Jeff Cooke (Photo by Margaret Cooke)

Jeff Cooke/Cooke Insurance

The business of conservation

Jeff Cooke isn’t a runner, but the prospect of catching a breathtaking sunrise over the Atlantic Ocean inspired him to pick up the pace during an early morning hike this summer in Cape Breton Highlands National Park.

The lifelong Prince Edward Island resident and president of Cooke Insurance has always gone the extra mile to see — and protect — the precious coastlines right across Atlantic Canada. It’s why he first invested in the Nature Conservancy of Canada in 2015, and why his company engaged in a novel, three-year partnership with NCC through the Landmark Campaign. With 11 offices across PEI, New Brunswick and Nova Scotia, Cooke Insurance supports projects in the communities they serve and where their employees live and work.

“Our communities, our business and our families are enriched by healthy ecosystems. Conserving nature not only ensures that we have wild places to access; it also makes our environment more resilient to climate change and helps our economy by managing our resources sustainably,” he says.

Jeff has seen more than his share of insurance claims resulting from coastal erosion and storm surges. He is especially passionate about PEI’s white sand dunes and NCC’s efforts to protect them through projects like marram grass planting. The plant’s matted roots help stabilize the dunes so they don’t break down, eroding the shoreline and putting the nearby coastal plains at risk of flooding.

In 2021, his corporate investments in science, conservation and caring for the land will be matched 1:1 as part of a federal government grant program. “NCC’s work really resonates for me,” says Jeff. “It’s all about saving the land so it’s there for our great-great-great grandkids. It’s just the right thing to do.”

Jeff Cooke/Cooke Insurance is a generous supporter of the Landmark Campaign. Learn more about the campaign and what you helped accomplish, here >