10,000 Hands - 2017-2018

20
10,000
17 Hands
Graeme Stewart-Robertson | Roxanne MacKinnon | Shauna Sands

Table of Contents
Acknowledgements ............................................................................................................................................................................. ii
Executive Summary ............................................................................................................................................................................ iii
Green Network ..................................................................................................................................................................................... 1
Methods ............................................................................................................................................................................................. 1
Results ................................................................................................................................................................................................ 2
Cleanup Events and Outcomes ........................................................................................................................................... 3
Riparian and Coastal Enhancement ............................................................................................................................................. 6
Methods ............................................................................................................................................................................................. 6
Results ................................................................................................................................................................................................ 6
Community Tree Planting Events ....................................................................................................................................... 7
Red Head Marsh ................................................................................................................................................................... 7
Patterson’s Brook ................................................................................................................................................................. 7
Crow Alley Urban Tree Nursery ...................................................................................................................................... 8
Seaside Park .......................................................................................................................................................................... 9
St. Rose Tree Nursery...................................................................................................................................................... 10
Caledonia Brook Stormwater Detention Pond...................................................................................................... 12
Spar Cove ............................................................................................................................................................................. 12
Environmental Outreach ................................................................................................................................................................ 14
Education ........................................................................................................................................................................................ 14
RNS Earth Day ......................................................................................................................................................................... 15
Girl Guides of Canada Rally ................................................................................................................................................ 15
Manchester Bird Sanctuary ................................................................................................................................................ 16
Harbour View High School Field Trip ............................................................................................................................. 17
Conclusion ........................................................................................................................................................................................... 19
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Acknowledgements
This project was made possible through the generous financial contribution of the New Brunswick
Environmental Trust Fund, and through the ongoing logistical support provided by the City of Saint
John Department of Municipal Operations. We would especially like to acknowledge the dedicated
services provided by Katherine Shannon for enabling the Saint John community to conduct cleanups
with the knowledge that city staff would collect and properly dispose of the litter and debris. We would
like to personally thank Doug Simpson from F. Andrew Simpson Contracting Ltd. for their land-use
contribution for the Crow Alley Tree Nursery, as well as St. Rose School for their land-use contribution
toward the St. Rose Tree Nursery.
The 10,000 Hands project is a true grassroots initiative that only exists through the selfless efforts of
thousands of community volunteers, and through the organizations, community groups, and businesses
that contribute to its success. We are proud to say that the list of dedicated contributors is large and
ever-growing, and we sincerely appreciate the contribution of every individual, in making Saint John a
more restorative environmental city.
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Executive Summary
ACAP Saint John’s signature Green Network program was established in 2006 as a means to improve
the effectiveness and efficiency of volunteer-based green space cleanups in Greater Saint John. In 2014,
the Green Network was re-launched as a larger 10,000 Hands initiative, incorporating cleanups,
awareness events, stakeholder education and volunteer-based community actions such as tree planting
and watercourse restoration. Over the course of the 2017-2018 project, 19 community cleanups took
place, allowing 578 volunteers to contribute to almost 1,500 volunteer hours for ACAP Saint John
cleanups. A total of 4,880 kg of waste was removed from the environment for an average of 8.4 kg per
volunteer. This project achieved exceptional results throughout 2017-2018, and through its innovative
delivery system, has been built from the ground-up to allow an on-going expansion of the available
resource pool for future volunteer enhanced initiatives.
The Riparian Enhancement portion of the 10,000 Hands project involved eight planting locations where
a total of 1,940 native trees and shrubs where planted in urban areas of Saint John during tree planting
events. Volunteers had the opportunity to be involved in, and learn about, habitat restoration while
experiencing nature first-hand and getting their hands dirty. A diversity of volunteers participated in
planting events including a wide range of ages, experience, and socio-economic and cultural
backgrounds.
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 restorative development.
