Nigel Jackett and Jaime Hall call their cross-Canada cycling trip ’Til the Last Tree to honour their passion for old-growth forests.
The couple visited Creston on Oct. 14, having cycled more than 10,000 kilometres since setting off from St. John’s, N.L., more than five months ago. They hope to reach Tofino to conclude their adventure in November.
Jackett, an Australia-born zoologist and biologist, moved to Canada in 2006. While here, he met Hall, who studied contemporary music at Selkirk College in Nelson. As a couple, they went to Australia, where Jacket now works for a wildlife consultancy.
They returned to Canada this spring to undertake a meandering cycling tour — going off the beaten path has added about 3,000 kilometres to the trip — and raise funds for the Ancient Forest Alliance.
“We are counting bird species for our sponsors,” Hall said while the couple took a break before heading on to Nelson. “So far, we have seen 285 species and we expect to see many more as we cycle through British Columbia.”
Jackett and Hall invite readers to learn more about their travels and fundraising efforts by visiting their website at www.tilthelasttree.com. Also to be found on the website are samples of Hall’s music.