By Kelly Gagne
[1]BIG ISLAND, ONT. (30/03/11) Terry Sprague has been busy this winter working on his new book, Up Before Five, The Family Farm, expected to be published winter 2011. Here, he is seen posing with his first book to be published, which acts like a field guide for bird watchers to Prince Edward County.
Already seven years into retirement, Terry Sprague, 65, shows no signs of slowing down.
Sprague is the creator and main man behind Nature Stuff Tours & Things. He grew up on a farm on Big Island, near Picton. At a very young age he developed a strong curiosity and interest in nature.
During his years on the farm, Sprague practised freelance writing. He was persuaded by the late Phil Dodds, former editor of the Picton Gazette, to take on a nature column for the paper.
Sprague’s been writing a weekly column since 1965. His column later expanded to the Napanee Beaver, Tweed News and the Belleville Intelligencer.
Selling the farm in 1976 pushed Sprague into pursuing a career related to the environment.
Sprague was looking for work and decided to approach the coordinators at Glenora Fisheries Research. He was hired as a research technician, determining the age of fish.
“He thought I was crazy because I was excited for the opportunity. All I told him was, you clearly have never sat on a tractor for nine hours in a day, where the only exciting thing you get to see is corn stalk after corn stalk,” Sprague said laughing.
Five years would pass when Sprague received a call from Sandbanks Provincial Park, where he was offered the position as a park naturalist and interpreter.
Sprague accepted the offer immediately.
“This was basically my dream job at the time,” he said.
The guided hikes and bird-watching tours increased Sprague’s interest with teaching and working with the general public.
“I was really starting to enjoy these hikes and teaching these people about the environment. I was just really starting to get a feel for the guided hikes. I was getting better at working with the general public and especially with interpreting nature,” Sprague said.
After seven years at Sandbanks, Sprague accepted a position with Quinte Conservation as a naturalist and special events coordinator. Sprague led kayak trips, bird-watching tours, guided hikes, presented to clubs and public events, and even teamed up to work with a bus company. He stepped in as a tour guide when needed.
Although still under contract with Quinte Conservation, Sprague runs his own company called Nature Stuff Tours & Things.
Being retired, Sprague can’t seem to sit still. He is self-taught with everything he has ever done, and even manages his own website and newsletter.
“I’m very proud of my website. Everything I need and have is up there. It’s a great advertisement,” he said.
Sprague remains very busy, with public speaking being one of the main things he does around this time of year. He speaks to local clubs, at public events or through Quinte Conservation.
Sprague spent most this winter in his office working on his new book, Up Before 5- Life on the Family Farm. He’s hoping to have it published before December 2011. In the book Sprague shares his memories of growing up on the farm and the lifestyle that comes with it. The book is in its final edit.
“I don’t know what I am going to do with myself for the next few weeks, things are slowing down again. You think I would just take it off and relax, but I’m sure I’ll find something else to take on and do,” Sprague added laughing.