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Check out our latest newsletter to learn more about our monarch project at Daniels Elementary School, Trout in the Classroom, and more!

Check out our latest newsletter to learn more about our stormwater project at Crescent Elementary School, the Shady Spring Library wetlands, the Save our Streams Workshop, upcoming water monitoring dates, and our Wastewater Improvement Project.

Check out our latest newsletter for a letter from our executive director, an interview highlighting our Trout in the Classroom project, recent PCWA news, and upcoming litter sweep dates!

Check our latest newsletter for a letter from our new Executive Director, an introduction for our newest board member, and a recap of some of our most exciting projects in 2022!

As we refind our bearings in 2022 and are able to gather again, it's a year to be proud of for sure! When we look at our project progress, community impact and partner collaborations, we have much to celebrate! Not only did we host our monthly water monitoring, but we also preformed a MicroInvertebrate Study and hosted targeted monitoring in the Upper PIney Creek area. Several of our board members attended the bi-annual New River Symosium hosted by the New River Conservancy where we shared two presentations on Piney Ceek successes. The Shady Spring Rain Garden really blossomed this year with the addition of several bridges and raised beds -we hosted a ribbon cutting with the BRCCC and it will now we included in the list of attractions along the Southern Gateway! Projects on New River Drive and at Woodrow Wilson were completed, but the WWHS Wetland is still receiveing attention as two student from WWHS work to raise funds for an outdoor boardwalk to be used as a classroom setting. BAF funding is supporting a Trout in the Classroom project at WWHS , and a trash trout that will be placed in the watershed to sift trash from the creek flow. We've also been awarded funding to host a Rain Barrell Workshop and to execute a Septic Repair project in 2023 (based on the data from our Upper Piney Monitoring). ​ We hosted several events for our followers throughout the year, starting with our Earth Day Celebration, Girl Scout Tree Planting and skads of County Wide Litter PickUps. We invited Linda Boyd to lead us in a Paint & Sip of Piney Creek at Weathered Ground and partnered with The Dish for donations in August. We hosted our dedication and tree naming at the SS Library and also hosted a another work day for the Girl Scouts at the BAF. And patnered with Trout Unlimited and CSX to stock Piney Creek with various trout fingerlings. ​ All our projects need a few things to be successful. We start with a plan, we collaborate with our partners and we ask for as many favors as we can. But we have financial needs too! We count on the funds we raise to facilitate the extras we need to execute at each of the locations we support. If we need a bag of concrete or a specific tool or we want to print materials or give or supporters a small gift, those are the tangibles with which your gift can help. As we move into 2023 and determine the breath of our outreach, your gift can go a long way to help us plan and execute small projects that have a long-term effect on our community. Consider giving a monthly gift that will benefit us all!

Beckley-Raleigh County Chamber of Commerce planned a Ribbon Cutting and will designate the Rain Garden at Shady Spring Library on the list of attractions on the Southern Gateway in 2023. Some key partners in the success of the transformation of the Rain Garden helped to cut the ribbon. From left to right SS Librarian Carolyn Light, PCWA Board President Tom Lemke, Exec Director Jim Fedders, honoree Phyllis Farley, daughter of Gene Kessler, the legend Gary Morefield and Community Relations Director Kate Sopher. Volunteer watered the newly planted tree daily to assure it lives its best life. The site was cut back and cared for by the board. And volunteers at the event painted rocks and golf balls to decorate the planters and signify the naming of the tree. Tree Dedicated to former PCWA employee, longtime volunteer and board member, Phyllis Farley.

By: Jim Fedders The current phase of the Woodrow Wilson Wetland Restoration was wrapped up this summer. The project was undertaken to reduce fecal bacteria contamination from entering our watershed from the over abundance of geese on the school campus in and around the ageing pond. The site is now a flourishing wetland supporting abundant wetland plant and animal species and few geese. Instead of being a source of bacterial contamination the wetland now acts as a filter to clean the water as it moves through the site toward nearby Cranberry Creek. Although most of the project was completed last year we were able to finish up the current phase of the project this spring and summer. An Earth-Day event in late April brought over 35 girl scouts with their leaders and parents to the project. The girls helped plant over 900 live-stake trees and shrubs in the wetland and 10 large trees on the surrounding school grounds. The scouts also visited educational stations to learn about the water cycle, wetlands, water pollution, and ‘Leave No Trace’ environmental principles. The scouts did a great job and learned a lot from the many incredible volunteers that helped with this event. Girl Scouts enjoy planting trees and learning about our environment at the Earth Day event in April at the Woodrow Wilson High School Wetland project. Grants from the WV Department of Environmental Protection and the Beckley Area Foundation along with tremendous volunteer help from local organizations and individuals have allowed the project to get this far. Two amazing Woodrow Wilson Sophomore students have further plans to enhance the educational aspects of the project. Ram Asaithambi and Thomas Spencer have begun a campaign to fund a boardwalk and outdoor classroom on the wetland. Their hard work has resulted in over $40,000 in donations from the Raleigh County Board of Education, the West Viginia General Revenue Fund, Beckley Rotary Club and other sources. Final design plans are scheduled to be developed this winter with construction occurring next summer. Stay tuned for the exciting, continued development at this project. Please consider making a donation to support these students and this unique addition to the campus. Way to go guys!! Students, Ram Asaithambi and Thomas Spencer, receive certificate recognizing their fund-raising accomplishments and a donation of $10,000 from the Raleigh County Board of Education for a boardwalk at the Woodrow Wilson Wetland.

