Summer 2023 - Coming Back to ACAP
Photo of Brianna (Brie) at the Glenn Carpenter Garden
It’s truly hard to believe that it has already been four years since I last joined ACAP’s summer staff. So much has changed in the world, yet this organization’s dynamic and welcoming environment has made it feel like I hardly left. Much like my experience in 2019, every day working for ACAP in 2023 brought surprises and adventures. From fish rescues, to stream assessments, to beach cleanups, and beyond, the last eight weeks were quite the whirlwind, and I wouldn’t have it any other way! A few of my favourite moments were attending Third Shift and scoping out seals and seabirds at the Irving Nature Park. I also made some amazing memories through my main projects of the season, which involved many hours of engaging youth and getting my hands dirty in gardens.
Since I was once again filling the position of Education and Outreach Coordinator, my primary focus this summer was making connections and involving the community in environmental initiatives. It was so wonderful to reprise my role at the YMCA Glenn Carpenter Centre, including my camp name, “Acorn,” which some of the older campers actually remembered from my 2019 sessions! I brought back many of the activities that were most successful during my first stint of programming, which consisted of games, crafts, scavenger hunts, and hikes. The kids would often ask me to stay longer or to come back for even more sessions, so I would say that the Earth Education program was once again a success! I hope to be able to visit the Glenn Carpenter Centre again soon, especially to check on the rain garden I helped install in 2019 and maintained during my visits throughout this summer.
On the topic of gardens, this year I also got to partake in an exciting new partnership with the YMCA’s Community Action Network (YCAN), an inspirational group of youth committed to making a positive impact through local service projects. Their plan was initially to install a rain garden to help mitigate pollution from runoff, so they took the initiative to help me do maintenance on the pre-established one at the Glenn Carpenter Centre to learn from the experience and apply it to their own. After many weeks of researching, troubleshooting, and receiving much guidance and support from my coworkers and Cedarcrest staff (particularly Amy), it was determined that a pollinator garden would be a better fit for this particular site. The YCAN members worked exceptionally hard to design, dig, and plant the garden from scratch, and even ensured it would be registered under the David Suzuki Foundation Butterflyway Project. Their beautiful garden of flowering native species can now be visited at the regional YMCA in Saint John!
Beyond the YCAN project, I also spent lots of time this summer planting and maintaining gardens at Montgomery Crescent, Glen Falls School, and the Glenn Carpenter Centre. I really enjoyed having this opportunity not only to expand my gardening expertise but also to contribute to the success and sustainability of many green spaces in my community. I am so grateful to have had the chance to rejoin the ACAP Saint John team, and I’m sure this won’t be my last involvement with this incredible organization.