10,000 Hands - 2016-2017

Table of Contents Acknowledgements .................................................................................................................................... ii Executive Summary ................................................................................................................................... iii Green Network Introduction ...................................................................................................................... 1 Methods ................................................................................................................................................. 2 Results .................................................................................................................................................... 4 Cleanup Events and Outcomes ........................................................................................................... 5 Port City Pickup .................................................................................................................................... 10 Discussion ............................................................................................................................................. 12 Riparian Enhancement ............................................................................................................................. 13 Methods ............................................................................................................................................... 13 Results .................................................................................................................................................. 14 Richmond Street ............................................................................................................................... 15 Egbert Street Pump Station .............................................................................................................. 16 Crescent Valley ................................................................................................................................. 16 Whitebone Way ............................................................................................................................... 17 Stanley Street ................................................................................................................................... 18 Hillcrest Road ................................................................................................................................... 19 Champlain Drive ............................................................................................................................... 19 University Avenue ............................................................................................................................ 20 Egbert Street Pump Station .............................................................................................................. 22 Discussion ............................................................................................................................................. 24 Environmental Outreach .......................................................................................................................... 25 Education ............................................................................................................................................. 26

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Acknowledgements

This project was made possible through the generous financial contribution of the New Brunswick Environmental Trust Fund, the Sitka Foundation, 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.

10,000 Hands 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 evergrowing and we sincerely appreciate the contribution of every individual, in making Saint John a more sustainable city.

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Executive Summary

This year marked the 10th anniversary of ACAP Saint John’s signature Green Network program, which 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 2016-2017 project, 17 community cleanups took place, allowing 855 volunteers to contribute almost 2000 volunteer hours for ACAP Saint John cleanups. A total of 6800 kg of waste was removed from the environment for an average of 8 kg per volunteer. This project not only achieved exceptional results in 2016-2017, but 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 ten planting locations where a total of 800 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 sustainable development.

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Green Network Introduction

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.

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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 2016, 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 cleanup the coordinator 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 (Figure 1) 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 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.); • Don’t 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 (Figure 1) 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 to took note of. In the Results section, each garbage bag has been assumed to weigh 6.8kg for consistency in recording.

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Figure 1: Green Network Cleanup Sheet completed by volunteers for each cleanup conducted. The sheet helped the Green Network coordinator keep track of project metrics including total number of volunteers, volunteer hours, and amount of waste collected. An online submission form was developed this year to allow volunteers to submit this information online at www.acapsj.org/cleanup.

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Results

There were 17 Green Network administered cleanups in 2016, all of which completed the requested information sheets with cleanup data. A total of 855 volunteers contributed an average of just over 2 hours per volunteer for a total contribution of 1826 volunteer hours for ACAPs 2016 cleanups. A total of 6800 kg of waste was removed for an average of 8 kg per volunteer. The following map shows the locations cleaned in 2016.

Figure 2: 2016 cleanup locations in Saint John, NB.

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Cleanup Events and Outcomes

Young Citizens Location: Westmorland Road Date: Friday, April 1, 2016 Duration: 3 hours Participants: 6 people Garbage Collected: 26 bags

This was a group of young women who coordinated amongst themselves as engaged citizens looking to make a difference in their community.

SalesForce Location: Dorchester Street and Highway Overpass Date: Tuesday, April 19th, 2016 Duration: 3 hours Participants: 11 people Garbage Collected: 45 bags plus shopping carts,

bicycles, building materials, & "Stop Harper" sign

New Brunswick Community College: Robertson Institute for Community Leadership (Business and Information Technology) Location: Tin Can Beach Date: Wednesday, April 20th, 2016 Duration: 3 hours Participants: 25 people Garbage Collected: 50 bags plus a parking metre and tires

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Harbour View High School Location: Douglas Avenue Date: Thursday, May 12th, 2016 Duration: 2 hours Participants: 400 people Garbage Collected: 200 bags

Beaver Lake Fishing Club Location: Old Black River Road Date: Saturday, April 30th, 2015 Duration: 4 hours Participants: 17 people Garbage Collected: 30 bags