By: Jim Fedders Panorama of project area prior to the project The summer of 2022 saw the completion of our restoration of a barren area adjacent to New River Dr in Beckley. This 1-acre site was devoid of vegetation and contributed sediment to Little Whitestick Creek during every hard rain. During the summer of 2021, top soil was trucked onto the site, graded, seeded with native grasses and pollinator species, and mulched. Fencing was erected around the site to deter off-road vehicle traffic. Trees and shrubs were added this spring and the area is now covered in extensive vegetation that will stabilize the site and reduce erosion and sediment entering Little Whitestick Creek. In June, woody shrubs and trees were added to the flourishing herbaceous species on the site. Interpretive signs were installed to describe the project.

It has been some time since the Raleigh County Board of Education (RCBOE) agreed to join with Piney Creek Watershed Association (PCWA) to undertake the wetland restoration project on the campus of Woodrow Wilson High School. This document is an update of the project. Earth moving began on the wetland project just over a year ago. We are pleased to report that the project has been a great success due to the outpouring of assistance from many community members and organizations, as well as ongoing support of RCBOE administrators, faculty, and staff. The goose population has been reduced to only an occasional few birds resulting in a much cleaner and hygienic campus. The trash-trapping brush line along the front parking area has been removed. The drainage-way was improved so that storm flows from the wetland do not spill out onto the driveway. Stream water quality is benefitting from these changes as well. A pollinator garden has been established. Educational enhancements have been added in the form of interpretive signage. Walking bridges across the drainage way have been added. The initial environmental education event was held in conjunction with the Girl Scouts celebrating Earth Day. It was a great success. WWHS students are raising funds to build a boardwalk to enhance access and educational opportunities that the project can provide. Below is an abbreviated timeline of progress to date: April 5-9, 2021 - Board of Education employees, led by C D Jones, breached the dam. Fish were captured and transported to local private ponds by cooperators from the US Fish and Wildlife Service, West Virginia DNR, and the West Virginia Soil Conservation Agency. April 14, 2021 – Local residents cooperated to capture domestic ducks and transport them to another location. June, 2021 – AllCon was the low bidding contractor selected to restore the wetland and drainageway as designed by the USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service. Final inspection of earthmoving was conducted on July 6, 2021. Funding from a grant from West Virginia DEP covered the cost of the construction phase. Summer, 2021 – Pollinator Garden established. WWHS Biology students with the guidance of teachers Peters and Frost planted seeds of pollinator species in May, 2021. The plants were maintained in the WVU Tech greenhouse over the summer and planted in August with the help of volunteers in a bed adjacent to the wetland. The Beckley Fire Department watered the garden after planting. Seeds and planting materials were purchased with funds from a Beckley Area Foundation (BAF) community grant. Fall, 2021 – The ACT Carpentry class built and installed a walking bridge across the drainageway to give easier access to the softball field adjacent to the project. Materials were purchased with the grant from BAF. April 11, 2022 – Jim Fedders presented a talk at the 2022 New River Symposium entitled “Wetland Restoration at Woodrow Wilson High School, Beckley, West Virginia”. The talk described the work and highlighted the community involvement in the project as well as the educational potential of such a project on a high school campus. Spring 2022 – Custom interpretive signage was designed, purchased, and installed at the wetland and pollinator garden and a second bridge was installed using funds from the BAF grant. April 23, 2022 – Girl Scout Earth Day Celebration and tree planting. The first organized educational event at the wetland was held in conjunction with the Girl Scouts. 35 scouts along with numerous volunteers participated by planting trees and shrubs at the project including over 800 live stakes, 50 bare root shrubs and 10 large ball and burlap trees purchased with a grant received by the Girl Scouts. The girls also learned about the importance of wetlands, the water cycle, non-point pollution, invasive species, and leave no trace ethics during activities organized by National Park Service and PCWA employees and other environmental professionals. What’s Next? – Freshmen are raising money to build a boardwalk. Two talented and hard working WWHS freshmen, class President Ram Asathambi and Vice-President Thomas Spencer, approached Principal Powell about an idea for a project to benefit the school. Principal Powell suggested a boardwalk would be a great addition to the wetland to provide easy access to view the site and serve as an outdoor classroom. The students started a fund-raising campaign by notifying local businesses, elected officials, friends, and fellow students of their project. Their campaign so far has raised over $16,000. Preliminary estimates indicate that materials for a suitable structure would run about $24,000. They would appreciate any additional support from the Board of Education or other sources. We appreciate the support of our many cooperating partners including: Raleigh County Board of Education Administrators, faculty, staff, and students of: Woodrow Wilson High School and Academy of Careers and Technology West Virginia Department of Environmental Protection United States Department of Environmental Protection USDA-Natural Resources Conservation Service Beckley Area Foundation West Virginia Conservation Agency - Southern Conservation District City of Beckley All-Con LLC Beckley Sanitary Board West Virginia Department of Natural Resources United States Fish and Wildlife Service West Virginia University Institute of Technology WVU Tech Women’s Soccer Team New River Master Gardeners Girl Scouts of the Black Diamond Beckley Rotary Club National Park Service National Parks Conservation Association Many community volunteers

