Since 1994, PMSC AmeriCorps members have been part of important improvements in water quality and land stewardship across Southwestern/ Southcentral, PA. And, just a few weeks into the 2024-2025 program year, PMSC’s 30th year of service, members are already continuing the environmental stewardship legacy in new and profound ways.
Addie Byrum and Lilee Lux serve as Environmental Stewardship PMSC AmeriCorps members with Western PA Conservancy Watershed (headquartered in Indiana, PA). At the start of October, Lilee and Addie spent the warm, Autumn days out in Craigsville, PA on Patterson Run getting things done to prevent erosion and improve water quality. Byrum explained that the pair served as part of a team that built stream structures of “large logs (in this case hemlock trees) placed strategically along the streambank then pinned to each other and attached to the stream bottom using rebar. The logs provide overhead cover for fish, provide and hold in place organic material that feeds aquatic organisms, and redirect water flow to create new habitats like scour pools.”
Lilee Lux added that, “Preventing stream banks from erosion is important for several ecological and social reasons. Preventing erosion helps maintain water quality. If a streambank is eroding it is introducing sediment, nutrients, and pollutants that can degrade the stream’s water quality. If there is an excessive amount of sediment entering a stream, water becomes more dense and reduces light penetration affecting aquatic habitats. Erosion can severely alter aquatic and riparian habitats. Many aquatic species, including fish and macro or micro invertebrates, rely on stable stream banks for habitat, shelter, and spawning grounds. Streams and their surrounding riparian zones are often biodiversity hotspots. Preventing erosion helps maintain the physical structure of the ecosystem, supporting plant and animal life.”
PMSC AmeriCorps members serve across the region to address critical concerns in education, environmental stewardship, and community wellness. And, while members have made so many important contributions to benefit the region over the past 30 years, there is still more to be done to make Southwestern/ Southcentral, PA healthier, safer, and stronger. Members like Addie Byrum and Lilee Lux are taking the challenge seriously-- doing what they can to positively impact the region.
Addie Byrum is passionate about continued water quality improvement, and explained that, “Projects like this aim to ensure that streams have a diverse variety of habitats for all size classes of fish including spawning and nursery areas as well as foraging and hiding habitat for larger trout. It is important to protect and restore our wild trout populations, and especially the native Brook Trout (our state fish!), as their presence is an indicator of a healthy watershed and these beautiful fish are highly sought after by PA anglers!”
Getting things done and learning each day-- investing in environmental stewardship and investing in themselves, PMSC’s 30th year members are serving and growing: Lilee Lux concluded, “This project made me open my eyes to just how susceptible fish habitats can be, it doesn’t take much to cause irreparable damage. It has also made me realize how much work can be done around other streams that I have been on.”
National Service in America provides incredible opportunities for Americans of all backgrounds to get things done-- investing in their communities, responding to disasters, building up children, youth, and families, and making a real difference. One stream, one classroom, one outreach event at a time-- PMSC AmeriCorps members do what they can to bring out the best of America.
