David Folster was a journalist, social historian, and heritage and conservation activist. He wrote for a wide assortment of magazines and newspapers including the Globe and Mail, Maclean's, Sports Illustrated, Canadian Geographic, and the Christian Science Monitor. He was also a frequent contributor to CBC Radio and Television programs. He was the author of The Great Trees of New Brunswick and The Chocolate Ganongs of St. Stephen, New Brunswick, a narrative history of the business that was shortlisted for the 1990 Canadian Business Book of the Year Award.