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Green Network
The Green Network is a well-established volunteer engagement program whereby community
stakeholders participate in hands-on improvements to their local environment through cleanups, tree
planting, and education. The program’s effectiveness lies in its ability to maintain a strong partnership
with the City of Saint John for logistic support, the NB Environmental Trust Fund for financial support,
and in ACAP Saint John’s ability to maintain an established and dedicated network of volunteers.
ACAP Saint John has been engaging the regional community in volunteer-based cleanups since 1997.
Since that time, ACAP Saint John has proved successful in developing a volunteer base, educating the
public on the extent of littering and illegal dumping in the region, and establishing ACAP Saint John as a
credible and trusted environmental champion.
The Green Network model was developed to enhance the effectiveness of volunteer-based cleanups in
the Greater Saint John area, both logistically and in deliverability. This model places responsibility on
engaged individuals, community groups, and businesses interested in conducting hands-on projects to
contact ACAP Saint John for assistance. The Green Network, by way of ACAP Saint John, assists
interested groups in executing a successful cleanup by making available to them a coordinator who
provides necessary knowledge, materials, and resources. This coordinator supplies essential items, such
as gloves, garbage bags, safety tips, garbage disposal (via the City of Saint John), and a cleanup site if
necessary. This helps volunteers to be prepared and ensures they will have all the materials to complete
a successful cleanup.
The implementation of the Green Network and the services it offers were
promoted throughout the community through a wide array of media channels including: social media,
ACAP Saint John’s webpage, media, and community outreach.
Methods
The Green Network operates on a collaborative model for sustainability whereby multiple stakeholders
are directly involved in each event from planning though to completion. In 2017, the Green Network
coordinator acted as a facilitator and interested groups contacted the coordinator to setup their cleanup.
A date, time, and location were discussed and determined between the coordinator and interested
groups. Some volunteer groups already had a cleanup location chosen; if not, the coordinator chose a
cleanup site and determined an appropriate site for garbage pickup based on a list developed at the
beginning of the season. The coordinator then contacted the City of Saint John’s Transportation and
Environment Services Department to confirm the location and time for pickup from the city workers. The
appropriate number of garbage bags and gloves were prepared at the ACAP Saint John office for a
member of the volunteer group to pick up prior to the cleanup. Upon request, the coordinator brought
the supplies to the cleanup location and spoke with the group about the environmental issues of the area
they were helping to clean up. The Green Network Cleanup Sheet was included in the cleanup package
and a request was made for a member of the cleanup group to complete the form and return it to ACAP
Saint John along with pictures through our website, via email, or in person. The group was contacted just
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prior to the cleanup to confirm the details (date, time, number of volunteers, location garbage will be piled
after the cleanup, etc.) and to provide them with a few helpful cleanup and safety tips, such as:
• Dress for the weather (i.e. hats, sun block, raingear, etc.);
• Wear proper footwear (no open toe shoes or sandals);
• Do not pick up any dangerous items (sharp objects, containers with unknown fluids, etc.);
• Do not pick up needles, report any found needles to ACAP Saint John to dispose of properly
in a sharps container;
• Take photos (especially ‘before and after’ pictures); and,
• Keep the mood light! Take breaks, enjoy the scenery, and have fun.
Each cleanup was unique, and the coordinator’s duties depended on each group’s needs. Some groups
conducted cleanups on their own and only required supplies and garbage disposal, while other groups
needed the Green Network coordinator to oversee most of the necessary cleanup logistics. Each
cleanup crew, respectively, filled out the cleanup details on the Green Network Cleanup Sheet and the
specifics have been noted in the Results section of this report. The amount (number of bags, or weight,
and unusual items) of the garbage collected, number of volunteers, and the duration and location of the
cleanup were details the coordinator took note of. In the Results section, each garbage bag has been
assumed to weigh 6.8 kg for consistency in recording.
