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.
Allan Thomson of the Chesapeake Bay Foundation shows how sample fish seining can give an indication of the current health of the river in a given location. Today’s efforts yield surprisingly good news.
The team packs up and embarks for a day on the river. They are joined by Allan Thomson, an environmental educator for the Chesapeake Bay Foundation, and spend the night camped on the grounds of the Dixon family’s riverside home, the site of the largest Chinquapin Oak in Virginia.
Day 1 on the river, the team puts in at Port Republic at the northern end of the Shenandoah where the South river joins. Kelley talks about the change of pace from trail to water.
Travis Patterson reflects on fantastic meals (and real beds) at Skyland Lodge. Why suffer when surrounded by such beauty? The team tags Monarch butterflies before their southward migration.
The Downstream Project proudly presents Shenandoah: Voices of the River. Nearly two years in the making, this 52-minute documentary film examines the history, ecology, and beauty of this treasured natural resource—and the potentially devastating impacts on its future. With TDP founder George Ohrstrom as Executive Producer, and just one of a raft of “voices” to tell her story, “Shenandoah” comes to life through the masterful lens of documentary filmmaker George Patterson and crew.
The Downstream Project is a non-profit organization* founded to inspire individuals and groups to initiate solutions to ecological l issues that threaten their communities. We believe in fair, open and responsible communication on relevant topics that will foster alliances toward a sustainable future.
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