OAK HILL, WV (WOAY) – The Plateau Action Network (PAN) partnered with the Fayette County Institute of Technology’s (FIT) tourism industries class on an important pilot project.
The Fayette County Fungi Initiative is about cleaning contaminants from our streams and creeks.
Oyster mushrooms can be used to remove oil spills by breaking down crude oil hydrocarbons, making them less toxic to the environment.
“Filter through heavy metals, contaminants, coliform, fecal coliform, and several other different varieties of pollutants,” said Vice President of PAN Desirae Ellison. “In some places like we’re doing here, we are filtering the creeks, so the mycelium from the mushrooms is alternated into bags with straw.”
Clean water is essential for drinking, practicing daily hygiene, and living.
“Everything needs water to grow and fuel itself. If it’s contaminated, everything goes down like a chain,” FIT junior Makayla Hanshew said. “It can take down the tourism industry and here in West Virginia, people are outdoors a lot.”
PAN and FIT’s tourism industries class focused on high-pollution areas, creating a sawdust spawn bed.
“Creek runs through the bags, filters through the mycelium, which in turn filters the pollutants,” said Ellison.
Getting youth involved in clean-up and remediation benefits them in many ways.
“Cultivate a connection with the earth and how to care for it and treat it,” the VP of PAN said. “We continue it forward, then we have a big chance of seeing a huge difference in our polluted streams.”
Lacking clean water impacts communities, poses significant health risks — leading to preventable disease and economic hardship.
“I enjoy doing this because I am a video boater for Adventures on the Gorge. Clean water is important,” said FIT junior Hayes Fowler. “If you don’t have clean water, nobody will want to come and raft.”
Water is life.
“The mountains, rivers and everything, with how many people come in, it just really needs to be clean and like accessible,” Hanshew said.
According to FIT Tourism Industries Instructor David “Tug” Chamberlin, the class was designed to educate students in several sectors of the Hospitality and Tourism industry, a major Fayette County economic generator.
“We are active in volunteer work with agencies, including the National Park Service, U.S. Forest Service, WV State Parks, and now with the PAN,” Chamberlin said. “All of these agencies support the resources that bring people to the Mountain State.”
The program fosters the relationship between tourism, waterways, and the participation of our local youth.
“Cultivating stewards of our streams, enhancing the economic and environmental bluster of Fayette County,” added Ellison.
