More Recycling in our Schools...

Putting together lots and lots of bins...

Delivery to Morgantown High School!

YAB Members Kick Off New Phase of Recycling in Our Schools with Delivery to Three Schools...and is on WBOY news!

On March 13, YAB members Nathan and Katie delivered recycling bins to Morgantown Learning Academy and Christian Covenant School.  In addition to delivering the bins, YABers also spoke to kids in grades K-7 about the importance of recycling...and being leaders in their watershed.  Read on for coverage from WBOY about the event:

MORGANTOWN -  Class was in session Wednesday for students at the Morgantown Learning Academy who learned all about recycling, but instead of teachers standing at the front of the room it was a couple of teens.

"The way kids' brains are wired, they see someone doing something and think that becomes cool, like these trends, the Harlem Shake, or planking. It starts the same way, they see someone else doing it and say 'hey, that's cool, we should do it too," said Nathan Zucker, 13, of the Friends of Decker's Creek Youth Advisory Board.

The Friends of Decker's Creek Youth Advisory Board is made up of more than a dozen grade school-aged kids. Over the next few weeks it will be dropping by 11 schools in the Decker's Creek watershed to give out recycling bins and talk to students.

"These guys already know about it, but they need to be more informed and know how it's helping everyone and what they can do to help the environment because if no one makes a change, nothing will ever change, ever," Zucker said.

Wednesday's stop at the Morgantown Learning Academy was just the first for the Youth Advisory Board, and it was apparent the kids were all ears.

"I think if we don't recycle we won't have a planet to live on," said 5th grader Tommy Ballock.

"The planet will be covered in garbage and we won't have anymore resources to use, because we used them all," said 5th grader Ishan Batheia

"I feel like the kids we have here already do it on their own, at home," said teacher Amanda Menihan. "My middle school kids, weekly there is a job for the recycler but several of the kids always want to know 'can I help, can I help, can I do the recycling?' so they are very eager participants."

Click here to see video YAB and MLA on WBOY news! YAB also delivered bins to Morgantown High School.  Stay tuned for more pictures!

Thank you to State Farm YAB for the funding to support this program!

YAB Welcomes New Education Coordinator

Please join us in welcoming our new Education Coordinator and YAB mentor.  Jen-Osha Buysse brings 17 years’ worth of education experience to FODC, including teaching English as a Second Language and starting environmental education and reforestation programs in Ecuador, teaching creative writing and environmental policy classes at Salem International University and currently is teaching outdoor education, Spanish and music at Morgantown Learning Academy. Jen also is a board member and co-founder of Aurora Lights, a nonprofit organization focused on educational outreach regarding the impacts of mountaintop removal coal mining in southern West Virginia. 

Jen received her B.A. in English with Honors from the University of Virginia and her Masters in Forestry from the Yale School of Forestry and Environmental Studies. Jen worked as a volunteer English teacher for WorldTeach, and then as an environmental educator through Aurora Lights in Ecuador for two years. Upon returning to the United States, Jen produced the benefit CD Moving Mountains: Voices of Appalachia Rise Up Against Mountaintop Removal Coal Mining from 2000-2003.  She completed her PhD at the geography department at WVU, where her research was focused on the impacts of mountaintop removal on the communities surrounding Coal River Mountain in Raleigh County, West Virginia. Jen was the producer for the second MTR benefit CD, Still Moving Mountains: The Journey Home which was released in June of 2009, and the project director for the award winning multimedia website Journey Up Coal River.  Jen is passionate about connecting kids with nature and inspiring them to be the next generation of environmental stewards.  She loves bringing youth of all ages outdoors and has brought two groups of college students to the Ecuadorian highlands and amazon.  Jen is mom to two wild boys and woods mentor to many others!  Welcome, Jen!

YAB Members Take to the Mountains for Leadership Development and Team Building

Funding provided by State Farm YAB, thank you!

On Monday, June 13th, the Friends of Deckers Creek (FODC) Youth Advisory Board (YAB) departed on a four night, five day backpacking trip through the Monongahela National Forest backcountry hosted and guided by educators with The Mountain Institute (TMI). YAB is a group of dedicated youth ages 18 and younger interested in clean water and helping the community. Their mission is to increase youth participation in helping clean up the Deckers Creek watershed for conservation, preservation, and recreation through youth-led projects and research. Their trip with TMI was organized in order to facilitate leadership development, promote group working skills, and allow for personal growth, through participation in team building exercises, daily challenges, private journal writings and reflections, and environmental education.

