Nancy Griffin

It gives us great pleasure to nominate Nancy Griffin for Saugeen Nature’s ‘Conservation Award’ for 2018.

Nancy has dedicated her life to environmental work and to projects and initiatives geared to helping the environment in every way.

In 1989, Nancy began working for Saugeen Conservation. Her job since then has been to teach thousands of youth, each year and from every age level, about various facets of the environment. Her teachings deal with everything from wetlands, species at risk, wildlife habitats and insects, to waterfowl studies, adaptations for survival and so much more!

Nancy has been a major player in the Grey Bruce Children’s Water Festival, an annual educational program designed for students from across Grey and Bruce Counties. Its mission is “to cultivate in every child and adult who participates in the festival, an understanding of and appreciation for the water they use and the environment in which they live.

Nancy has helped with the coordination and implementation of this program since its inception in 2001. Since then, over 45,000 students have learned about the importance of clean water for healthy and prosperous communities.

Nancy was instrumental in the development of the Bruce Grey Forest Festival, the third educational program of its kind in Ontario. For three days in October, over 1,000 students from all over Bruce and Grey Counties come out to learn about forests and woodlands, inter- relationships, tree species, plant development, competition and more! The mission of the Bruce Grey Forest Festival is “to cultivate in all Festival Participants, an understanding of and appreciation for our forest resources and the natural environment in which we live.”

In addition to Nancy’s role in her everyday job, she has participated in countless other initiatives that aim to educate and teach youth and adults alike about the value of the environment. Nancy and Anne Range created and ran the Saugeen Field Naturalists Youth Program for 13 years. She assists with the judging of environmental science projects at the regional science fair, attends a number of courses at the University of Guelph Arboretum on environmental topics, organizes workshops and seminars, attends provincial workshops on environmental education and assists with stewardship efforts across the watershed. Nancy is a valued member of the Saugeen Field Naturalists providing regular, enthusiastic reports on CA activities at their meetings.

In summary, Nancy’s life has been dedicated to conservation and education. Her knowledge of the local environment and its workings is extensive and wide-ranging. Her teachings have reached students from kindergarten to Grade 12. In short, her overall contribution to the local community and the health of the local environment has been and continues to be invaluable!