Results
This year, ACAP Saint John provided supplies for a total of 19 cleanups throughout the Greater Saint
John Area (Figure 1). A total of 578 volunteers helped with these cleanups for a total contribution of
1,459 volunteer hours; which equates to roughly $35,220 worth of time based on this year’s value of
volunteer time ($24.14/hour). During that time, 4,880 kg of waste or roughly 8 kg per volunteer was
removed and properly disposed of at the landfill.
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Figure 1: Location of the 2017 community or volunteer cleanups facilitated through ACAP Saint John’s
10,000 Hands project.
Cleanup Events and Outcomes
Social Enterprise Hub
Location: Chown Field and Prince Edward Street
Date: April 21, 2017
Duration: 1 hour
Participants: 8
Garbage Collected: 10 bags
Beaver Lake Fishing Club
Location: Beaver Lake and Old Black River Road
Date: April 22, 2017
Duration: 3 hours
Participants: 20
Garbage Collected: 35 bags
New Brunswick Community College:
Robertson Institute for Community Leadership
Location: Tin Can Beach and Little River Reservoir
Date: April 26, 2017
Duration: 3 hours
Participants: 31
Garbage Collected: 28 bags
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Harbour View High School
Location: Douglas Avenue
Date: May 10, 2017
Duration: 2 hours
Participants: 200 students
Garbage Collected: 100 bags
Canaport LNG Marsh Creek Cleanup
Location: Marsh Creek
Date: May 13, 2017
Duration: 3 hours
Participants: 86 volunteers
Garbage Collected: 2.5 tonnes
Sweep and Speak
Location: Seaside Park
Date: May 16, 2017
Duration: 3.5 hours
Participants: 20 Cleanup Volunteers and additional
community members voicing their ideas for the park.
Garbage Collected: 13 bags
Saint Malachy’s Memorial High School
Location: Courtenay Bay Causeway
Date: June 7, 2017
Duration: 25 minutes
Participants: 16 high school students
Garbage Collected: 12 bags
Crescent Valley Community Tenants Association
Location: Crescent Valley Neighbourhood
Date: June 10, 2017
Duration: 3 hours
Participants: 80 volunteers
Garbage Collected: 40 bags
Xerox Canada Inside Sales
Location: Red Head Marsh
Date: June 12, 2017
Duration: 7 hours
Participants: 13 volunteers
Garbage Collected: 25 bags plus tires, pallets, and
other large items
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Trees Planted: 280 White spruce seedlings
Saint John Learning Exchange (B.E.S.T. program)
Location: Prince Edward Street Neighbourhood
Date: June 14, 2017
Duration: 1 hour
Participants: 6 learners plus ACAP staff
Garbage Collected: 7 bags
The Great Fundy Coastal Cleanup
Location: Bayshore Beach and Fallsview Park
Date: July 15, 2017
Duration: 3 hours
Participants: 6 volunteers
Garbage Collected: 9 bags plus a pallet, rug, and old
metal pieces
Saint John High School Key Club/Scouts Canada
Location: Bayshore Beach and Duck Cove
Date: September 16, 2017
Duration: 3 hours
Participants: 20 Volunteers
Garbage Collected: 15 bags
New Brunswick Community College:
Robertson Institute for Community Leadership
Location: MacDonald Drive
Date: October 4, 2017
Duration: 2 hours
Participants: 27 students and instructors
Garbage Collected: 20 bags
Second Location: Tucker Park
Date: October 4, 2017
Duration: 2 hours
Participants: 22 students and instructors
Garbage Collected: 7 bags
Irving Nature Park
Location: Saint’s Rest Beach
Date: October 7, 2017
Duration: 3 hours
Participants: 20 volunteers
Garbage Collected: 25 bags plus woody materials
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Riparian and Coastal Enhancement
Riparian Enhancement is vital for improving watercourses and wildlife habitat in Saint John’s urban
environment and watersheds. ACAP Saint John’s Riparian Enhancement project is a recognized
component of urban sustainability whereby community stakeholders can participate in hands-on
improvements to their local environment that will provide immediate and long-term benefits to our urban
ecology. The project’s success lies in ACAP Saint John’s ability to maintain a strong partnership with
landowners and volunteers and the NB Environmental Trust Fund for financial support. Public support
of enhancement projects and ACAP Saint John’s ability to maintain an established and dedicated
network of volunteers have upheld Riparian Enhancement as a key environmental project for Greater
Saint John.
