Oh the Dirt!: Looking Back on Summer
Oh the Dirt!
August 2024
Welcome to Oh the Dirt!, Groundwork Southcoast (GWSC)’s email newsletter highlighting our environmental and community transformation work in south coast Massachusetts.
Looking Back on Summer
GWSC offers year-round part-time employment to New Bedford and Fall River youth via our Green Team (GT) program, which operates in 3 distinct sessions, each complete with a core curriculum and skills assessments for all youth. Our Summer 2024 session flew by this year, wrapping up mid-August in time for Green Teamers to head back to school. Here’s a look back on highlights from this summer as we approach the beginning of our School Year I program.
Communications & Marketing Sessions: GWSC is intentionally repositioning so youth and community voices are more central to every aspect of our work, and one of those ways is through communications. Green Team has shown an interest in communications, marketing, and fundraising, so new this summer, our Development & Communications Manager, Gianna, led weekly educational and hands-on sessions with Green Team. They made their own ‘intro graphics’ in Canva and wrote social media bios for themselves. Check out the post on Instagram, Facebook, or LinkedIn.
Community Gardening: Green Team also stewarded our Riverside Park Community Garden this summer: planting and caring for crops, weeding, and growing fresh produce to donate to the community. Pictured here is our newest Green Team member, Victoria, planting seeds alongside our Community Engagement Manager, Maria Fortes.
Work on ‘the Ave’: In addition to taking on environmental stewardship projects (learning food growing & urban farming, tree care & planting, stormwater gardens, and other nature-based climate solutions), Green Teamers also worked to clean up, beautify, and maintain “pocket parks” and other community spaces along Acushnet Ave in New Bedford. Pictured here, Green Team member Amir, stops for a smile while removing invasive plants at one pocket park.
End-of-Summer Celebration: To celebrate a summer well-spent, Green Teamers and full-time staff members enjoyed a day out on the water kayaking with Osprey Sea & Surf Adventure in Westport. It was a fun and relaxing afternoon, and our team enjoyed the opportunity to bond and celebrate this summer’s accomplishments together.
Join us for Fall River Volunteer Day – THIS SATURDAY
Join GWSC for our upcoming Fall River Volunteer Day on Saturday, September 14th from 11 AM – 1 PM at Cook Pond in Fall River. All are welcome, and this event is family-friendly for all ages. Parking is available on Henry Street. Facebook event
Questions? Contact Maria at [email protected]
GWSC is Hiring: Full-Time & Part-Time Positions 📢
Groundwork Southcoast is currently accepting applications for a number of full- and part-time positions!
- Climate Resilience Manager (Full-time)
- Programs Coordinator: Green Corps (Full-time)
- Green Team (Part-time; in-school youth ages 14-21)
- Green Corps (Part-time; out-of-school young adults, ages 18-26)
- Community Stewards (Contractor)
Join the LRC – Community Resilience Leaders:
Do you live in New Bedford, between Durfee St to Brooklawn Park, or between Rt 140 and the Acushnet River? Consider joining GWSC’s LRC (Community Resilience Leaders), a paid opportunity to impact climate-resilience in your neighborhood, build community, and learn new skills. Participants will receive training to use a suite of tools to monitor heat and air quality, provide input into resilience plans, and will receive compensation for their time. To learn more, email us at: [email protected].
💭 Did you know: GWSC is a nonprofit organization, so our programs are all powered by donations. Support Groundwork Southcoast this summer and help empower youth through environmental stewardship and workforce development programs. Your donation will enable us to continue our community gardening, tree planting, and community & youth leadership development initiatives, fostering a greener and more sustainable future for us all.
Calendar
- Open Garden Hours at Riverside Park: Every Monday (Sept. 9, 16, 23, 30) & every other Wednesday (Sept. 18)
- Pick Your Own Produce: Every other Wednesday (Sept. 11, 25) – community members are welcome to pick Green Team-grown produce to take home for free!
- THIS SATURDAY, 9/14 Fall River Volunteer Day: Sat, Sept. 14, 11 AM – 1 PM – open to all, Cook Pond (via Henry St), Fall River
- New Bedford Volunteer Day: Sat, Oct. 12, 10 AM – 1 PM – open to all, Riverside Park (Bellville Ave), New Bedford
- Harvest Bash: Save the date! – Thurs, November 7 – GWSC’s annual celebration & fundraising event; open to all! More details TBA
Our Work
Groundwork Southcoast (GWSC)‘s work is concentrated in what we call Resilience Districts on the south coast of Massachusetts, areas where we strategically invest in community-driven transformation to increase community and climate resilience. Our public sites in our Resilience Districts are as follows:
North End Resilience District (NERD):
- GWSC Office & Indoor Community Garden: 90 Hatch St, Suite 208, New Bedford
- Riverside Park Community Garden: accessible via Coffin Ave, New Bedford
- Harmony Gardens Community Garden: 185 Weld St, New Bedford
Fall River Resilience District:
- Cook Pond: Henry St, Fall River
Groundwork Southcoast (GWSC) is a 501(c)(3) registered non-profit organization. Your donation is tax-deductible as allowed by law.