Pair shows appreciation for the great outdoors

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The Donors: Ken and Sharon Mould

The Gift: $265,000

The Cause: Nature Conservancy of Canada

The Reason: To help preserve more than 1,200 hectares of land along the Manitoba-Saskatchewan border.

When Ken Mould was growing up in Saskatoon in the 1950s, his parents gave him an appreciation for the outdoors.

"We spent a fair bit of time doing outdoor activities and I came to enjoy that," Mr. Mould, 62, recalled from his home in Winnipeg.

Mr. Mould went on to study biology at the University of Saskatchewan and spent several summers working on various biological programs across the province. He eventually became a veterinarian and opened a practice in Winnipeg in the 1970s.

A couple of years ago, a friend told Mr. Mould and his wife, Sharon, about the Nature Conservancy of Canada, a 50-year old charitable organization that helps protect areas of natural diversity. The NCC has acquired more than one million hectares of land across Canada over the years, through purchases, donations or land-use agreements. It manages the properties to preserve the habitats, plants and animals.

Mr. Mould was impressed and joined the NCC's regional board. He and his wife also began donating money to help the NCC acquire more than 1,200 hectares of unique prairie land along the Saskatchewan-Manitoba border.

They have contributed $265,000 in total, most of which will go toward the land purchase. "It's a substantial acquisition for NCC and it caught my interest," he said.

The NCC isn't Mr. Mould's only charitable activity. He also created the Canadian Animal Blood Bank nearly 20 years ago. It's a not-for-profit organization that provides blood products to veterinarians for dogs needing transfusions.

Mr. Mould is semi-retired and his involvement with NCC has allowed him to become reacquainted with nature, just as when he was growing up: "It does enable me, when the time allows, to get out there and trample some of these areas."

pwaldie@globeandmail.com