( CNN ) -- Those who knew Canadian folk musician Taylor Mitchell say her passion for her craft was matched by her affinity for nature . Fresh out of high school , she embarked upon a three-week tour of Eastern Canada earlier this month full of hope over her blossoming career and excited to explore the region with a new car and driver 's license . The 19-year-old rising star was in between gigs when , according to a Nova Scotia Cape Breton Highlands National Park official , she was killed by coyotes during a hike on Tuesday afternoon . `` If there can be any comfort at all , it is knowing that Taylor was doing two of the things she loved most , sharing story and song on the road and spending time in nature 's fold , '' her manager , Lisa Weitz said in an e-mail . `` She loved the woods and had a deep affinity for their beauty and serenity . '' Mitchell was a `` seasoned naturalist '' well versed in wilderness camping who would n't want the coyotes responsible for her death to be killed , her mother said Thursday . `` When the decision had been made to kill the pack of coyotes , I clearly heard Taylor 's voice say , 'please do n't , this is their space . ' She would n't have wanted their demise , especially as a result of her own . She was passionate about animals , was an environmentalist and was also planning to volunteer at the Toronto Wildlife Centre in the coming months , '' Emily Mitchell said in a statement Thursday . `` Tragically , it was her time to be taken from us so soon , '' the mother said . When she was 15 , Mitchell began vocal lessons with her future producer , Michael Johnston . `` Taylor inspired and impressed everyone from her musical peers to members of the Canadian roots-music community who were two and three times her age , '' he said in a statement . `` They saw in her the rarest of the gifts -- an ability to sing not only from the heart , but in a way that transcended her age and experience and became something universal . '' The Toronto-based musician 's career began to take off earlier this year after the April release of her debut album , `` For Your Consideration . '' She was nominated for Young Performer of the Year honors by the Canadian Folk Music Awards , which will be awarded in November . On her Facebook page , she detailed her busy summer performance schedule , describing it as her `` craziest summer yet . '' In July , she said she took a Greyhound bus to perform in the Young Performers Program at the Winnipeg Folk Festival , her first show west of Ontario , which featured acts including Arlo Guthrie , Neko Case and Elvis Costello . She played more shows in the Toronto area , relishing the airplay her album was receiving , and worked on songs for her next album , Weitz said . Yet she managed to return to nature with her aunt , mother and best friend at the family cottage in Owen Sound , Ontario , delighting in its simple joys . `` Our cottage is on the shores of Georgian bay . It 's 125 years old with three bedrooms that sleep two and one bedroom that sleeps four , plus a bunkhouse . It 's old and creaky and absolutely beautiful . As I sit on my couch in my apartment , I 'm homesick for the precariously slanted stairs , tennis courts , lake and wonderful memories , '' Mitchell said on her Facebook page . Before she set out eastward for her tour of the Maritimes , she shared her works in progress at the Ontario Council of Folk Music conference in Ottawa , impressing all those in attendance , Weitz said . `` Taylor Mitchell 's vocal style and consummate songwriting craft belied her vernal years . Indeed , her songs told the tales of a seeker , a sojourner with a sage wisdom atypical of most , let alone one of such tender years , '' Weitz said . On her Facebook page , she had begun counting down the days to her East Coast tour in September , saying in a September 18 status update that she was `` feeling the pull of the road . '' In her last post on the site , she described playing a show in someone 's home , calling it `` a welcome dose of normality after a whirlwind weekend '' at the Ontario Council of Folk Music . Those closest to her said they 'll derive inspiration from her passion for life . `` Taylor was my shining light , my baby , my confidante and best friend , '' her mother said . `` I do n't know how to move forward from here but I know that she would want that for me , and I will try to do that in her memory and celebrate her life in the way she lived it -- with passion , commitment and an unbridled loving heart . ''
Taylor Mitchell was a `` seasoned naturalist '' versed in wilderness camping , mother says . She would n't want coyotes responsible for her death to be killed , Emily Mitchell says . Comment: The Toronto-based musician was touring Eastern Canada when she died in coyote attack .