10,000 Hands Report - 2016
ACAP Saint John and its community outreach initiatives have become an established vehicle by which community stakeholders can participate in hands-on improvements to their local environment. The efficiency of this program lies in its ability to maintain a strong partnership with the City of Saint John for logistic support, the New Brunswick Environmental Trust Fund for financial support, and in ACAP Saint John’s ability to maintain an established, growing and dedicated network of volunteers and experts. Through direct engagement, in-field and in-class education programs, tree planting and outdoor activities, citizens develop a sense of understanding and ownership of their environment and are more likely to support other initiatives that promote good stewardship and sustainable development.
ACAP Saint John and its community outreach initiatives have become an established vehicle by which community stakeholders can participate in hands-on improvements to their local environment. The efficiency of this program lies in its ability to maintain a strong partnership with the City of Saint John for logistic support, the New Brunswick Environmental Trust Fund for financial support, and in ACAP Saint John’s ability to maintain an established, growing and dedicated network of volunteers and experts. Through direct engagement, in-field and in-class education programs, tree planting and outdoor activities, citizens develop a sense of understanding and ownership of their environment and are more likely to support other initiatives that promote good stewardship and sustainable development.
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Riparian Enhancement<br />
Riparian Enhancement is vital for improving watercourses and wildlife habitat in Saint John’s urban<br />
environment and watersheds. ACAP Saint John’s Riparian Enhancement project is a recognized<br />
component of urban sustainability whereby community stakeholders can participate in hands-on<br />
improvements to their local environment that will provide immediate and long-term benefits to our<br />
urban ecology. The project’s success lies in ACAP Saint John’s ability to maintain a strong partnership<br />
with landowners and volunteers and the NB Environmental Trust Fund for financial support. Public<br />
support of enhancement projects and ACAP Saint John’s ability to maintain an established and<br />
dedicated network of volunteers have upheld Riparian Enhancement as a key environmental project<br />
for Greater Saint John.<br />
In <strong>2016</strong>, Riparian Enhancement proved successful in maintaining and extending a volunteer base,<br />
educating the public on the extent of waterways and wildlife habitat in the region through hands-on<br />
activities, and upholding ACAP Saint John as a credible and trusted environmental champion. Sixty<br />
volunteers participated in tree planting events through this project.<br />
Methods<br />
The Riparian Enhancement project was carried out by spreading seeds, planting trees and shrubs, and<br />
staking cuttings to enhance habitat and increase native vegetation in Saint John during the <strong>2016</strong> field<br />
season. Riparian Enhancement took place in nine locations over the season a detailed in this report.<br />
Plantings were completed with the help of volunteers who learned how to plant by digging holes and<br />
using fertilizer and top soil to plant young potted plants and seedlings. Potted plants, seedlings, and<br />
seeds were ordered from nurseries around the Maritimes and Quebec and donated by J.D. Irving and<br />
Wellwood Farm locally. The planting sites were chosen by ACAP Saint John employees who targeted<br />
riparian areas within the city. Native species for each site were also selected by employees and where<br />
determined based on the site conditions and availability of desired species.<br />
Staking was completed by ACAP Saint John employees in one location, at the end of Stanley Street next<br />
to a pedestrian bridge. Employees collected broken street tree branches from an incident of vandalism<br />
next to ACAPs Uptown office. The stakes were grown in pots in the office for two months before being<br />
planted outside as part of an experiment in staking tree branches in an urban area.<br />
ACAP Saint John employees also spread a native wildflower mix over an area in the Courtenay Forebay<br />
to increase native pollinator species in the City.<br />
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