Greenagers shows lawmakers how teens are tackling climate change

EGREMONT — At April Hill Farm, state officials saw how teens and young adults are being trained to fight climate change through hands-on projects in farming, trail work and sustainable trades.

From teaching elementary school students about erosion to building shade structures and growing food for pantries, Greenagers’ leaders showed state officials how the nonprofit empowers young people and promotes environmental stewardship.

A daylong tour of Southern Berkshire programs — led by State Rep. Leigh Davis (D-Great Barrington) for members of the House Committee on Climate Action and Sustainability — kicked off with a visit to Greenagers at April Hill Farm to talk about youth involvement in climate solutions.

“I find it’s most beneficial when you’re doing something that has the end goal of helping out somebody else, and seeing a project that is needed and is part of the community,” said Pete Gray, Pathway to the Trades Director.

About 1,200 to 1,500 young people go through the program each year, with 60 to 80 employed. In 2013, the budget was about $250,000, and now, it’s $2 million, made up of personal and private donations, grants and state and federal funding.

The nonprofit takes on projects, like upgrading piping for a farm’s water supply and irrigation system, and then trains participants ages 14-24 to help with the replacements. One of the current projects the trails team is working on is repairing a section of the Appalachian Trail.

“When we’re collaborating with other organizations, that organization gets stronger. The infrastructure gets stronger, the young folks get stronger,” Will Conklin, executive director of Greenagers, said, explaining how community organizations are interconnected.

In relation to climate and sustainability, Greenagers has four main programs — trails, trades, farm and education — but at the core of all of their work is making sure participants are aware of issues, interested in solutions and have the tools to respond, and understand that almost everything is in some way connected.

Greenagers teaches young people how to use what’s around them and how to do the work themselves, Conservation Director Elia Del Molino said.

“Most of the time, what we’re doing is teaching young people how to be in the woods and be productive in the woods, teaching them hands-on skills,” Del Molino said.

At the farm, it’s pretty much all connected to climate resilience and taking care of people, April Hill Farm Director Sarah Monteiro said. The food grown is distributed across the county and in the fall, firewood is given to those in need.

“Farming already requires a lot of quick thinking and problem solving,” she said. “Being able to farm in a time of climate crisis and catastrophe is even more so, figuring out strategies and systems to work with.”

As the climate crisis continues, Conklin said using local resources, reducing transportation costs and carbon footprint is a crucial part of their message regarding broader climate and sustainability education.

“So thinking about how we utilize our resources on a state and regional level, as well as how we utilize those resources in a really responsible and ethical way, is all baked into the conversations,” Conklin said. “When you’re touching a piece of wood that came from a few miles away, the gears turn a little bit differently.”

A group of about 20 people — representatives, their staff and Greenagers board members — went on a tour of a small portion of the nearly 100-acre property Monday morning with stops at each of the four major programs.

“And this is an opportunity to spotlight the wonderful initiatives going on in the Berkshires, as well as some of the challenges and the solutions,” Davis said. “Greenagers are a beacon of hope and work in our community in terms of workforce development, youth development and climate sustainability action.”

The Greenagers tour was followed by stops at Lake Mansfield to see the restoration, Taft Farms for climate-smart agriculture and a discussion about Housatonic Water Works and battery energy storage. The day closed with Woods Pond, where officials talked about GE’s toxic waste removal plan.

State Rep. Tram Nguyen (D-Andover) said days like this, when they hear directly from the people who may not be able to make it to the capital, are important.

“The goal of the committee really is to be that liaison to make sure that the rest of the committees working on any policy that touches climate action have that goal in mind, because that is how committed we are as a commonwealth to advance these goals.”