Community and Conservation
MNF- Marlinton
By: Emily Culp
One of my main goals for this year and serving with AmeriCorps has been to advocate for blurring the lines between community goals and conservation goals. In order for conservation to work, the community must be supportive and advocate for the lands that need to be preserved. Public lands can be great spaces for recreation, however, they are also simultaneously lands that are meant to be protected and preserved for the sake of wildlife and general ecosystem health. Serving in an outreach position with the US Forest Service is a perfect place to put these ideals into practice, and I’ve been happy to be able to assist with conservation minded community initiatives.
BatWeek 2020 logo designed by fellow AFNHA AmeriCorps member Kalee Paxton.
Although I only recently started my position as of mid-September, I already feel as though I’ve had the opportunity to get involved in a wide variety of projects. One of the first projects I was able to help with was BatWeek 2020. BatWeek is an international, annual celebration designed to raise awareness of bats and the need for bat conservation. Cindy, my supervisor, made sure I was ingratiated into the virtual planning process very early on. One of the main projects that I was involved in was called BatWeek in a Box. BatWeek in a Box was a fun grouping of activities and bat-related recipes for elementary schoolers and their parents to do at home. On the local level, I put together materials to be included with a take-home box for Marlinton Elementary School students to be included with a harvest themed activity box. It was wonderful to have the opportunity to make contact with individuals at the local school, and I hope that I will be able to assist with school activities and lessons in the future.
Fellow AFNHA AmeriCorps member Julia Derringer takes notes in a particularly scenic spot during a stocking survey.
On the field work side of things, I was also able to help with timber stocking surveys in a few different areas of the forest. Timber stocking surveys consist of going out to recently logged sites and surveying the species that are filling in the sites post-logging. Generally, we were hoping that desirable timber species had propagated in these areas in order to provide another successful timber harvest in the future. The surveys themselves were quite fun - basically just bushwhacking from plot to plot and recording notable attributes of that area. Additionally, I was able to learn local tree species out in the field during the surveys which was of great use to me personally and professionally.
Another great fieldwork opportunity that I was involved in this fall was treating Hemlocks on the forest for Hemlock Wooly Adelgid. HWA is an invasive insect that is killing our local Hemlock trees, so getting out and treating our trees is of utmost importance if we are to protect our local populations. Hemlocks happen to be my absolute favorite tree, so I was ecstatic that I was able to help with such a worthwhile cause.
The bulk of my position has consisted of working with a blossoming community-led initiative - Mon Forest Towns. The Mon Forest Towns partnership is an effort between ten Monongahela gateway towns to promote recreation and tourism in the towns and the surrounding communities. I mainly serve as a liaison to the south zone towns: Cowen, Richwood, Marlinton, and White Sulphur Springs. However, I am also involved in initiative wide efforts as well. Mon Forest Towns has allowed me to meet community members in a time where meeting folks would otherwise be difficult. Although all of our meetings are virtual currently, I am hopeful that we will be able to meet face to face in the spring and summer. Through Mon Forest Towns, I have witnessed the importance of having a strong community and a strong desire to invest in said community. I am incredibly thankful and humbled to have the opportunity to assist with such a great partnership and hope that a lot will be achieved over time as the partnership continues to grow.
Having a good time on a wet, fall hike!
I will continue to work with the Mon Forest Towns partnership for the remainder of my service, however, the other projects that I am involved in will remain in flux. Overall, serving with the Forest Service in a beautiful place such as the Monongahela National Forest has and will continue to be a privilege. I enjoy the work that I am doing and am able to get outside almost everyday by going on hikes, runs, or by doing fieldwork. I look forward to the coming months as I continue to complete my term as an AFNHA AmeriCorps member!
