The team of four began their work in late June with a week of training in Corner Brook with the Conservation Corps before returning to Glovertown to help aid salmon and trout in the local brooks. Their work was sponsored by the Freshwater-Alexander Bays Ecosystems Corporation, which also provided the team members with training.
“I’d say three days out of the week we’d go into the brooks in our rubbers, and we’d just walk through and get rid of man-made debris,” said team leader April Blackwood. “We’d breach beaver dams so the water can flow through for salmon and trout.”
Other members of the team were Lucas Collins, Ian Poole, and Jake Sweetapple.
Amongst the bodies of water the team looked after were Upper Penny’s Brook, Indian Brook, Black’s Brook, Pittsmere’s Pond Brook and Honeybun’s Brook. Almost all flow into the Terra Nova River, which is a popular destination for fishing.
“A lot of my friends had jobs where they were stuck inside doing paperwork, but we used to get outdoors almost everyday and work, so it was great.” - – April Blackwood
As of Aug. 22, there were 4,521 salmon counted at the Terra Nova River station – well above the five-year average of 2,714 for the same date.
Ms. Blackwood, who worked for a green team in Terra Nova National Park last summer, said she was told in her job interview the work would be physical, and her summer lived up to that. However, she said it turned out to be fun.
“We could work at our own pace, and being outdoors – it wasn’t as bad as I thought it would be,” said Ms. Blackwood. “A lot of my friends had jobs where they were stuck inside doing paperwork, but we used to get outdoors almost everyday and work, so it was great.”
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