CommentsMarcellus Shale Workshop, May 5, in Harrisonburg
WRH May 13th, 2010
View a video from SVN’s May 5 Marcellus workshop in Harrisonburg
Videos
Preserving the Monongahela
cdawg January 18th, 2010
The Downstream Project has been following the Shepherdstown Presbyterian Youth Group as they study environmental stewardship and put our faith into action by actively supporting and advocating for more wilderness area’s in the Monongahela National Forest.
Every spring, our group takes a camping trip to Dolly Sods Wilderness Area. We find the wilderness to be a place of spiritual renewal, spiritual deepening, and spiritual cleansing. It is our belief that God can be encountered in the wilderness in a way that could never be re-created in any other setting.
As a result of this group’s efforts and many others in the West Virginia Wilderness Coalition, the Omnibus Public Lands Act was passed in April of 2009.
Keep the wild in wild and wonderful West Virginia and protect these lands!! The youth of Shepherdstown Presbyterian pray earnestly that this will continue to happen.
EcoVenture Day 6 Webcast
cdawg October 12th, 2009
We reached the highest point of the trail in the Shenandoah National Park just below Stoney Man summit. We were amazed at the number of people day hiking and witnessed first hand what our presenters referred to as damage to outcrop vegetation and potential nesting areas that could be closed off from the park. Ellated to arrive at Skylands Fell Cabin for a hot shower and a hearty meal with Downstream founder, George Ohrstrom II
“Collectively, we’re in a phenomenal place. When everyone’s out there with their goofy selves, that’s really when you become a family.”
— Travis Patterson
EcoVenture Day 5 Webcast
cdawg October 11th, 2009
Shenandoah U’s Kelley Mitchell recounts the climb to Mary’s Rock, the highlight of the day, lifting spirits and providing some magical moments. The rush of gusting winds only intensified the power and wonder of this place.
EcoVenture Day 3 Webcast
WRH October 7th, 2009
October 5, 2009
Imagine the Appalachian Trail as your classroom and receiving instruction from the likes of William McShea, Senior Research Scientist with the Smithsonian Institute; T’ai Roulston, ecologist from Blandy Experimental Farm; and Wendy Cass, botanist with the National Park Service. These presentations were the special highlights of Day 3 of the Shenandoah Ecoventure summarized here by seasoned trekker, Shenandoah University religion major, Carl Chapman, while in repose at our evening lodging, the AT’s Range View Cabin.
EcoVenture Day 2 Webcast
cdawg October 6th, 2009
October 4, 2009
“Travis is up at 5 am…..” so says John Copenhaver. Hike to Compton’s Peak and beyond, on a beautiful day for hiking. Naturalist T’ai Roulston from Blandy Experimental Farm joins the team for a host of mini-lectures….
EcoVenture Day 1 Webcast
cdawg October 5th, 2009
October 3, 2009
Shenandoah Ecoventure 2009 is now officially underway and has smuggled out this first video recap of Day 1, an interview with photographer, Travis Patterson, highlighting the trek’s ceremonial send off from the Conservation and Research Center in Front Royal on Saturday, October 3. Stay tuned to YouTube, Facebook, and our Website to follow our continuing adventures, as the Appalachian Trail and the Shenandoah River become our classroom.
Along the way Shenandoah Ecoventure we will involve experts from a wide range of fields: zoologists, conservationists, climate experts, park rangers, arborists, historians, botanists, riverkeepers, water quality experts—and the list keeps growing. We will be using the latest in Web-based technologies—including video feeds, Webcasts, online GPS tracking—to chronicle our adventures in real time. Anyone with access to the Internet can share in this compelling and educational EcoVenture.
Everybody Wins: Adaptive Livestock Exclusion
cdawg October 3rd, 2009
Full 5 minute video by The Downstream Project on Flexible Fencing. Livestock waste can cause overloads of fecal coliform bacteria, either by direct discharge, storm runoff or manure spreading. High levels of fecal coliform often reduces oxygen levels, killing fish and other aquatic life. The Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) is a voluntary program for agricultural landowners, administered by the USDA/Farm Service Agency. Through CRP, landowners and farmers can receive annual rental payments and cost-share assistance to establish long-term, resource conserving covers on eligible farmland. However the rules and restrictions of this federal program do not fit the needs of all farmers and landowners. A more flexible, collaborative approach is called for….