Ecology Action Centre’s longtime policy director leaving company

After 23 years in the job, Ecology Action Centre (EAC) policy director Mark Butler is leaving the organization.

Butler made the announcement in a press release Thursday.

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Butler joined the EAC in 1996 as the marine co-ordinator, when he worked alongside a group of volunteers. Now, the organization has grown to more than 40 staff, 5,000 members, 300 volunteers, and its own green building.

“Twenty-three years is an astounding length of time to spend with one organization. I did so, because every day, I knew we were making a difference,” Butler said in a statement.

Tweet This Click to share quote on Twitter: "Twenty-three years is an astounding length of time to spend with one organization. I did so, because every day, I knew we were making a difference," Butler said in a statement.

Butler has led the charge on some of Nova Scotia’s major environmental milestones, including the designation of Sable Island as a national park, the creation of a provincial energy efficiency agency, the protection of close to 13 per cent of land in Nova Scotia, and the unanimous approval by council of the Green Network Plan.

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In the release, Butler says he is particularly proud of helping to build a strong organization and contributing to a growing movement.

“The environmental movement across Nova Scotia and Canada is growing. It’s become more diverse, and ultimately, more powerful. This gives me hope. It should make everyone hopeful,” Butler wrote.

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Butler will finish his role in October.