Eight members of YAB left that Monday, carrying all of their food, shelter, and necessities for 5 days of team building, physical activity, and living away from the comforts of home. All meals, clothing, and shelters for the week were carried miles on backcountry trails on the backs of eight, 12 – 18 year olds.

TMI and FODC staff led outdoor and environmentally based activities and lessons to encourage YAB to work as a team and develop leadership traits and qualities personally. In the beginning, a few stars took to leadership naturally but as the days passed those who took a background role began to step up and demonstrate leadership capabilities, bringing out the potential in those who didn’t know they could demonstrate such traits, which was a major goal for the entire experience.

In conclusion, YAB utilized their time in some of the most pristine landscapes of West Virginia to reflect on how they can be more effective at achieving their mission and operating as a youth organization, how they can work as a team to improve their community, and how they can continue to become strong leaders and demonstrate traits of a leader. The skills developed on this trip are intended to provide YAB with the experience and tools needed to be the great decision makers and leaders of tomorrow.

YAB read select journal entries from their trip with TMI to an audience at the Morgantown High School Library on Thursday, June 23rd. The presentation highlighted some of YAB’s favorite moments from the trip as well as the feelings and thoughts which were provoked from being in such a beautiful environment and natural landscape. The presentation was part of a community outreach meeting where YAB also recognized all of their community recycling partners and hosted a panel discussion on how youth and community members can be more involved with their local and state governments. Participants in the panel were Morgantown Mayor Bill Byrne, Morgantown City Council members Jenny Selin and John Gaddis, and State House Delegate Barbara Fleischauer. YAB and community members were very concerned, among other current topics, with the abundant presence of litter within Morgantown and the absence of effective legislation and education to mitigate the problem. Citizens and panel members discussed the benefits of proper education on the harms of litter on communities, and also the outcomes and results of cities and states that have incorporated “bottle bills” into their communities, where residents can receive monetary compensation for the return of spent cans and bottles. YAB also discussed the path to create a partnership between The Mountain Institute and public schools in the area with the panel. They feel other youth should experience the wild landscapes of West Virginia with the educational resources The Mountain Institute has to offer. The presentation was part of FODC’s outreach board meeting in which they invite the public to enjoy a presentation, movie, or discussion on a certain topic of interest to FODC, Morgantown, and the rest of the watershed community.

“The Mountain Institute always offers an incredible experience. You journey to beautiful places in Appalachia that not many people get to experience. My peers and I participated in many leadership excerises which built great team work between us all and enhanced our self confidence when taking a leadership role,” YAB co-chair, Tristan Dennis said.

YAB’s Chair/ President, Evan Lintz had this to say about the experience, “Going to TMI and backpacking in the Monongahela National Forest has been an incredible experience. Standing on top of Spruce Knob gave me a new perspective on our state because I could see its miles upon miles of natural beauty. Anyone who could witness what I saw would understand that such beauty is worth protecting.”

YAB hosts "Watersheds and Wildlife" Workshop

In May, YAB held a workshop at the Deckers Creek Outdoor Learning Park for the Greater Morgantown Community to help educate the public about the importance of healthy watersheds and the wildlife that live in and around them. YAB members guided stream-side tours about watershed dynamics and the history of Deckers Creek, facilitated macroinvertebrate sampling with workshop attendees, organized a litter clean-up, and provided nature interpretation of riparian vegetation along the creek at the Learning Park. To read more about the Watersheds and Wildlife Workshop, visit the Dominion Post's coverage on the event - Water and Wildlife - Workshop Focuses on Deckers Creek and the Environment

YAB Makes a Big Splash with a Big Award

This spring, the Friends of Deckers Creek Youth Advisory Board (YAB) received national recognition from Sea World / Busch Gardens with a National Environmental Excellence Award. This award is a national competition for youth organizations working towards environmental conservation, and out of hundreds of applicants from across the United States; YAB was one of only eight recipients to receive the award, and the only organization from West Virginia. Three YAB representatives and FODC’s Education Coordinator, Shannon Dey, traveled to Sea World Busch Gardens in Orlando, Florida last month to receive the award, the $10,000 check, and to present their local environmental and community work. This funding will be used to continue ongoing projects such as their regional public school and city park recycling program, youth environmental education workshops at the Outdoor Learning Park in Sabraton, stormwater management activities like storm drain marking and rain barrel construction, assisting FODC with art and garden installations at the Outdoor Learning Park, hosting events which encourage youth to get outside and interact with their environment, participating in WV Youth in Government and other leadership development courses, conducting stream water chemistry sampling and fish and benthic macro-invertebrate community surveys, and watershed education through YAB recruiting activities.