Methods
The Riparian and Coastal Enhancement project was carried out by spreading seeds, planting trees and
shrubs, and staking cuttings to enhance habitat and increase native vegetation in Saint John during the
2017 field season. Riparian Enhancement took place in seven locations over the season as detailed in
this report.
Plantings were completed with the help of volunteers who learned how to plant by digging holes and
using fertilizer and top soil to plant young potted plants and seedlings. Potted plants, seedlings, and seeds
were ordered from nurseries around the Maritimes and Quebec or were donated by J.D. Irving. The
planting sites were chosen by ACAP Saint John employees who targeted riparian and coastal areas within
the city. Native species for each site were also selected by employees and where determined based on
the site conditions and availability of desired species.
Staking was completed by ACAP Saint John employees to re-vegetate a project area after a culvert
removal was completed. For this staking, Red Osier dogwood stakes were cut from a site with a vast
number of Red Osier dogwood plants to ensure that the act of cutting would not damage the existing
shrubs. Once the cuttings were made, they were dipped in rooting hormone (Wilson Liquid Root
Stimulator) and placed in soil until they could be staked into the ground on site.
Results
This year, a total of eight community tree and shrub plantings were organized by ACAP Saint John at
seven different locations, as well as, Red Osier dogwood staking was completed by ACAP Saint John
staff after a culvert removal project. Through these eight events a total of 1,940 native trees and shrubs
were planted by 139 volunteers (Figure 2). Volunteers had the opportunity to be involved in, and learn
about, habitat restoration while experiencing nature first-hand and getting their hands dirty. A diversity
of volunteers participated in planting events including a wide range of ages, experience, and
backgrounds.
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Figure 2: Locations of community and volunteer tree plantings conducted by ACAP Saint John in the
2017 field season.
Community Tree Planting Events
Red Head Marsh
On June 12, 2017, 13 volunteers from Xerox Canada Inside Sales planted 280 White Spruce seedlings
donated by J.D. Irving in the upland portion of Red Head Marsh that had been disturbed in years past and
is now filling in with Speckled alder.
Patterson’s Brook
On September 17, 2017, 35 volunteers from TD Tree Days helped plant 305 native trees and shrubs
along Patterson’s Brook. This planting took place on City of Saint John property along Peacock’s Lane
where years of riparian encroachment had left the left bank riparian area lacking woody vegetation. The
planting itself took about two hours and the volunteers planted 10 Eastern White cedar, 10 Bur oak, 10
Red oak, 40 Winterberry, 20 Eastern hemlock, 5 Pussy willow, 5 Sandbar willow, 20 Shadblow
serviceberry, 10 White pine, 5 Red pine, 30 Yellow birch, 70 White spruce, and 70 Red spruce seedlings
to mimic the existing forest around this site.
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Figure 3: Volunteers from TD Insurance plant over 300 trees and shrubs along Patterson’s Brook on
September 17, 2017.
Crow Alley Urban Tree Nursery
The Crow Alley Nursery is located on the corner of Brunswick Street and Middle Street in the Waterloo
Village area of Saint John and was a vacant lot prior to the nursery being implemented. To prepare this
property, volunteers from the Social Enterprise Hub and Salesforce helped ACAP staff move four truck
loads of topsoil around the site in order to form rows to plant the trees in. White clover mix was then
spread over the soil to act as a living mulch to help hold the soil in place and reduce weeds and a strip of
Eastern Wildflower mix was spread next to the sidewalk to improve aesthetics of the site.
