
2021 Mary Majka Scholarship Recipients
July 16, 2021 — The Mary Majka Scholarship Fund was created in June of 2014 to honour the legacy of Mary Majka, one of Nature NB’s founding members and President from 1980-84. The Fund’s purpose is to further youth engagement with nature and our natural heritage, one of Mary’s primary interests.
The Fund is open to New Brunswick students from middle school to those attending an undergraduate program. It is hoped that annual awards can be granted ranging from $250 to $1,000, depending on the number of applicants, application quality, and funds available.
Three types of scholarships are offered:
- Category 1 is open to high school graduates about to start post-secondary studies in the field of natural sciences with an interest in nature and the environment. This would be conveyed as a study scholarship.
- Category 2 is available to post-secondary students already enrolled in the field of natural sciences with an interest in nature and the environment. This would also be conveyed as a study scholarship.
- Category 3 could be awarded to students in middle or high school wanting to further their knowledge in the natural sciences and would be given as a contribution to cover specific expenses such as a special project, study course, or participation in a workshop.
Forty-three students applied by the March 2021 deadline. The Scholarship Committee met in early May to review and evaluate the applications and determine the awards that might be possible, given the current balance of funds on hand and the quality of the applications.
The Committee recommended that study scholarships be awarded in 2021 to nick Poirier of Irishtown ($1,000) and Jeanine Boudreau of Moncton ($500) in Category 1, and to Grace Hickey ($1,000) and Sarah Campbell ($500) of Fredericton in Category 2.
A fifth scholarship was awarded this year to Jessica Greene of Campobello Island for $500, in Category 3.
Nick Poirier is a young wildlife photographer with plans to attend university this fall to begin work leading to a degree in veterinary medicine, specializing in wildlife. He is passionate about educating the public about issues concerning wildlife and its conservation.
Jeanine Boudreau plans to begin studies at Memorial University this fall, leading to a BSc majoring in biology or marine biology. She has long been committed to protecting and restoring nature and eels the best way for her to make a difference is to commit to a career focused on wildlife.

Grace Hickey has finished her third year at St. Thomas University double-majoring in Environment and Society and also Women’s and Gender studies. She is extremely passionate about environmental issues and has worked to create awareness of sustainability issues both on and off campus.

Sarah Campbell will enter her second year of studies at the Maritime College of Forestry and Technology in Fredericton and will graduate in the spring of 2022 after completing its Advanced Fish and Wildlife Diploma Program. She has always enjoyed a connection with nature and looks forward to a career where she hopes to be involved with helping to conserve the province’s Protected Natural Areas.

Jessica Greene is a high school student living on Campobello Island with the goal of documenting changes in whale behavior when whales in the Bay of Fundy are subjected to the close presence of whale watching and fishing boats. She plans to study whale activity before and after the animals are approached, using equipment loaned to the project by the Canadian Whale Institute and later to educate boat operators and the public about her findings.

Nature NB is proud to support Nick, Jeanine, Grace, Sarah and Jessica in their studies and congratulates them on their accomplishments to date.
Donations to the Mary Majka Scholarship Fund can be made online or by cheque through the Nature NB office. More information about the scholarship is available on our website. Nature NB is a New Brunswick non-profit, charitable organization and charitable receipts are issued.
— Jim Wilson
Chair, Mary Majka Scholarship Fund Committee