Members of the 179th Airlift Wing were out in force in Richland County on Thursday to help in the community, making improvements by planting trees, gardening and spreading mulch.
Approximately 110 members from the base worked from 10 off-base work sites around Richland County and two on-base work sites planting trees, working in flower and vegetable gardens and mulching.
Mark Carey, Chief Master Sgt. for the Ohio Air Guard, supervised as a group of airmen at the Reservoir #3 pavilion in Shelby as they mulched around trees and the Craig Dennis Memorial Flag area. The mulch was provided by the Shelby Service Department.
“This is our way to pay back to the community for standing behind us,” said Carey. “We’ve always had a good rapport out in the community and this is just one way to give back and a small token to say thank you for standing behind us.”
Carey explained the 179th has an aggressive environmental shop on base that leads the way in standards set by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). The environmental shop started the airlift wing’s Earth Day activities in 1999.
“We’ve been recognized by the EPA for being good stewards, and we do a very good job,” said Carey.
The site at the Reservoir #3 pavilion is near and dear to Carey’s heart as it represents a business partnership with the former Russell Elementary School in Shelby. He said Shelby students would use the pavilion and the surrounding wetlands for ecology studies and an outdoor classroom environment. The partnership between elementary students and airmen continued on Thursday.
“We are actually working with the elementary students today and planting trees, doing flower gardens and vegetable garden projects,” said Carey. “That’s about as good as mentoring gets.”
Another reason the work site is important to Carey is the Craig Dennis memorial. Carey explained Dennis was a fellow aviator and a veteran of the U.S. Army who died in a helicopter crash in the late 1990s. The 179th airmen retired the flag at the memorial site on Thursday.
Carey said the all-volunteer committee working out in the environment on Thursday was happy and proud to be doing the work.
“After a long winter, this is very nice,” said Carey as his crew worked in the warm weather. “They’re as excited to be out here doing this type of stuff as I am.”
Jean Taddie of the North End Community Collaborative (NECIC) noted, “This is the fourth year in a row that the Air National Guard has partnered with the North End Community Improvement Collaborative to help launch or expand community gardens in our Raising Richland Community Garden Network.”
New garden locations where the airmen helped included Harmony House, Turtle Creek Apartments, and Yes We Can Seniors garden.
Two ANG teams help NECIC move a hoop house for use by community gardeners and remove trees and bushes at a North End property.
