Pennecon - Seeding For The Future

May 23, 2009, Foxtrap, NL - How much potential is in one Saturday morning? Enough to make breakfast and clean the garage? Enough to run the errands that didn’t get completed during the week? What about enough to advance the environmental reclamation of an area by 10 years?

Recognizing this potential, Pennecon Limited held a Family Tree Planting Day on May 23, 2009. Tossing aside their regular company roles to become junior foresters, approximately thirty employees and their families as well as several members of KEEP (Kelligrews Ecological Enhancement Program) volunteered their Saturday morning to plant 5000 tree seedlings. This effort was made to restore a former gravel pit previously occupied by Capital Ready Mix, a subsidiary of Pennecon’s Concrete Division. The three-hectare site is located on Incinerator Road in Foxtrap.

This project is in keeping with Pennecon’s Reclamation Policy that is designed to restore former pit and quarry sites used by the company to a natural state. The reclamation began last year when the area was sloped and seeded in preparation for planting of tree seedlings. This year, Pennecon employees replanted the area with a mixture of white pine, red pine, black spruce, and white spruce under the guidance of Bill Clarke, a professional forester from Forests Without Borders.

As part of the Canadian Institute of Forestry, this organization aims to increase awareness and understanding of the importance of forest resources across Canada. It enables industry professionals to use their knowledge and skills to educate groups while strengthening ecosystems. Their desire to help others was well matched with the enthusiasm of Pennecon employees to restore the gravel pit area to the natural woodland that existed prior to the company’s mining activity.

Another company full of enthusiasm is United Rentals who also joined the initiative. While thousands of trees were being planted, Lou Lawrence and Michelle Barns fired up the barbeque and provided a delicious lunch to participants. Their efforts combined with a concern for the future of the gravel pit area made Family Tree Planting Day a great showing of fun and positive environmental impact.

See press announcement here.