STV’s New York team, alongside several summer interns, recently showed off their green thumbs in support of the Gowanus Canal Conservancy (GCC) in Brooklyn.
About 20 STV volunteers sifted and shoveled soil and planted plants indigenous to the Gowanus neighborhood while learning about GCC’s mission and how it impacts the area’s ecosystem.
“This is a day of camaraderie, and it also relates to our work,” said Marcos Diaz Gonzalez, executive vice president, head of STV’s Centers of Excellence and a former chair of GCC’s board. “It’s great for our people to see how the assets we design, build or manage have an impact on the built environment and what a small conservancy like the GCC can do in terms of moving the needle of environmental advocacy. This work provides a point of reference that allows our people to become better advisors, planners, designers, engineers and delivery partners for our clients and communities.”
GCC is a nonprofit that is dedicated to the development of a resilient, vibrant open space network centered on Brooklyn’s Gowanus Canal, a former corridor for cargo transportation that is now a superfund site under remediation.
For STV interns, the volunteer day doubled as a unique field experience.
“I wanted to learn more about the process of gardening I thought this was a good mission to help make Brooklyn more beautiful,” said Daniela Fernandez, an intern for STV’s tunneling and geotechnical team. “Work like this connects you to the community and helps you understand how your work affects people’s day-to-day lives.”
For others, the event epitomized STV’s core values and purpose.
“It’s a beautiful day great day to connect with the STV community to do some good,” said Krishani Teeluck, a senior sustainable design specialist for the organization’s sustainability practice. “It’s part of our mission to make communities better, so what better way to do that than to plant some plants in our own backyard in Brooklyn.”