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Two volunteer tree planting events, averaging around an hour each, have taken place at this site since
the prep work was completed. On September 13, 2017, eight volunteers from McInnes Cooper planted
15 Sugar maple, 15 Red maple, 15 Bur oak, 15 Red oak, 15 American elm, 27 White spruce, 15 Red pine,
and 15 White pine seedlings and four 1.2 m apple trees as legacy trees for a grand total of 136 trees. An
additional planting was done on October 3, 2017, with volunteers from the Saint John Learning
Exchange’s Workplace Essential Skills (WES) program. These volunteers planted 40 Red spruce, 11 Bur
oak, 16 Red maple, 16 White pine, 17 Mountain maple, 17 Red pine, 17 Red oak, 17 Silver maple, and
17 White spruce seedlings for a total of 168 trees for this planting. At a later date, ACAP Saint John staff
planted an additional four 1.2 m trees (3 Bur oak and 1 Sugar maple) as legacy trees for a grand total of
300 trees for the nursery and eight legacy trees. These trees will be left to grow for two to five years
before being transplanted to riparian or coastal areas in need of woody vegetation.
(a)
(b)
(c)
Figure 4: (a) Vacant lot before it was transformed into the Crow Alley Urban Tree Nursery. (b)
Volunteers creating rows of soil. (c) Volunteers planting over 130 trees on September 13, 2017. (d)
Volunteers planting over 160 trees on October 3, 2017.
Seaside Park
Seaside Park is located on the West Side of Saint John and was damaged in the late Fall of 2016 by
vandals. On the morning of September 30, 2017, community volunteers helped plant 599 native trees
and shrubs over three hours through the upper (park-like area) and lower (coastal) portion of this park.
Within the upper section six 1.5 m Sugar maple, four 1.5 m Bur oak, and four 1.5 m Red oak were planted
to help define the park. An additional five American elm, 30 Red Maple, ten Red oak, two Balsam fir, and
(d)
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three White pine seedlings were planted. In the lower section, 135 Potentilla, 80 Red Osier dogwood, 50
Flowering raspberry, 50 Swamp rose and 220 White spruce seedlings were planted to help re-naturalize
the coastal area that is being overtaken by Speckled alder.
Figure 5. Community volunteers joined ACAP Saint John on the morning of September 30, 2017 to
plant over 550 trees and shrubs.
St. Rose Tree Nursery
The St. Rose Tree Nursery was ACAP Saint John’s second tree nursery to be implemented this year. It is
located behind and on St. Rose School property on the West Side of Saint John. This nursery was
implemented with support from Salesforce and volunteer time for both site prep and tree planting being
donated by Salesforce as well. The prep work involved cutting grass for the rows and hauling soil onto
the site to plant the trees and shrubs in and took a total of eight hours over two days. The planting was
done on October 16 th , where Salesforce volunteers planted over 200 trees in the St. Rose Tree Nursery.
The last two rows of the nursery were planted with the help of Salesforce volunteers and 22 students
from the school as part of the opening ceremony with the entire school. The volunteers planted a total of
250 trees and shrubs including: 8 Sugar maple, 12 Shadblow serviceberry, 41 Eastern White cedar, 14
Eastern hemlock, 12 Winterberry, 14 Red maple, 17 Black spruce, 32 Red Osier dogwood, 18 Mountain
maple, 17 Yellow birch, 20 Red spruce, 19 White pine, 18 Dwarf birch, and 8 Red oak seedlings; as well
as six legacy trees (four 1.8 m Yellow birch and two 1.2 m Bur oak). Similar to the Crow Alley nursery,
these trees and shrubs will be left for two to five years before being transplanted to their final sites.
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Figure 6. Above, volunteers from Salesforce helped prepare the site for an additional tree nursery at St.
Rose School. Below, students from St. Rose School plant remaining trees in the nursery during an open
ceremony with the entire school.
