Individuals, Jane Sullivan included, living near the Molson Nature Reserve's present location had their interest peaked on the subject of preservation in the fifties when a team of botanists was sent by the Quebec government to conduct a survey of sorts on the plants in the area. In 1961, they began discussing the possibility of creating a heritage park and sought out people who may be able to aid them in their endeavor. After contacting various individuals and institutions for consultation, the group began to keep a record of the documentation and letters being sent and collected, an activity that became more organized in 1962. There were actually two instances during this first stage in which the group almost obtained the funding necessary to establish the park.

After the initial contacts had been made and more information on the area had been gathered, the group contacted both the Quebec and Canadian governments, as well as various councils such as the Canada Council, and in 1965, the Board of Governors of McGill University. McGill University approved the approved of the proposed project, and several faculty members and students have seen used the area for various research. Mrs. Sullivan had offered to gift the land to McGill, but the deal never came about. On top of the above mentioned institutions, many other individuals and companies were approached to gain support and possible funding for the potential reserve.

In 1973, Jane Sullivan visited the Nature Conservancy of Canada in Toronto to discuss the situation with them and ask their advice as to how to proceed. The Nature Conservancy advised Mrs. Sullivan to create an association or committee to make the conservation effort more official. So in June of 1974, the original group of individuals working on the conservation effort formed a new group called Conservation Ile Perrot, the first Chairman being Mrs. Sullivan and the first secretary being Mrs. Tomlinson.

The newly formed committee, Conservation Ile Perrot, continued their original work, only now the doubled their efforts and sought support more enthusiastically. Their efforts one over the support of the Municipal Council of the Town of Mount Royal in august of 1974 as well the area being included into a study being done by a Dr. Victor Goldbloom on the Parks and Spaces of the Island of Montreal. In April of 1975, it was unanimously voted by the committee to actively pursue the support of the community and all other possible sources. This led to two landscape architects, Miss A.M. Parent and Mr. P. Ranger, revising a report done on the area and giving a presentation on the subject to help encourage support and donations.

This went on for quite some time, and it was not until recently that any new developments have come about. Jane Sullivan had some good fortune with some of her investments and was able to put enough funds together to purchase the area to be conserved. Efforts started in 1997 to negotiate with the individual landowners of the property (nine individual lots) with the Nature Conservancy of Canada helping in the negotiations. While the deals were being settled, McGill University was once again approached with the intention of gifting the land, Mrs. Sullivan having contacted Dean Deborah Buszard, Dean of Agricultural and Environmental Science. Dean Buszard sent a letter to the Principal, Treasurer and Vice-Principal of McGill University to inform them of the proposed gift and suggest that it be accepted as it would be an advantageous property for McGill University to have, especially for the new McGill School of the Environment. An agreement was negotiated, including an endowment fund for the reserve, and the Nature Conservancy of Canada transferred the land McGill University's Foundation of the Royal Institution for the Advancement of Learning.

Unfortunately, before the deal had been finalized the donor, Jane Sullivan, passed away. However, her wishes had been made clear and the transfer was only completed after a conservation policy had been agreed upon. In May of 1998, this land was designated as a nature reserve under the ownership of McGill University and was entitled, as per Mrs. Sullivan's request, the Molson Nature Reserve.

The Molson Nature Reserve is now the property of McGill and in the summers of 1998 and 1999, extensive plant surveys have been conducted in the area, the reserve having been divided into 25 square foot quadrants. There have been several students working on the reserve from the start, helping to sort all the details that come with acquiring a new property such as the Molson Nature Reserve. Now, in the fall of 1999, a group research project has been created to further advance the initial stages of the Molson Nature Reserve by developing a mandate and management proposal as well a data gathering and ecological monitoring proposal.

In order to determine what activities will be carried out involving the Molson Nature Reserve, one must first develop a mandate to act as a guiding principle, followed by a management plan to help ensure the mandate is carried out.