is a farmer and woodlot owner herself, growing vegetables and flowers on a small holding on the South Shore of Nova Scotia. Mhari is delighted to join the forestry sector as the Land Trust Manager for the Nova Scotia Working Woodlands Trust.

Email: mhari@nsworkingwoodlandstrust.org

Shayla Nickerson, Stewardship coordinator

Shayla graduated from the University of New Brunswick in 2017 with a Bachelor of Science in Forest Management but has primarily worked with species at risk including piping plover, wood turtle and pine marten. Her growing interest in Ecological Forestry has brought her back to her roots and she is excited to be working with Nova Scotian land stewards to ensure their legacy is continued. She is currently a forester in training and is working toward becoming a registered professional forester. 

Email: shayla@nsworkingwoodlandstrust.org

Our Board of Directors

Patrick Wiggin, chair

Raised in the HRM, Pat took his first interests in Natural Resource Management while studying Environmental Science at Mount Allison University. He funded his education by tree planting in the wilds of northern British Columbia and eventually decided to go back to school where he obtained a Forestry Technology diploma at the Maritime College of Forest Technology in Fredericton, NB. Pat is currently the project coordinator for the Forest Innovation Voucher Program at the Nova Scotia Community College.

Andrew oliver, Secretary

Andrew currently works as a forester with the Western Woodlot Services Cooperative Ltd. and lives in the Annapolis Valley. Through his professional career, Andrew has gained experience working in various forestry related roles including industrial forest operations planning and silviculture, private woodlot management and consulting, government approvals/compliance and wildfire management. Andrew is a Registered Professional Forester with the Registered Professional Foresters Association of Nova Scotia (RPFANS) and is active in various roles and committees within the association.

Bob Bancroft

Bob is a wildlife biologist, writer, and media communicator. Over 47 years, he has nurtured former farm pasture in eastern NS back to ecological forest health. The 56 acres now have 51 tree species and many restored wildlife habitats. A former FSC assessor and past-president of the Nova Forest Alliance, Bob is the current President of Nature Nova Scotia, which has individuals and 23 organizations raising a stronger voice for nature.

Katie mclean, Treasurer

Katie is the past Program Manager with the Clean Annapolis River Project, and currently taking time off work to raise her young family. She has dedicated a tremendous amount of her time to the MCFC over the years and also serves of the board of the NSWWT. Her educational background includes a Masters of Resource and Environmental Management from Dalhousie University. Outside of work, she has a passion for working with youth, and is involved in a number of outdoor recreation and education programs that focus on getting kids outdoors learning, exploring and having fun.

Donna Crossland

Donna grew up in the rural community of East Dalhousie, Kings County and presently resides in Tupperville, Annapolis County. Donna is a retired Forest Ecologist with a passionate interest in the proper management of our Maritime forests and the fight against the Hemlock Woolly Adelgid. She was directly involvement in two provincial forestry strategies: Natural Resources Strategy 2009-10; Forest Independent Review 2018/Minister’s Advisory Committee for implementation of Lahey recommendations and ecological forestry.

Colin Gray

Colin has been involved with the Mersey Tobeatic Research Institute since 2008. Joining the team as a volunteer first and since 2013 as a regular full time staff member. Colin spent 20 years in policing before returning to his earlier passion for environmental science and research. He is happy to work with a diversity of passionate people to preserve Nova Scotia’s remaining old forests, protect species at risk, and connect landowners to resources for ecological forestry.

Don kimball, Vice Chair

Don has been a furniture maker/woodworker since the mid-seventies and lives on a small acreage in the North Queens area with his wife, Sandra. Earlier in his life, Don entered the Canadian forces, initially as a radar tech, then remustered to structural tech; his years in the military allowed him to see a great deal of Canada. Within the community of Caledonia, Don plays an active role with many different local initiatives and organizations; the Medway Community Forest Co-op, Queens County Transit, the Board of Trade, the North Queens Business Hub, and the NSWWT. When Don is not helping with community events and planning, you can usually find him making unique wood furniture in his workshop. 

jim crooker

Jim lives in South Brookfield and has a woodlot on his property which he manages. Until recently, he and a hired worker did most of the harvesting. With the threat of hemlock woolly adelgid, he has hired a contractor to harvest some hemlock stands, removing about 30%. His long-term goal is to try to leave his woodlot as good as when he started working it.

Greg Watson

Greg, Manager at North Nova Forest Owners Co-op Ltd, brings over a decade of expertise in operations supervision, silviculture, and management planning. His extensive on-the-ground experience spans various forestry activities, including ecological forestry, partial harvests, and heavy equipment operation. Greg holds diplomas from the Maritime Forest Ranger School and NSCC Springhill Forestry Resource program, complemented by certifications in water course alteration, Forest Ecosystem Classification, and S100 Fire Fighting. Actively engaged in the forestry community, he currently serves on the board of directors for the Association for Sustainable Forestry and has contributed to provincial advisory committees and forestry conferences.