CHESTER - The name Bob Bancroft is a well-recognized one in Nova Scotia, particularly in the area of conservation and wildlife management.

 Now, his name will be forever recognized by the internationally renowned Friends of Nature Conservation Society.

 On September 13, at the Friends of Nature annual general meeting, Mr. Bancroft was given the society's conservationist of the year award.

 "It's a real honour," said the retired biologist from the provincial Department of Natural Resources and the Department of Fisheries. "This is a group who has quietly been getting things done for many years. I have a lot of respect for these people. It's people like Rudy [Haase], Syd [Dumaresq] and Brad [Armstrong]; they're the best kind of people."

 Mr. Bancroft spent 28 years with the provincial government in Nova Scotia, 15 years as a wildlife biologist and 13 years as a fisheries biologist.

 He and his wife, artist Alice Reed, have been working to restore an Acadian forest on their land. In 2007, they received the Woodlot Owner of the Year award for the eastern region of Nova Scotia from the Department of Natural Resources.

 Friends of Nature founder Mr. Haase said both Mr. Bancroft and Ms Reed were honoured.

 "Mr. Bancroft has been a strong advocate, along with Ms Reed, of establishing wilderness areas," Mr. Haase said. "As wilderness preservation has been a priority project of Friends of Nature, the society has greatly appreciated the outstanding role they have played in creating and publicizing the over 30 protected wilderness areas officially established in Nova Scotia."

 Mr. Haase outlined the scores of other accomplishments belonging to Mr. Bancroft, but said it's not the awards he has received, but the reason he's received them that's important.

 "He has endeavoured to educate the public regarding the important life-supporting non-commercial gifts of the Maritimes' mixed species of Acadian forest."

 For Mr. Bancroft and Ms Reed, no environmental case is too small, or too big for that matter, especially when it means preserving the future of the Earth.

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 "There's no lack of good environmental causes," he said. "So, you just keep on working."

posted on 09/21/10