We’d like to extend congratulations to long-time Wildsight Invermere member Nory Esteban. She was recently declared a finalist by the Canadian Museum of Nature for the 2020 Nature Inspiration Awards. The organizers offered these kind words: “Your accomplishments truly demonstrate how you encourage people to take an interest in natural history, create links with nature and show leadership in contributing to the preservation of nature.”
While Nory and her husband Julio recently relocated to the west coast, we feel it timely to celebrate their contributions in the upper Columbia Valley. Nory’s nomination for the award was submitted by the Wings Over the Rockies Nature Festival and focused on her role at the Festival. As a director, Nory served as registration organizer, volunteer coordinator and web master – often all at the same time! Her patience and attention to detail made her a favourite with everyone. Spending long hours in person and on the telephone, she sorted out problems as they arose.
Nory was also a dedicated volunteer with Wildsight Invermere and Jumbo Creek Conservation Society (JCCS). She was a director with us from 2011 to 2017. Both she and Julio unhesitatingly pitched in to help with various on-the-ground projects, such as the Lake Enid Restoration project and the Wilmer Wetlands Cleanup campaign. And without fail, this dynamic duo would stay behind to clean up at events such as our Wild and Scenic Film Festival. They probably hold the valley record for the number of chairs stacked.
And when it came time to stand up for keeping Jumbo Wild, Nory was in the front lines. She marched in the annual Canada Day parade in Invermere with her fellow placard-carrying JCCS members, set aside blocks of time to support the “monitoring” camps at Farnham and Jumbo creeks, and joined the demonstrators who rallied outside the Council meeting of the Glacier Resort Municipality to protest the outrageous annual stipend of taxpayers’ money that went to a resort with no residents.
In Nory, we benefited from the organization of a retired teacher and the passion of a dedicated naturalist. The entire community is indebted to Nory and Julio and we wish them Buena suerte! The winners of the Nature Inspiration Awards will be announced on November 25.