Healing Land and People
A nonprofit fundraiser supporting
North Central Ohio Land Conservancy Inc$10,305
raised by 52 people
$20,000 goal
Paul's Story - Healing Land & People
Your donation to Healing Land and People helps us offer people recovering from addiction an opportunity to earn an income and learn about land conservation, while they remove invasive species from our nature preserves.
Paul, who has been working with us for just over a year, says:
"I love the woods, being able to restore the woods to what the natural flora should be and pulling out the invasives.
It gives me time to get out here and think when I’m working. I also have been diagnosed with mental illness, so it’s definitely been a help to me being out here. Stress free is a real good label for it.
If I want to scream out here, I can, if I’m having one of those days. There’s no judgment out here, the trees don’t talk to you.
Sometimes you see some wildlife, like chipmunks, squirrels and rabbits. It’s pleasant out here, with the birds chirping and the sunshine peaking through. It frees you up."
Paul wants to inspire others who are struggling with addiction. Watch his story here: https://youtu.be/b1UiWAZOlEg
Help NCOLC combat two epidemics – invasive plants and addiction. Donations to our Healing Land and People campaign will be used to pay people in recovery to remove non-native invasive plants from our nature preserves surrounding the Clear Fork Valley Scenic Trail.
Jess, who’s been working with us since June, shares her story:
“When I was on drugs, I felt like I was in a prison, I felt like I was chained up and I couldn’t do anything. I come out here [to work in the woods] and I’m actually clean, I actually feel good and I have my own energy now. I can come out here and enjoy what this actually is about…This is the best thing that I have found for my recovery.” Watch Jess’ video for more on that story:
NCOLC Trustee Eric Miller explains how this got started:
“2 years ago, we decided to try hiring recovering addicts to remove invasive species on our land. We decided to opt for this approach because surely, they need money and will benefit from working in a quiet woods, doing something positive.
I didn’t realize that our land trust would derive so many benefits from it. I didn’t realize so many of these recovering addicts would work out as well as they did. The ones who buy into the program are excellent workers and they say it’s doing them a lot of good.
The money we raise through this Healing Land and People campaign is going right back to paying them, and they need money to pay their bills. They need a chance to prove that they can work and hold a job.”
If you’ve walked along the Clear Fork Valley Scenic Trail, then you have experienced the results of their work. Garlic mustard, multi-flora rose and other invasive plants are removed so we all can enjoy the beauty and environmental benefits of our native Ohio plants – orchids, lilies, violets, to name just a few.
Your support for our Healing Land and People campaign will be used to help our woods and our workers to recover. Donate today!