Canaport LNG Marsh Creek Cleanup Location: Marsh Creek Watershed Date: Saturday, May 14th, 2016 Duration: 3 hours Participants: 155 people Garbage Collected: 3 tonnes including construction supplies, illegal plants, shopping carts, furniture

Anglin Drive Neighbourhood Tenants Association Location: Anglin Drive Date: Saturday, May 28th, 2016 Duration: 2 hours Participants: 11 people Garbage Collected: 9 bags

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Crescent Valley Neighbourhood Association Location: Crescent Valley Neighbourhood Date: Saturday, June 4th, 2016 Duration: 2.5 hours Participants: 65 people Garbage Collected: 50 bags Trees Planted: 12 Trees (2 Bur Oak, 2 Sugar Maple, 2Butternut, 4 Black Walnut, & 2 Yellow Birch)

The Saint John Learning Exchange Location: Richmond Street Date: Thursday, June 2nd, 2016 Duration: 4 hours Participants: 12 people Garbage Collected: 2 bags Trees Planted: 2 Trees (1 Bur Oak & 1 Yellow Birch), also including garden cleanup and other plants supplied by the Learning Exchange

Saint Malachy’s Memorial High School Location: Courtenay Bay Causeway Date: Wednesday, June 8th, 2016 Duration: 1 hour Participants: 3 people Garbage Collected: 4 bags

Waterloo Village Neighbourhood Association with Coverdale Centre for Women, and the Courtenay Bay Tenants Association Location: Waterloo Village Date: Saturday, June 25th, 2016 Duration: 2 hours Participants: 50 people Garbage Collected: 55 bags

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SalesForce & Xerox Location: Marsh Creek (Nason St to Mark St) Date: Monday, June 27th, 2016 Duration: 3 hours Participants: 11 people Garbage Collected: 20 bags plus Construction material, shopping carts, car tires, bikes, recycling bin, mattress

Xerox Inside Sales Location: Majors Brook and Little River Date: Friday, September 16th, 2016 Duration: 7 hours Participants: 4 people Garbage Collected: 10 bags plus a door from a truck along with other various car parts, a working light/siren, a travel trailer in pieces and a mountain bike

Stantec Location: Fallsview Park Date: Wednesday, September 21st, 2016 Duration: 1.5 hours Participants: 13 people Garbage Collected: 6 bags plus a large television

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New Brunswick Community College: Robertson Institute for Community Leadership (Power Engineering Technology Program) Location: Courtenay Forebay and Causeway Date: Wednesday, October 5th, 2016 Duration: 3 hours Participants: 45 people Garbage Collected: 30 bags plus shopping carts

New Brunswick Community College: Robertson Institute for Community Leadership Location: Tucker Park Beach Date: Wednesday, October 5th, 2016 Duration: 2 hours Participants: 23 people Garbage Collected: 5 bags

Salesforce Location: Egbert Street Pump Station Date: Wednesday, October 12th, 2016 Duration: 2 hours Participants: 4 people Garbage Collected: 15 bags plus compost bins, shopping carts, and construction waste

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Port City Pickup

In order to reach out to a broader group of individual volunteers, in addition to group events, ACAP Saint John launched the Port City Pickup contest in July. The contest began with the launch of the Canadian release of Pokemon Go in an effort to reach out to a new demographic of potential environmental stewards. Contestants were asked to take a photo of themselves picking up litter while out walking, hiking, or playing Pokemon Go and to post their image on social media with the hashtag #PortCityPickup for a chance to win a solar powered battery backup. The contest was shared widely in the Greater Saint John community with over 40 shares and retweets as well as 130 likes through Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.

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The winner of the competition was announced through Twitter where the winning photo was submitted in September. The announcement of our winner was made public through ACAPs social media campaign to entice further participation in the competition in the fall.

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Discussion

The Green Network continues to prove itself to be an effective and efficient model for leveraging human and organizational resources within Greater Saint John in fostering community-wide environmental stewardship. The program continues to facilitate volunteers by enabling interested parties to conduct a cleanup of their choosing or participate in one that has been organized by another entity. This year, a new approach was also introduced through the Port City Pickup contest that encouraged individuals to participate in environmental stewardship while doing other outdoor activities.

