Zac and Nick Wagman cycled into North Bay on wooden bicycles as part of a 4 month-long cross-country trip to promote green jobs for youth.
“Green jobs are the future,” said Zac.
“Forest and conservation jobs are on the rise, and it is thanks to employers in the sustainable forestry initiative network that we’re able to have such great success with our funding.”
The brothers set out from Victoria, British Columbia on May 13th to raise awareness about the opportunities that exist for jobs related to the environment.
Zac is Project Learning Tree's Green Jobs Manager.
“We’re calling it the Green Ride for Green Jobs. We’re promoting Project Learning Tree Canada’s Green Jobs and Green Spaces program. We provide employers with a 50 per cent wage match to help them hire more youth in the outdoors during the summer,” explained Zac who said he’s been hearing from young people just how passionate they are about the work they are doing,
“We’ve meet with as many employers and youth employed through our program as possible. We’re meeting with over 100 employers by the end of this. It has been a really great way to tell the story from coast to coast about all the amazing outdoor opportunities there are.”
The pair stopped in North Bay to meet some of the summer students hired by the North Bay-Mattawa Conservation Authority through the program.
“It is about $22,800. They put in 50 per cent of the grant applications. It is pretty significant. Students play a really important role in the work that we do in watershed management,” said Sue Buckle NBMCA communications and outreach manager.
“We also believe that this is an excellent opportunity to help foster stewardship and be able to prepare students, give them some experience in the environmental sector so they get broad exposure to the work of conservation authorities.”
The four students are working in lands and stewardship, where they help with management of those areas, as well as working with the Restore Your Shore program, providing property owners with stream banks and shorelines, planting opportunities to help prevent erosion and hold back nutrients that could get into waterways.
Some students may go on to pursue careers in the environment, while others may go down a different career path, but take with them an environmental mindset.
Summer student Elaine D’Agostino says it has been a great experience learning how to maintain trails along the Kate Pace Way from North Bay to Callander, and in small parks.
“I’m in health sciences, but it does provide a good background for healthy living, maintaining a good balance between academics and being outdoors which I really like.”
Nathaniel Perry is a stewardship labourer with the Restore Your Shore program.
“If it wasn’t for their funding I wonder if I would be in this position this year. This relates a lot to what I want to do. It is a really big deal for me,” said Perry.
“I’m going into environmental technology, so any work with the environment is beneficial. So, by their raising awareness for the environment and how important it is for people is very important.”
It has been an eye-opening experience for Nick Wagman who is on the tour to support his brother.
“Just looking at a forest differently. Before it was just yeah, there are trees there, but now I notice the types of trees, some of the techniques used in the forestry industry when it comes to planting, how they tailor their planting to wildlife, conservation and management,” said Nick.
“That whole process from the cut lot to the tree planters, the quality checkers, and managing it as they move forward, I’ve gotten to experience all of that.”.
Making their 8,750 km trek across country on wooden bikes has been an attention grabber.
“The frame is made with laminated sheets of ash. It is the nicest bike I have ever ridden, and it has been a great way to bring people in to talk about what we’re doing,” said Zac.
“I also think it is a great way to show the impact wood products have going forward. They’re a great way to store carbon especially in this day and age with climate change, I think we’re going to start seeing a lot more wood products as we go forward.”
Along the way, the cyclists have faced numerous challenges including wind, hail, and lightening and a close encounter they won’t soon forget.
“We’ve biked within 10 feet of a grizzly bear in Jasper National Park. That was pretty intense. Crossing the Rockies was also an incredible experience,” said Zac.
It will take roughly 130 days to complete all their stops promoting green jobs and sustainability.
The pair hope to arrive in St. John’s Newfoundland by the end of September in time for National Forest Week.
