SynTerra Volunteers for Lake Conestee Nature Park!

On Friday, October 5, the employees of SynTerra, spent the day building improvements to the new Lake Conestee Nature Park. The volunteer work, performed in conjunction with SynTerra's annual planning retreat, included construction of a trailhead staircase and kiosk at the Belmont Fire Station in Conestee, as well as installation of benches, water gauges, and other features designed to enhance the educational and recreational value of the park.

See WYFF's coverage of our work below!

Lake Conestee Nature Park preserves wetlands and a stretch of the Reedy River that was once a blighted area in an historic mill village. It has been designed to provide educational opportunities about restoration of environmentally contaminated areas and indicators of healthy stream and wetland systems. The park is the southern terminus of a greenway of parks that would extend north downtown Greenville and on to Furman University.

Native plant landscaping at the trailhead will be dedicated to the memory of Caine Halter, the community leader who died of cancer in August. Halter was the managing partner of a group including SynTerra and several of its principals, who restored an old textile-era structure on River Street into the INNOVATE building.

Funding for the kiosk, stairs and benches has been provided through a conservation grant obtained by the Foothills Paddling Club from American Whitewater and Clif Bars Flowing Rivers campaign. The grant program is designed to assist local canoe and kayaking enthusiasts improve and enhance both river access and conservation in their communities. This grant recognizes the important water quality improvements that the Lake Conestee system provides to the Reedy River.

In addition to community service, SynTerra's retreat turns the organization upside down, placing younger employees in leadership roles on the project. In addition to performing work directly related to its brownfields restoration business, every employee experiences the company from a perspective that differs from typical assignments.

SynTerra Team hard at work!