MTRI - A cause to believe in

Bringing with her a business background and a love for the outdoors, Diane Clapp is the new chair of the Mersey Tobeatic Research (MTRI) Institute’s board of directors.

“I come from a different perspective,” said Clapp, “we (she and her husband) work in the forest industry and when we retired we now started volunteering with MTRI.”

She previously ran her own business helping small and medium businesses set up proper business items like bookkeeping systems, cash flow and then helped put it on computers, she said.

She officially took over on March 28 for Cliff Drysdale who started MTRI roughly four years ago.

“I love it,” she declared. “We have volunteered with this group for a long time and its such a positive group of people.”

Now retired, Clapp has the time to volunteer for a cause she believes in.

She would like to see changes made as well.

“We want to get more programs into the school system. We have a number of programs we’ve done with Queens County school’s but we’d like to really spread out to cover the five counties,” in the surrounding area, said Clapp.

Describing their education and communication committee as really strong, Clapp mentioned they are trying to come up with new ways to work within the community.

Meeting with industry partners is one method she said will help raise their public profile.

After a Digby school’s butterfly garden was such a success last year, Clapp said MTRI would like to put one in as well as hold more workshops like their recent “Moose Day,” which brings families out.

“The whole staff and committee is very excited and committed to MTRI so that it can grow and provide more and more for the community,” she continued.

The staff changes depend on season and projects on the go. Clapp is hoping to have four summer students monitoring projects as well.

For more information visit www.merseytobeatic.ca.