At the award ceremony, YAB members Tristan Dennis, Evan Lintz, and Katie Zucker gave a presentation which showcased their projects, community service, and accomplishments throughout the past few years along with the other seven youth organizations which won the award as well. After the award ceremony, YAB got a backstage tour of the SeaWorld Rescue and Rehabilitation Facility and enjoyed the SeaWorld & Bush Gardens Theme Park including the 2011 Shamu show, “One Ocean”, and met Jack Hanna, the well known conservationists and zoo keeper.

YAB co-chair Tristan Dennis was quoted saying, “Going to Sea World was a great experience. I had the opportunity to meet some great kids with the same mission as YAB. It was interesting to see other youth led groups from across the country, who work on projects similar to ours. Our adventure inspired ideas for future projects the Youth Advisory Board could begin in the Morgantown community and Deckers Creek watershed.”

YAB Jump Starts Recycling in Local Schools with funding from State Farm YAB!

In an effort to improve our local community and school environments, YAB recently launched it's Recycling in Schools project in several Monongalia and Preston County schools, providing recycling bins for classrooms, hallways, and lunchrooms where recyclable materials are often discarded into the trash.  Beginning this past November, YAB members decided to tackle the recycling issues in their schools through the help of a locally funded State Farm grant.  Their initial steps involved a recycling investigation of their school's current recycling status, reporting back to YAB, and then decided how to act.  YAB targeted 5 area schools, including Morgantown High School, University High School, Mountaineer Middle School, West Preston Middle School, and Preston High School, as well as the BOPARC Marilla Park Complex and Tennis Courts.  Each school had different recycling needs that YAB members considered, from paper recycling in the classroom to plastic bottles in the hallways and around vending machines to multi-material recycling at sporting events.  When it came to delivering their recycling bins in January and February this year, YAB members found an even higher demand for recycling programs in schools than originally anticipated.  Overall, YAB delivered over 90 bins to their targeted schools with each school wanting to expand the project more! With continued funding, YAB plans to expand their recycling project further in their current schools and then into other schools.  Their ultimate goal is to eventually acquire funding to replace the Styrofoam lunch trays in each of their schools with a more environmentally friendly, biodegradable alternative.  

Thank you State Farm YAB!

Storm Drain Marking in Sabraton

After their monthly YAB meeting on November 21, YAB members took to the streets and parking lots of Sabraton to mark storm drains with "No Dumping" signage.  Storm drains lead directly to waterways without any treatment, allowing any chemicals and pollutants to flow straight into the watershed.  This can impact ecological communities and the overall health of the water resource.  Some common pollutants that end up in our waterways through storm drains include construction debris, automotive fluids, paint, pesticides, litter, and fertilizers.  To help alert the community and decrease the amount of pollutants directly flowing in to Deckers Creek, YAB members marked 30 storm drains located throughout Sabraton's parking lots and streets.  There is still lots more to do, but it's great start!  

AMD & Art Workshop

YAB hosted a free educational community workshop called AMD & Art on October 24^th at 1 PM at the Outdoor  Learning Park along the Deckers Creek rail-trail in Sabraton.  Participants learned about acid mine drainage (AMD) and some clever ways to turn this pollution source into art.  This youth-inspired make-and-take art workshop had  a spooky Halloween twist! Refreshments and snacks were provided.  

TV coverage from WDTV Chanel 5 with YAB's Chair, Evan Lintz: Friends of Deckers Creek Makes Art Out of Pollution

YAB Receives Additional Funding

 In the past six months, YAB has been awarded funding from State Farm ($8,000), Kodak American Greenways ($1,500), WVU’s Corporate Citizens Project ($2,600), Best Buy ($5,000) and most recently the US Environmental Protection Agency’s Environmental Education Program ($21,907). YAB plans to start recycling programs in local schools, conduct community educational workshops and install nature-themed bike racks at FODC’s Outdoor Learning Park, and participate in Monongalia County’s anti-cigarette butt litter campaign. The donations from these businesses and organizations are a great asset to YAB and help to make them a valuable part of our community! 