The Green Network, which requires a dedicated project coordinator to assist community groups, is also reliant upon a mutually beneficial relationship with the staff of the City of Saint John. City staff are able to pickup and dispose of the garbage collected and benefit by outsourcing some administration associated with dealing with public inquiries on conducting cleanups. The provision of bags and gloves to ACAP Saint John by the City and the physical collection of the garbage at select times and locations provided by the ACAP Saint John Green Network coordinator occurs at far less costs than would otherwise be incurred if Municipal Operations were to manage cleanups internally. Overall, the Green Network has proven itself to be an efficient, cost-effective and established vehicle for conducting annual volunteer-based green space cleanups in Greater Saint John.

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Riparian 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.

In 2016, Riparian Enhancement proved successful in maintaining and extending a volunteer base, educating the public on the extent of waterways and wildlife habitat in the region through hands-on activities, and upholding ACAP Saint John as a credible and trusted environmental champion. Sixty volunteers participated in tree planting events through this project.

Methods

The Riparian 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 2016 field season. Riparian Enhancement took place in nine locations over the season a 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 and donated by J.D. Irving and Wellwood Farm locally. The planting sites were chosen by ACAP Saint John employees who targeted riparian 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 in one location, at the end of Stanley Street next to a pedestrian bridge. Employees collected broken street tree branches from an incident of vandalism next to ACAPs Uptown office. The stakes were grown in pots in the office for two months before being planted outside as part of an experiment in staking tree branches in an urban area.

ACAP Saint John employees also spread a native wildflower mix over an area in the Courtenay Forebay to increase native pollinator species in the City.

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Results

The Riparian Enhancement project took place in nine locations with the help of sixty volunteers during five volunteer planting events. Overall, 548 trees and shrubs were planted and 1 kg of a native wildflower mix was spread. The map below shows the locations of tree planting events in 2016.

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Richmond Street

Tree Planting and Garden Cleanup On June 2, volunteers from the Saint John Learning Exchange planted 2 trees, one bur oak and one yellow birch, next to Richmond Street as a part of an ongoing garden project in one of Saint John’s called the “Garden of Hope”. 12 volunteers participated in the event which involved weeding, cleaning garbage, and planting in the garden. The event took approximately four hours to complete.

Figure 3: Volunteers from the Saint John Community Loan Fund managing their Garden of Hope. ACAP Saint John supplied cleanup materials and trees for the gardening event.

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Egbert Street Pump Station

Tree Planting On June 3, ACAP Saint John staff planted 38 trees behind the municipal pump station on Egbert Street.

Six staff members participated and the tree planting took approximately half an hour to complete.

The planting took place on City of Saint John property. Trees were planted in three rows with three metre spacing between trees. An assortment of deciduous tree species was planted including: Butternut, Bur oak, Black walnut, and Yellow birch. The weather that day was sunny and hot.

Crescent Valley

Tree Planting On June 4, volunteers involved in the Crescent Valley Resource Centre’s cleanup event planted 12 trees next to a public seating area on Taylor Avenue. 65 volunteers participated in the event of which the tree planting was an additional activity added onto the cleanup.

The planting took place on City of Saint John property where trees were planted in a circle surrounding park benches. An assortment of deciduous tree species was planted including: two Bur oak, two Sugar maple, two Butternut, four Black walnut, & two Yellow birch tress.

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Whitebone Way

Tree Planting On June 16, ACAP Saint John staff planted 48 trees next to a stream and new culvert where a tributary of Hazen Creek crosses under Whitebone Way. Four staff members participated and the tree planting took approximately an hour to complete.

The planting took place on City of Saint John property and within the right of way of Whitebone Way. Trees were dispersed with approximately three metre spacing between trees. An assortment of deciduous tree species was planted including: Sugar maple, Butternut, Bur oak, Black walnut, and Yellow birch. The weather that day was sunny and hot.

Figure 4: ACAP Saint John’s summer students planting trees in a riparian area of Saint John’s East Side.

The

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Stanley Street

Cuttings At the end of May ACAP Saint John staff noticed that branches from some of Saint John’s urban street trees had been vandalized and broken along Princes Street. As an experiment, these branches were collected and turned into cuttings. The cuttings were dipped into root stimulator and placed in planter pots full of potting soil in the ACAP Saint John office. Species included: Ginko, Apple, and Black ash.