We have been busy with the weather getting warmer and have lots to share about the happenings on Piney Creek. Earth Day We had a great Earth Day, picking up over 200 bags of trash and gads of tires and other large debris. A big thanks to the residents of Glade, United Bank of Sophia, Brian's Safehouse, Beckley Pride, WVU Tech and the residents who helped clean up Rt. 19. Together we kept A LOT of roadside and Creekside trash out of Piney Creek! Girl Scout Tree Promise The Girl Scouts have set out to plant 5 million trees across the United States by then end of 2025. Climate Change is one of the biggest concern for teen girls and the Girls Scouts have united their network of girls to work toward a solution. 45 (?) Girls from Raleigh County gathered at Woodrow Wilson to plant trees and live stakes at the newly developed wetland. The girls also learned how water moves around a city, how that ties to a wetland, what is an invasive species and why we Leave no Trace when we're in the wilderness. Piney Creek Watershed Association led the effort, but we could not have pulled it off without our friends at the DEP, the National Park Service, the National Park Conservancy, Green River Garden Center and of course the Girl Scouts. Their efforts improved the lifetime and sustainability of the WWHS wetland, by planting over 500(?) new sprouts and we'll all get to see the growth over the years to come. Earth Day Soiree And finally we celebrated!! We invited all our friends to Weathered Ground for live music, raffles, silent Upcycled Art Auction and a community art project. We recruited new supporters, educated on how water moves and spent time together enjoying a beautiful day. You want to know the best part? We had a beer named for us!! The Piney Creek Farmhouse Ale was a hit and it was a special thing seeing our name tied to a beer all our friends we're drinking through the festivities! A special thanks to Weathered Ground for hosting, and all our partners for donating their time and talents to make the day a hit! We love a few things at PCWA, and through April we got to most of them! Preserve Piney Creek, Plant new life, Educate on watersheds and hang our with our friends! We're off to a great start, making the most of the warm months in West Virginia. We'll see you down stream!

Request for Proposals Piney Creek Watershed Association (PCWA) is accepting grant proposals to support our stream monitoring efforts in the Piney Creek watershed in Raleigh County, West Virginia. The mission of PCWA is to improve and protect the waters within the Piney Creek watershed by educating the community on local water issues and completing remediation projects. We are dedicated to preserving, conserving, and monitoring the health of Piney Creek and its tributaries. The organization has been collecting monthly stream quality data from 21 locations in the watershed starting in January 2019. We are seeking proposals from non-profit or educational organizations to perform data organization, data sharing, data analysis, and report development needed to evaluate and interpret water quality data from our monitoring efforts. The final report will summarize our work to date and address the following in regards to the monitoring project: • What has been done? • What have we found? • What do our results mean? • Recommendations for projects or initiatives based on the monitoring data. • Recommendations for possible ways to modify our monitoring program in the future to better address our attempts to document water quality in our watershed. Project timelines • May 4, 2022 - Deadline for proposal submission • May 10, 2022 - Selection of grant recipient • August 15, 2022 – Draft report available for review by PCWA • August 31, 2022 – Final report is due We anticipate one grant to be awarded not exceed $4000. Funds cannot be used for indirect costs, such as any administrative or overhead expenses. Proposals should include a scope of work, budget, and budget justification. Proposals and questions should be emailed to Jim Fedders, PCWA Executive Director, jimfedders@pineycreekwatershed.org