Oak Hill, WV (WOAY) – The Mountain Resource Conservation and Development Council announces over $19,000 in grants to local organizations promoting education and conservation in the region.
The West Virginia Conservation Agency and contributing counties provided a portion of the funding.
The Greenbrier Watershed Association earned $3,000Â to host its rain barrel workshop, providing educational information about stormwater runoff and conservation.
The association will purchase and distribute Seventy-five rain barrels and installation kits to participants. In addition, local students will paint two rain barrels for auctions at the fall annual watershed celebration.
The Town of Marlinton earned $5,000 to further work on an educational wetland park between a stretch of the Greenbrier River (Rail) Trail and 4th Avenue.
The wetland park will include a trail that connects with the Greenbrier River Trail. The Pocahontas County Commission contributed $2000 to Mtn RC&D for this project.
Beckley’s Piney Creek Adventure Preserve project $2500 funding will allow the construction of trailhead kiosks to provide community education on trail etiquette & use, wilderness management practices, and more.
Additionally, The Piney Creek Watershed Association will receive $2,970 for Stream Bank Erosion Prevention to prevent further erosion on one of the most popular areas for waterfall viewing.
Since the waterfall is close to the future Piney Creek Adventure Preserve trailhead, crews will build a fence to keep visitors on the trail and away from the eroding stream bank.
Woodrow Wilson High School (WWHS) Class of 2025 received $3000 for their Wetland Project to create an overlook of the wetland area for students to learn more about the environment and nature.
The grant will fund the project to provide dredging, lumber, tools, gravel, plants, and seeding. Partners include local businesses, community members, and students to complete the project.
WV Rivers Coalition earned a $3,000 grant to train and educate local landowners and conservationists on testing water quality to protect critical habitats for native species.
The Mountain RC&D is currently accepting proposals for conservation and education projects in its service area: counties of Monroe, Greenbrier, Pocahontas, Wyoming, Braxton, Raleigh, Summers, Fayette, Nicholas, Mercer, Webster, and McDowell.
Projects should involve conservation and environmental projects related to soil, water, or wildlife. The deadline for fall 2023 funding is March 31, 2023.