ACAP staff monitored and watered the cuttings for two months before staking them outdoors.

The cuttings were staked into the ground next to a pedestrian bridge and sidewalk where invasive species have taken over. This location was chosen due to it’s proximity to a critical piece of active transportation infrastructure in the City and due to the fact that Ginko and Apple are adapted rather than native species, this location represents an urban novel ecosystem and is distant from patches of native habitat. Holes were dug to surround cuttings with potting soil and other vegetation was cut back surrounding the cuttings. Over thirty cuttings were staked in total. ACAP Saint John will monitor the cuttings to gauge the success of this experiment.

Figure 5: ACAP Saint John staff planting cuttings into pots in the office. Each cutting was dipped in root stimulator hormone and staked into potting soil the day they were collected from broken street trees.

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Hillcrest Road

Tree Planting On June 27, volunteers from Xerox helped to plant 100 trees next to a new culvert on Hillcrest Road.

Three volunteers participated and the tree planting took approximately two hours to complete. The planting took place on City of Saint John property within the right of way. Pine and spruce trees were donated by the JD Irving Tree Nursery in Sussex.

Figure 6: Volunteers from Xerox planting trees next to a new culvert and tributary of Little River on the East Side of Saint John. Trees upstream from the former culvert were damaged from flooding events and the planting will help restore the lost forested area due to flooding and construction.

Champlain Drive

Tree Planting On June 29, ACAP Saint John staff planted 100 pine and spruce trees donated by JD Irving in the Silver Falls area on the East Side of Saint John. The area was a former sand pit and continues to be a popular walking and ATV-use area. Continued human activity has led to erosion issues where vegetation has failed to re-establish. These trees were planted along the edge of vegetated areas next to pathways where their roots will help to expand vegetation cover without being trampled by ongoing activity in the area. Two staff members participated and tree planting took approximately two hours to complete on a rainy day. The planting took place on City of Saint John property.

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University Avenue

Tree Planting On September 18, volunteers from TD Tree Days helped to plant 166 trees along Alder Brook at University Avenue. Thirty-three volunteers participated and the tree planting took approximately an hour to complete.

The planting took place on City of Saint John property with feedback and correspondence with the City works department and Killam Properties, the adjacent landowner. Trees were planted in two rows with three metre spacing between trees as well as a scattering of shrubs planted in clusters closer to the stream. Trees planted included Yellow birch, White cedar, Red maple, and American elm. Shrub species planted in clusters included Winterberry, Serviceberry, and Red-osier dogwood. The weather that day was rainy providing plenty of water for the trees to establish.

Figure 7: Plan submitted to the City of Saint John for planting approval. Some modifications were made to the species listed due to concerns over emerald ash borer, species suggestions from Killam Properties, and availability of native species from local nurseries.

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Figure 8: Graeme Stewart-Robertson and Wayne Long, Member of Parliament for Saint John-Rothesay, speaking to volunteers as the event got started. Thirty-three volunteers of all ages showed up on a rainy Sunday morning to help restore a section of Alder Brook.

Figure 9: Trees were planted with three metre spacing in two rows next to the stream. Shrubs were planted closer to the stream to provide shade over the stream.

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Egbert Street Pump Station

Tree Planting On October 13th, volunteers from McInnes Cooper helped to plant 81 trees and vines next to a municipal pump station off Egbert Street in the Courtenay Forebay. Eleven volunteers participated and the tree planting took approximately two hours to complete.

The planting took place on City of Saint John property with permission and feedback from the City works department. Trees were planted along an existing social line that leads to, and around, the pump station and connects Crown Street to Thorne Avenue. This path is used by residents who walk from the peninsula to the nearest grocery store on Thorne Avenue, as well as residents carrying bottles to the nearest bottle depot. It is currently an informal path and the aim of this project is to enhance the area for pedestrians while reintroducing native plants to an area disturbed by the construction of the pump station in the Courtenay Forebay.

The rendering below shows where trees were planted. The trees planted included 4 to 6-foot-tall Red oak, Large-toothed aspen, Trembling aspen, and Celebration maple, as well as, 2 to 3-foot-tall White spruce and Witch hazel and 1 to 2-foot-tall Red maple, Bur oak, Butternut, and Black walnut. Clematis vines were also planted along the pump station fence and will climb the chain link fence. The white spruce was donated by Wellwood Farm in a new partnership arrangement for ACAPs restoration work.

