Mission & Vision

The mission of the OEC is to empower youth to be active participants in creating positive change for themselves, their communities and the environment.

When the Eli MacDonald Green Team was restructured in 2005 as the Onondaga Earth Corps (OEC) for local communities, OEC was formed to:

Help youth understand the relationship between people and the urban ecosystem
Engage youth in hands-on community and environmental service learning projects
Train youth for future jobs and careers in environmental fields
Empower youth by developing their leadership abilities that help them analyze situations, solve problems and implement strategies to improve their communities

These can be accomplished by bringing youth to the forefront of creating livable, sustainable communities through service, social enterprise and outreach.

Who we are

Projects

Urban Forestry

Inventory

In collaboration with the City Arborist and Cornell Cooperative Extension Urban Forestry specialists, the OEC participated in several types of tree inventories. Youth have inventoried existing trees, potential tree planting sites, and bare root trees to help assess and improve conditions of the urban forest in Syracuse. The tree planting inventories were helpful because these inventories are utilized by the City Arborist to seek funding for tree planting or to determine fall planting sites.

Neighborhood Outreach

Tree Planting

Tree Care

ReLeaf Syracuse

ReLeaf Syracuse is the City’s initiative to develop a plan for the future of the City’s trees and to sustain the partnerships to work the plan into reality. The initiative is led by Syracuse Parks Department, Onondaga Earth Corps and a steering committee representing community organizations, business and government agencies.

It’s been over 20 years since the devastating Labor Day Storm that toppled thousands of trees across Syracuse (on public and private land). Despite efforts to bring back trees that were lost, Syracuse’s tree canopy cover of 27% has remained relatively unchanged since 1998 and is below the average of 34% for cities east of the Mississippi River. But City officials and numerous community partners want to change that through the initiative ReLeaf Syracuse.

The purpose of ReLeaf Syracuse is to develop an urban forest master plan that provides a roadmap to a healthy, safe and expanding tree canopy in the city. The plan will have definable and measurable 5-year and 20-year goals. A critical part of the initiative is to build on and expand partnerships to implement what is proposed in the plan.

Once complete the new master plan for trees in the city will be used to inform and update the city’s municipal tree ordinance which was last modified in 1981.

ReLeaf Syracuse was the name of the steering committee formed by then Mayor Roy Bernardi to develop a response plan after the devastating loss of trees following the Labor Day Storm of 1998. The committee disbanded in 2001 however, the spirit of that effort and the master plan that was developed after the storm remains the today through community stewardship and youth employment programs dedicated to the planting and care of trees.

*Text borrowed from Syracuse Parks & Rec website.

Stormwater Management

Rain Gardens

The OEC has been instrumental in introducing green infrastructure to Syracuse neighborhoods. Demonstration rain gardens at 515 Tully St. and at the Altamont Building in Syracuse Housing Authority have become beacons of the growing green infrastructure boom in Syracuse. Crew members worked with specialists to design and install rain gardens that catch stormwater runoff; this reduces the burden on our aging sewage infrastructure, protects our rivers and lakes from runoff pollution, provides habitat for wildlife and increases groundwater recharge.

Rain Barrels

Green Roof Demonstration

Neighborhood Outreach

Green Infrastructure

OEC’s work in green infrastructure entails the maintenance and management of various storm water facilities. These facilities filter, store and slow stormwater in a way that integrates infiltration slope and plants. OEC performs tasks like weeding, transplanting, removing trash and general maintenance and beautification.

Natural Areas

Neighborhood and Park Beautification

Private Property Maintenance

HOPE: Hands On Preservation Experience

Board Of Directors

Cynthia Dowdell, Secretary

Alicia Ernest, Board Director

Staff Members

Greg Michel, Executive Director
Tay Stenson, Youth Program Coordinator
Connor Conde, Interim Office Manager
Kate Littlefield, Project Manager
Logan Reidsma, Foreman
Katherine Hallinan, Program Assistant
Julia Smith, Project Assistant/Crew Leader
Terrance Castro Valdes, Youth Crew Leader
Jay Porch, Young Adult Crew Leader
Adrian Reid, Young Adult Crew Leader