Dr. Fredrick van Nus Preserve
The Dr. Fredrick van Nus Preserve. Lake Super Watershed Conservancy purchased the 80 acres of pristine wilderness at the headwaters of the Big Carp Creek in Prince Township in 2011.
The family of Dr. van Nus live in Alberta and contacted the LSWC to purchase the land in memory of their father. Dr. Frederick van Nus was a humanitarian, naturalist, conversationalist and an environmentalist with a strong belief in community. His acquisition of the 80 acre property in Prince Township over 50 years ago was for the purpose of conserving this land in its natural state and giving sanctuary to the wildlife and flora found there. Moose, beaver, and bear were to be left unmolested by man to enjoy refuge in their natural habitat. The Voyageur Trail crossed the southern part of the of property for hikers and skiers to enjoy the beauty of nature.
Dr. van Nus also believed in reclamation of lands and worked tirelessly to recuperate another property to become a tree farm and sanctuary for the cougars and elk on the west coast near Vancouver, Washington. His love of nature created an excitement in those who had the privilege of participating with him in his pursuits of natural conservation in many areas including salmon, trees, bats, and other wildlife.
His career path took hm through the U.S. Army Medical Service Corps for 28 years before retiring with five military service awards including the U.S. Military Bronze Star for bravery. He moved onto Professor of Optometry, University of Waterloo, Ontario for a number of years before going to the Pacific University, Forest Grove, Oregon, where he established an Optometric internship program of service to the Colville and Quinault Indian Reservations.
His membership in professional, service and social organizations were numerous. Lions International awarded him the Melvin Jones Fellow award for dedicated humanitarian services. he was active in many environmental, Optometric, art and culture organizations.
Dr. van Nus’s daughter says “The family of Dr. van Nus feels it is a great honour and privilege to have The Lake Superior Watershed Conservancy continue to carry out his wishes, to protect this acquired natural habitat in the same manner that Dr. van Nus had done.
The Lake Superior Watershed Conservancy has done a fine job in preserving this property for human enjoyment and the conservation of the natural habitat and wildlife there. The van Nus family “hopes the general public will appreciate this beautiful piece of property, in Prince Township, for years to come.”