Nova Scotia parks under review

The management of Nova Scotia's 300 provincial parks is under review as part of a plan to create a more sustainable system.

The province says it wants more partnerships with community groups, but has no immediate plans to close any parks.

Cathy McCarthy, with the Friends of McNabs Island Society, hopes a new strategy comes with more money because she says parks are underfunded right now.

Her group clears trails, organizes beach cleanups and carries out restoration work.

"There's the old tea house building of the Victoria Gardens, we'd like to get that opened up," she told CBC News.

"It's a matter of trying to find the funding to be able to put some seed money into our provincial parks that can be leveraged into other funds from other groups and other sources."

McCarthy says the province needs to see the bigger picture when it comes to the value of parks.

"It's also a place for outdoor education, for health and wellness, so we would like to see more government departments get involved," she said.

The review is part of the province's natural resources strategy, which calls for the parks system to be more sustainable.

A series of public consultation meetings kicks off Thursday in Dartmouth. There will also be an online survey available on the Department of Natural Resources website.

A draft plan is expected to be ready by early next year.