Volunteering to support environmental education

Splashing through a creek in her rubber boots. Creating leaf pattern transfers with crayons. Enjoying the outdoors with friends. These are just some of the happy memories University of Waterloo staffer Sophia Diebold has of her childhood experiences at the rare Charitable Research Reserve.

Rare is an urban land trust and environmental research institute protecting more than 1,200 acres of ecologically significant lands in Waterloo Region and Wellington County. Rare’s education programs sparked Diebold’s lifelong love of nature and interest in sustainability. So, when the Office of Advancement recently began looking for opportunities to help the local community through volunteerism, she suggested rare.