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It is anticipated that in the 2017 field season, ACAP will spread topsoil around the trees and sow the soil with a native wildflower mix to enhance pollinator habitat. The area west of the pump station has been identified as a future project site to continue enhancing the habitat of the Courtenay Forebay.

Figure 10: Before and during the planting event as posted on social media. The social path was lined with native trees to enhance the area’s habitat and formalize the path.

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Discussion

The Riparian Enhancement portion of the 10,000 Hands project involved nine planting locations where a total of 548 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 backgrounds.

In addition to these planting events, 200 White spruce seedlings were donated to ACAP Saint John in the fall by JD Irving and were planted on Wellwood Farm land where they will grow for two to three years before being transplanted for future volunteer planting projects. The generous donation of trees and land have enabled ACAP Saint John to leverage in kind contributions that facilitate multi-year planning for future projects.

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Environmental Outreach Environmental outreach in 2016 was achieved through volunteer activities organized as part of the 10,000 Hands: Environmental Engagement in Saint John project and targeted educational activities towards children and youth and through social media. Volunteer events enabled outreach through project participants and volunteers directly engaged in environmental events and activities who then circulated information through their individual contacts and networks. ACAP Saint John was also able to leverage promotion of environmental information and events through regional stakeholders and various multi-media channels. Local media remained an important outreach component for ACAP Saint John, the organization and its activities were covered by five local news stories in 2015.

Online resources were also leveraged for Environmental Outreach and have enabled ACAP Saint John to reach a broad audience and publicize 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 as shown in the image below. By the end of 2016 the ACAP Saint John had 4,215 followers on the organization’s Twitter account and 997 ‘likes’ on Facebook. ACAP Saint John’s webpage also remains a vital component for sharing information. The website was visited by an audience of 4,100 visitors with over 10,000 page views during the twelve-month duration of the 20162017 10,000 Hands project.

As of this year, ACAP Saint john is more connected to the community than ever with a move to a new office in the Social Enterprise Hub along with three other local non-profit organizations: The Saint John Community Loan Fund, the Saint John Learning Exchange, and the Saint John Human Development Council. 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 in Saint John.

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Education

Environmental Outreach also included a number of activities aimed at educating children and youth about the region’s environment and environmental stewardship through school presentations, citizen science, and children’s camp activities. Presentations were made to eight schools in 2016-2017 to interact with children about local environmental stewardship. Through these presentations, over 750 local school children learned about local environmental issues and environmental stewardship in Saint John. Five local high schools have also been given stream assessment field packs and have been taught how to measure stream health parameters. This has encouraged hands-on learning where youth have the opportunity to get outdoors and experience nature as a part of their education.

In addition to school presentations and citizen science through local schools, three children’s camp activities were undertaken in the summer of 2016 through the YMCA. At these camps, ACAP Saint John employees demonstrated beach seining and the capture of fish on lakeshores, discussed fish habitat and the lifecycle of fish, and discussed the importance of our waterways. Demonstrations included beach seining and putting fish into clear plastic aquariums for the children to hold, look at, and identify fish species.

Figure 11: Summer student, Rachelle Horne, passing fish aquariums to children at the YMCA Wise Men summer camp. Children learned about beach seining and fish habitat before having a chance to look at the fish collected in the net.

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ACAP Saint John is a non-profit charitable environmental organization that was formed in 1992. Our mission is to engage the multi-sectorial community of Greater Saint John in the collaborative management and restoration of our watersheds. ACAP Saint John works with those stakeholders in the community who share a common belief that an industrialized urban center can support an abundance of functional natural capital. ACAP Saint John envisions a sustainable community that embraces the interdependence of the unique social, economic, and environmental characteristics of the region’s watersheds.

Atlantic Coastal Action Program (ACAP) Saint John 139 Prince Edward Street, Suite 323 Saint John, New Brunswick, E2L 3S3

Phone: 506.652.2227 Fax: 506.801.3810 E-mail: office@acapsj.org Website: www.acapsj.org

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