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Caledonia Brook Stormwater Detention Pond
A stormwater detention pond was constructed by the City of Saint John behind Boars Head Road in
Millidgeville in 2014 in which Caledonia Brook flows through. The pond was seeded with wetland
vegetation, however no upland woody vegetation was planted. ACAP Saint John staff plus one volunteer
planted 180 trees and shrubs throughout the pond on October 27, 2017. We planted 10 Bur oak, 10 Red
oak, 15 Yellow birch, 10 Sugar maple, 10 Red maple, 10 White spruce, 15 Red pine, 20 Eastern White
cedar, 20 Winterberry, 20 Shadblow serviceberry, 20 Chokeberry, and 20 Black elderberry seedlings
over a two hour period.
Figure 7. Stormwater detention pond located in Millidgeville, off Boras Head Road. Trees were planted
around the pond on October 27, 2017.
Spar Cove
A small area next to Spar Cove was planted on November 14, 2017 with the help of 15 youth from the
Celebrate Me! Program. This area is prone to illegal dumping and a cleanup of the site was done by ACAP
Saint John staff prior to the event. In total twelve 1.2 m Bur oak trees were planted, and straw was spread
around to help insulate the tree roots due to the late planting. This planting was hopefully the beginning
of a larger project in the area to help vegetate this riparian area.
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Figure 8. Youth volunteers from the Celebrate Me! Program planting native trees during a riparian
restoration project in Spar Cove.
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Environmental Outreach
Environmental outreach in 2017 was achieved through a variety of volunteer activities organized as part
of the 10,000 Hands: Environmental Engagement in Saint John project and targeted educational activities
towards children and youth, along with social media. Volunteer events facilitated outreach through
project participants and any volunteers directly engaged in environmental events and activities who then
circulated information through their contacts and networks. ACAP Saint John was also able to leverage
promotion of environmental information and events through regional stakeholders and various multimedia
channels. Local media remained an important outreach component for ACAP Saint John, the
organization and its activities were covered by eight local news stories in 2017.
Online resources were also leveraged for Environmental Outreach and have enabled ACAP Saint John
to reach a broad audience and publicized up to date environmental information, comments, event
announcements, cleanup contests, and cleanup and planting event pictures. Online resources also
enabled volunteers and stakeholders to promote ACAP Saint John projects and environmental
information, especially through social media where posts are easily and quickly distributed through wide
networks. By the end of 2017, ACAP Saint John had 4,138 followers on the organization’s Twitter
account, 301 followers on Instagram and 1,092 ‘likes’ on Facebook. ACAP Saint John’s webpage also
remains a vital component for sharing information. The website was visited by an audience of 5,700
visitors with over 13,500 page views during the first eleven months of the 2017-2018 10,000 Hands
project.
Since the move to the Social Enterprise Hub, ACAP Saint John has been more connected to the
community than ever. Other local non-profit organizations, such as The Saint John Community Loan
Fund, The Saint John Learning Exchange and the Saint John Human Development Council, are also in
this building, providing us with multiple volunteers right at our fingertips. Partnering with The Saint John
Learning Exchange has provided work training opportunities through volunteerism as a part of this
project, enabling new volunteer partnerships that will increase job training in New Brunswick.
This new hub has received a lot of attention and praise by the Saint John community and ACAP Saint
John has been involved in multiple media articles and building tours to talk about our work and how it fits
into the work others are doing in our community. The tours, as well as informal conversations in the
buildings common spaces, have already facilitated and enabled valuable discussions about sustainability
and restorative development in Saint John.
Education
Environmental Outreach also included several activities aimed at educating children and youth about the
region’s environment and environmental stewardship through school presentations and citizen science.
Presentations were made to seven schools in 2017 to interact with children about local environmental
stewardship where they learned about local environmental issues and environmental stewardship in
Saint John. In addition to school presentations, six different high school teachers were also given stream
assessment field packs and have been taught how to measure stream health parameters through our
Water Rangers Program. This has encouraged hands-on learning where youth have the opportunity to
get outdoors and experience nature as a part of their education.