These new funding sources will also be used to send YAB to the Mountain Institute next summer for a week of team building and leadership development. “This is a trip our group looks forward to every year, because we get to know each other really well and learn a lot about our outdoor environment including survival skills” - Evan Lintz YAB Chair-

We All Live Downstream

On Sunday, August 22, YAB and other community volunteers will paint a 15' x 90' watershed-inspired mural along the Deckers Creek Rail-Trail under the University Avenue bridge in Morgantown.  The theme for this mural is "We All Live Downstream" to demonstrate how we are all connected to each other and our local environment and how important our freshwater resources are.  Volunteers are welcome to participate from 10 am - 5 pm.  

YAB Receives State Farm Funding

A gracious donation of $8,000 from State Farm's Good Neighbor Citizenship Grant program will support one year of community service-learning projects for YAB.  These projects include a community watershed-inspired mural, establishing recycling programs in our local schools, community workshops at the FODC Outdoor Learning Park, stream sampling, participation in WV Youth in Government, community stormwater education, and other outreach events.  YAB is looking forward to working on these projects that make our watershed and community a better place to live.

4th Annual Skate Jam

The FODC Youth Advisory Board is hosting the 4th annual Skate Jam at the Marilla Park Skate Park Saturday, June 12th from 11 AM to 2 PM in celebration of alternative modes of transportation and Morgantown’s year of “It’s Easy Being Green”. The event will feature a skateboarding contest beginning at 12 noon with hundreds of dollars in prizes up for grabs. Contest signups begin at 11 AM. It will also feature live music by Eric Goes to Germany, a local Morgantown band. Other activities at this free community event include acid mine drainage tie dyes, stream bug ID, WV raptors presentation, and a litter cleanup led by YAB members.

This family friendly event is to help educate people about their local environment and encourage them to get out and get involved by volunteering with local organizations.

Rain Barrel Workshop

Friday, June 18th, FODC Office at 5:30 pm FODC will host a workshop demonstrating the construction and use of rain collection barrels.  FODC staff and youth advisory board members will show community members how to construct a rain barrel, educate attendees on the function, proper use, and benefits of using a rain barrel and will have rain barrels available for purchase.

Rain barrels are beneficial to the natural environment as well as your water bill.  Installing a rain barrel conserves water and reduces stormwater runoff from your roof top. The stored water can then be used to maintain your lawn and garden, water indoor plants or pets. Rain barrels can also help prevent harmful chemicals used around the house such as pesticides and fertilizers from making their way into streams and drinking water sources via stormwater runoff and stormwater drains.  Rain barrels are an inexpensive way to help protect our community water supplies and eventually pay for themselves. 

Rain barrels will be available for purchase on site for $75 and for an extra $20 they can be delivered to your home.  All rain barrel sale proceeds benefit FODC’s mission and the FODC youth advisory board.  But one now just in time for Father's Day!

Spring 2010 Storm Drain Marking

On May 20th, YAB teamed up with the Morgantown Utility Board and the Greenmont Neighborhood Association to mark over 50 storm drains through out the South Park neighborhood. The storm drains were marked with medallions to remind citizens that the drains empty into Deckers Creek and its tributaries to help prevent illegal dumping in the drains and reduce stormwater pollution in our local streams and rivers. 

To celebrate Earth Day and Global Youth Service Day, the Friends of Deckers Creek Youth Advisory Board (YAB) hosted a day of workshops and gardening for area youth and community members on Saturday April 17^th from 10 am – 3 pm.  This fun and educational work day was held at the Friends of Deckers Creek Outdoor Learning Park along the Deckers Creek Rail-Trail in Sabraton and included a native planting workshop, installation of a new Stewardship Garden, tree plantings, mulching, weeding, and sign and rock painting.

Area youth who participated in the event included YAB members, Mountaineer Challenge Academy cadets, and local Boy Scouts. Participants learned the importance of using native plant species, protecting stream riparian zones, and how to plant and care for native plants.

This project was made possible by funding from America’s Promise Alliance Youth Impact Award, Youth Service America’s Get Ur Good On grant, and the Monongahela Conservation District.  Donations for the planting and workshop day were being provided by Tatham’s Nursery, Southern States, and Masontown Block.

Thank you to our funding sources and to all of the businesses and volunteers that made this day possible!!!!

Clean-Up

On March 21st, YAB held a monthly business meeting and helped FODC pick up litter on the Deckers Creek Rail-Trail.  Participating YAB members raced to pick up the most trash and discovered an illegal dump covered up with leaves.  They removed tires, computer monitors, and much more.  Great job YAB!

