Westmoreland County’s Irwin Park provides a safe and beautiful place for local children, youth, and adults to enjoy the outdoors, exercise, and grow. The park’s stream, Tinker’s Run, provides a habitat for Westmoreland’s wildlife and is a vital part of the region’s ecosystem.
Irwin Park is beloved by the local community and flooding issues have been plaguing the park. So, this Fall WCD leaders approached Pennsylvania Mountain Service Corps AmeriCorps member, Allie Shreffler, with the opportunity to plant trees along the streambank of one of Tinker Run’s tributaries in order to help address the issues at Irwin. Shreffler seized the chance and grabbed her boots and shovel–with a goal to “help create a riparian buffer along the streambank.”
Erosion and flooding have cut away four feet of the streambank and Shreffler’s team aimed to directly address the erosion issue on November 3, 2022 with their special community event, “Irwin Tree Planting.” Shreffler engaged volunteers to help “stabilize the stream bank that was [recently] stabilized with rip-rap and single log vane deflectors.” Shreffler reported that the team, “planted about 100 trees…. It was great to see how much people care about a community park.” The Penn State Extension provides a glimpse into the incredibly long term impacts of this seemingly simple project. The Extension reports, “As banks collapse or slough off into a stream, the bushes, shrubs, and grasses also drop off into the stream. These stream-side plants, now lost, were providing shade and cover for fish, perches for birds, and habitat for many other wildlife.”
The “Irwin Tree Planting” event is a great example of the crucial service PMSC AmeriCorps members provide throughout the region. While easily overlooked, members like Allie Shreffler and her teammate, PMSC Alum Kylie Schultz, certainly provide pivotal efforts to get things done locally to bring out the best of America–planting not only trees, but lasting hope for the future of the region.
Westmoreland County Conservation District and other PMSC Environmental Stewardship partners mentor and challenge PMSC AmeriCorps members to become next generation leaders in the field. With leaders like Shreffler poised to step-up, the Laurel Highlands region will continue to lead the nation in wildlife diversity, unsurpassed scenery, and ideal adventure locations.
Thanks, Allie Shreffler, for exemplifying the AmeriCorps spirit of humble service with a big smile and willing hands!
You can serve too: www.pmsc.org/current-positions
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