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RNS Earth Day
On April 27, 2017, Rothesay Netherwood School held an Earth Day event where the students took the
afternoon to engage in different forms for nature related activities. ACAP staff facilitated four different
outings with the students, including water quality and fish monitoring, bird habitat walks, benthic
macroinvertebrate sampling and climate change mind-mapping.
Figure 9. Students from RNS conducting water quality assessments in Taylor Brook during the RNS
Earth Day event on April 27, 2017.
Girl Guides of Canada Rally
On May 13, 2017, 1,000 Girl Guides and their leaders gathered together for a province wide rally at
Rockwood Park. A staff member from ACAP Saint John facilitated a ‘critter dipping’ station in some of
the parks boggy areas. Girls had the opportunity to catch tadpoles, frogs and macroinvertebrates, while
also learning about aquatic habitat. The Girl Guides did not only learn about the surrounding species, but
were able to connect with their environment by allowing them to go outside and get dirty.
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Figure 10. Youth from Girl Guides Canada dipping for critters in Fisher Lake, Rockwood Park during a
Girl Guides Rally on May 13, 2017.
Manchester Bird Sanctuary
The Manchester Bird Sanctuary is a 4.65-hectare plot of land that was registered as a sanctuary in 1951.
In late April of 2017, ACAP Saint John educated the neighbours around the Sanctuary by passing out
pamphlets door-to-door. These pamphlets served to both raise awareness about the sanctuary and bird
habitat, and to invite neighbouring residents to a Bird Walk, hosted by local bird expert Jim Wilson.
On the morning of May 27, 2017, twenty-six participants joined the bird walk event. To avoid disturbing
the different habitats within the sanctuary, the bird walk was conducted along the perimeter of the area.
Over two hours, a variety of bird species were observed within the sanctuary, including Black-capped
chickadee, Red-breasted nuthatch, American goldfinch, Northern cardinal, and a collection of sparrows
and warblers.
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Figure 11. Above, Jim Wilson (local bird expert) talks to members of the Saint John Naturalists Club
about the variety of bird species that can be found within the Manchester Bird Sanctuary. Below, local
birders observe bird species along the perimeter of the Manchester Bird Sanctuary.
Harbour View High School Field Trip
ACAP Saint John and the students from the Harbour View High School, Marine Biology class met at Red
Head Marsh on the morning of October 19, 2017. European Green Crab traps were set out as soon as
the students arrived to bait for crabs as an invasive species demonstration. The students were then
broken up into two different learning groups, beach seining and water quality monitoring, where groups
rotated activities throughout the morning. The crab traps were retrieved later in the morning and the
students were able to gain hands-on experience with some local invasive species.
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Figure 12. HVHS students helping Graeme Stewart-Robertson, executive director, check the beach
seine nets for fish. One student getting hands-on experience holding a European Green Crab (Carcinus
maenas).
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Conclusion
Throughout the successful 10,000 Hands project, ACAP Saint John was able to connect with a large
number of community members through volunteer and outreach activities. Although, the total number
of cleanups conducted this year was down compared to previous years, ACAP Saint John still facilitated
a total of 19 cleanups removing close to 5,000 kg of waste from our environment. In addition, over 1,900
native tree and shrub species were planted throughout the City to restore our riparian and coastal areas
as well as to populate our two urban tree nurseries for future projects. Along these two direct volunteer
engagement avenues, ACAP Saint John was able to directly interact and dialogue with over 750
community members. Through our educational outreach activities, we were able to dialogue with an
additional 1,300 students; providing them with both environmental education opportunities and the
opportunity to learn in a hands-on setting out in nature.
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Address: Social Enterprise Hub
139 Prince Edward Street, Suite 323
Saint John, New Brunswick, Canada
phone: (506) 652-2227
email: office@acapsj.org
web: www.acapsj.org
www.facebook.com/acapsj
twitter.com/acapsaintjohn
www.instagram.com/acapsj