In Conversation with Conservation Corps NL’s ‘Green Team’

By
Modeline Longjohn
-

Recently, Conservation Corps Newfoundland (CCNL), an NL-based not-for-profit youth organization partnered with O’Brien Farm Foundation to develop new trails. CCNL is an organization focused on ‘providing youth with training and employment in environmental and cultural heritage conservation’. CCNL’s services and activities are grouped under six teams, one of which is the ‘Green Team’. Since the start of the Green Team’s operations in 1993, it has employed over 3000 youth on over 600 projects across 150 communities within the province.

O’Brien’s Farm foundation on the other hand preserves the connection of nature, local food and heritage in St. John’s. In partnering with CCNL, the goals were to develop new trails, which will give people access to explore unseen parts of the farm. Hence, over the course of the summer, CCNL’s ‘Green Team’ worked on the O’Brien Farm Foundation’s Trail development project. The Green Team members involved in this project (Anna Malone, Shramana Sarkar, Liam French, Gurzint Singh and Jessica Kaye) were students at different stages of education who utilized old skills and gained new one through this opportunity. The transformation that followed this work term period is shown in the photo gallery below.

Picture1OB
A picture of an old barn that fell apart over the winter due to the severe weather. A great before picture before the team starts to work on it safely!
Photo Credit: Gurzint Singh
Picture2OB
A path soon to be levelled and cleared by the O’Brien’s Farm Green team (Before, July 2020)
Photo Credit: Gurzint Singh
Picture3OB
A path cleared by the Green team allowing a chicken coop and compost to be relocated (After, July 2020)
Photo Credit: Gurzint Singh
Picture4OB
The walking trail that needed clearing of weeds and branches (Before, July 2020)
Photo Credit: Gurzint Singh
Picture5OB
Green Team is able to clear a path for people to have a more pleasant experience exploring the forest(From left to right; Anna Malone, Gurzint Singh, Jessica Kaye, Liam French) (After, July 2020)
Photo Credit: Gurzint Singh
Picture6OB
Green team OBFF member Shramana Sarkar digs a hole preparing to plant a hosta (July 2020)
Photo Credit: Gurzint Singh
Picture7OB
Green Team finishes weeding and planting flowers in the flower beds (Front row from left to right: Anna Malone, Shramana Sarkar; Back row from left to right: Liam French, Gurzint Singh, Jessica Kaye)
Photo Credit: Gurzint Singh
Picture8OB
Pathway to the left of the Community Garden (before)
Photo Credit: Gurzint Singh
Picture9OB
A path allowing a car or truck to enter and access a Bee colony is now open for full and able care for the colony (After, July 2020)
Photo Credit: Gurzint Singh
Picture10OB
We’ve reached the near halfway point as almost all the fence posts have been set!
Photo Credit: Gurzint Singh
Picture11OB
The completed traditional cross-hatch fence.
Photo Credit: Gurzint Singh
Picture12OB
Team Member Liam French mixing concrete using a shovel and some water. The concrete does get very heavy, and he does a fantastic job of mixing almost 30 kilos of concrete!
Photo Credit: Gurzint Singh

CCNL can be contacted via their contact details below:
Suite 103, 10 Austin Street, St. John’s, NL A1B 4C2
Tel: (709) 729-7265
Email: contactus@ccnl.ca 
Website: http://www.ccnl.ca 
Twitter: @CorpsNL           
Facebook: @ConservationCorpsNL  
Instagram:@conservationcorpsnl
LinkedIn: Conservation Corps NL