AmeriCorps was my ticket back home when I needed it most. The personal growth and internal work that would occur during this time was transformative. I will always be grateful to AmeriCorps for being the vehicle to drive these changes in me.
Heritage
Each summer the Upshur County Historical Society cordially opens the doors of its History Center & Museum inviting the public to a new rendition of its annual summer exhibit. This year’s exhibit, Stories Told and Retold, highlights a selection of the county's key photographers, woven and quilted handicrafts, memorabilia, and industry, with stories drawn from UCHS’s vast and diverse artifacts collection.
Heritage
Spring has arrived at the historic Sites Homestead, and our Heritage Garden is off to a great start. Everything we grow in the Heritage Garden connects back to our mission: to keep the history of this land and the people who lived here alive. We hope you’ll come by, take a walk through the garden, and see how it’s growing. There’s always something new to discover!
Conservation
Get ready for some outdoor fun! Discover Nature Day is an annual family-friendly event hosted by the USDA Forest Service at Seneca Rocks Discovery Center. People of all ages are welcome to get out and explore our natural world. This event will be held on Saturday, June 7th, from 10 am-3 pm and will be taking place rain or shine.
Community Development
Part of my scope of service as an AmeriCorps member serving the Foundation is to aid in the expansion and outreach within our serviced communities. With a small staff and a large rural region to cover, maintaining personal connections with individual communities remains challenging—something that technology alone cannot fully address. The major project I recently completed consisted of eight nonprofit information sessions designed not only as a 101 course to community foundations and applying for grants, but as regenerative networking opportunities for volunteers and staff in the nonprofit sector who often experience isolation and burnout.
Conservation
Each year between December 14 and January 5, naturalists and bird lovers across the western hemisphere mobilize in the longest-running community science project in the world. Volunteers go out on one day to count birds in the Audubon Christmas Bird Count (CBC). The data collected by thousands of volunteers has been used as a valuable resource to understand trends in bird populations over the past century. On December 14, we ventured out for a Christmas Bird Count in Pocahontas County.
