Nature Canada supporters – working outdoors or inside – express their passion for nature in many ways. It might involve fixing a feeding station, picking up a pen to write a letter to the Prime Minister, or counting frogs. We are grateful to all the volunteers who help to conserve and protect nature in Canada.

Barbara MacDuff is one person who exemplifies that spirit of voluntarism. She is the recipient of Nature Canada’s 2008 Volunteer of the Year Award.

Barbara has been a member of Bird Protection Quebec for many years, serving on the Board from 1987 to 2007, as President from 1999 to 2001, and as long-time Chair of the Education Committee.

As a keen observer of nature and a professional teacher, Barbara has led many adult and children’s field trips for Bird Protection Quebec. Her friendly, open manner has encouraged many a beginner to take up the banner of birder and conservationist.

Barbara has been active in monitoring bird populations in almost every way possible as a volunteer ‘citizen scientist’.

She has:

• monitored bluebird boxes in the community of Hudson, Quebec for many years
• maintained feeders at BPQ's Driscoll/Naylor Sanctuary in Hudson
• served as co-director of the Hudson Christmas count and participated in the Montreal count
• completed bird surveys for Quebec's breeding bird atlas
• participated in Project Feeder Watch
• taken part in a Loon lake survey for the past 5 years
• has performed marsh monitoring for 2 years
• participated in BPQ's Philipsburg Sanctuary bird survey
• recently completed an Owl survey for Quebec
• volunteered at the McGill Bird Observatory as census-taker and assistant to the Bander-in-Charge
• helped organize and run Summer Nature Camps for children for several years.

For her tireless efforts in contributing to the appreciation, understanding and celebration of birds and nature, we have named Barbara our Nature Canada Volunteer of the Year.

See the list of past award recipients.