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Our
Seine
Green
Team
Activities:
Summer
2002
By
Nathan
Laser
This
past
summer
our
Urban
Green
Team
spent
four
months
battleing
mosquitoes,
wood
ticks,
the
sun,
heat,
humidity,
rain
and
high
river
levels
while
tackling
the
garbage
that
had
accumulated
over
the
last
two
years.
In
the
summer
of
2001,
the
Seine
lacked
the
care
of
a
Green
Team
and
there
was
much
work
to
be
done
to
make
up
for
this.
In
addition
to
myself
there
were
six
other
Green
Team
members
that
worked
for
different
periods
of
time
over
the
summer:
Darcy
Coss,
Darryl
Reilly,
Ming
Hon,
Jordan
Derksen,
Chris
Stecey
and
Annie
Laser.
Our
major
method
of
transportation
for
the
summer
was
by
canoes.
As
we
paddled
the
river
from
the
Flood-way
to
the
mouth
of
the
river
(26
kilometres!),
we
removed
as
much
garbage
and
debris
as
possible
using
rubber
gloves,
garbage
bags
and
brute
strength.
In
order
to
improve
the
flow
of
the
river
and
keep
it
canoe-able
for
recreational
users
we
also
had
to
remove
fallen
trees
and
log
jams.
This
involved
jumping
onto
the
riverbank
and
using
saws,
ropes,
hooks,
and
a
chainsaw
to
pull
them
out.
We
were
also
in
charge
of
clearing
the
Flood-way
siphon
inlet
and
outlet
of
any
garbage
and
debris
that
was
impeding
the
Seine's
flow.
At
the
SOS
Annual
Greening,
the
Green
Team
helped
plant
saplings.
To
ensure
their
survival
we
continued
to
take
care
of
them
by
watering
them
at
various
times
throughout
the
summer
when
it
had
not
rained
for
several
days.
We
also
went
back
to
the
sites
of
past
SOS
Greenings
and
watered
the
now
growing
saplings
and
removing
weeds
from
around
their
bases.
Our
largest
and
most
focussed
project
of
the
summer
was
trail
work.
Our
first
task
was
the
maintenance
of
the
recreational
trail
along
the
west
side
of
the
Seine
River
between
Provencher
Boulevard
and
Marion
Avenue.
Maintenance
work
involved
pruning
back
overgrown
vegetation,
picking
up
garbage
along
the
path
and
removing
fallen
trees
blocking
the
path.
Later
in
the
summer
we
were
able
to
resurface
most
of
the
old
path
in
St.
Boniface
with
new
limestone
gravel
in
a
few
short
weeks
with
the
aid
of
wheelbarrows,
shovels,
rakes,
and
a
John
Deere
Gator
4x6
Utility
Vehicle.
Our
final
trail
task
was
the
less
than
three
days
we
were
able
to
cut
a
new
trail
through
brush
and
trees
along
the
River
in
South
St.
Vital.
Working
for
the
SOS
Green
Team
allowed
us
to
spend
our
summers
outdoors
enjoying
one
of
Winnipeg's
natural
treasures.
Even
though
the
tasks
could
often
be
very
physical,
working
to
improve
the
environment
was
very
spiritually
rewarding.
SOS
Green
Teams
have
a
history
of
camaraderie
and
have
an
impressive
list
of
accomplished
projects
to
their
names.
The
vast
majority
of
young
people
who
have
had
the
opportunity
to
spend
a
summer
working
on
the
Seine
will
recommend
it
to
anyone
as
a
student's
"dream
job".
NATHAN
LASER
was
the
Urban
Green
Team
Leader
and
Supervisor
for
the
summer
of
2001
and
was
also
a
Green
Team
member
in
1999
and
1998.
He
is
currently
in
his
second
year
at
the
University
of
Winnipeg
in
Political
Science
and
Urban
Studies.
He
has
lived
his
entire
life
in
a
house
along
the
Seine
River
in
Old
St.
Vital.
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