Click here to see the Dominion Post coverage.

YAB Announces Project WAVE!

YAB is making waves in our community! Through their new 2010 Project WAVE (Watershed Awareness through Volunteers in Education) they plan to educate local youth and adults of all ages on the importance of healthy watersheds and communities.  YAB will develop service-learning projects that stress the importance of maintaining healthy watersheds and creating a broader understanding of our environment such as building a community stewardship garden in the FODC outdoor learning park, leading hands-on environmental education workshops, and leading storm drain marking and rain barrel making workshops to emphasize the importance of proper stormwater management.   YAB kicked off Project WAVE with a community rain barrel workshop on January 18^th for Martin Luther King’s Day of Service.  Project WAVE also entails recruiting more YAB members at community events and local public schools, providing environmental podcasts about Project WAVE’s activities and leading stream water sampling and macro-invertebrate community surveys.    

To begin this project, FODC YAB applied for several grants, including America’s Promise Alliance Youth Impact Award.  YAB is very proud to announce that they were awarded this $5,000 grant in early December 2009 out of hundreds of applicants.  This national competition was very selective, with only eight other organizations receiving funding. YAB is thankful for this funding to keep their organization afloat and are excited about the service-learning activities for Project WAVE!

The next YAB meeting will be on Sunday, February 21^st at the FODC office at 1 PM.  This meeting will include training workshops for all new YAB members, so if you are 18 and younger and interested in helping your community and its freshwater resources, come see what YAB is all about!

Rain Barrel Workshop

Monday, January 18th, FODC Office at 5:30 pm

In honor of the Martin Luther King Day of Service, FODC will host a workshop demonstrating the construction and use of rain collection barrels.  FODC staff and youth advisory board members will show community members how to construct a rain barrel, educate attendees on the function, proper use, and benefits of using a rain barrel and will have rain barrels available for purchase.

Rain barrels are beneficial to the natural environment as well as your water bill.  Installing a rain barrel conserves water and reduces stormwater runoff from your roof top.  The stored water can then be used to  maintain your lawn and garden, water indoor plants or pets.  Rain barrels can also help prevent harmful chemicals used around the house such as pesticides and fertilizers from making their way into streams and drinking water sources via stormwater runoff and stormwater drains.  Rain barrels are an inexpensive way to help protect our community water supplies and eventually pay for themselves. 

Rain barrels will be available for purchase on site for $75 and for an extra $20 they can be delivered to your home.  All rain barrel sale proceeds benefit FODC’s mission and the FODC youth advisory board.  V

YAB Storm Drain Marking Workshop

RESCHEDULED: Thursday, October 29th, meet at FODC Office at 5pm

YAB members will team up with the Greenmont Neighborhood Association to mark storm drains in the Greenmont area on Thursday, October 29th. Employees from the Morgantown Utility Board will provide a brief stormwater lesson before sending volunteers out to label storm drains with medallions reminding citizens that the drains empty into Deckers Creek and it tributaries. Last fall, YAB partnered with the South Hills Neighborhood Association and MUB to mark drains in that neighborhood. They marked over 20 drains and made a lot of new friends! Anyone interested in helping with this project can join the groups around 5:30pm at the Arch Street Islands near the intersection of Arch and Green Streets. Due to the close proximity to Halloween, everyone is encouraged to dress in costume like Miss Acid Mine Drainage pictured above!

YAB Attends Team-Building Workshop

On Saturday October 10th, 2009, 12 YAB members attended a team-building workshop at WVU's Challenge Course. The group conquered low and high rope elements to get to know each other better, learn how to work more effectively as a team, to trust each other, and to overcome fears. Despite the cold and wet weather, the team worked extremely well together and had a great time.  Check out the photos below!

YAB Holds Rain Barrel Workshop for Monongahela Garden Club

On October 5, 2009, YAB held a workshop for the Monongahela Garden Club on making rain barrels and ways that people can help protect the environment in their everyday lives through water conservation. Why would you want a rain barrel? One reason is it helps reduce stormwater runoff pollution. To calculate how much rain runs off your roof during a 1 inch rain event, multiply the square footage of your roof by 0.6 (for each inch of rain) and the resulting number is how many gallons of rainwater you could save. For example, a 1,000 square foot roof and 1 inch of rain would result in 600 gallons of rain water! FODC and YAB have been making and selling rain barrels as a service-learning fundraiser for the past year. YAB plans to have a new batch of barrels for sale around the start of 2010.