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Volunteers are being sought for the annual Conewango Creek River Cleanup on Saturday as local conservation organizations prepare for another effort to remove trash from the creek and its surrounding areas.
Penn Soil Resource Conservation and Development Council and the Conewango Creek Watershed Association are teaming up again for the cleanup, which will begin with registration at 8 a.m. at Point Park on Pool Street. The event will continue rain or shine and conclude at approximately 2 p.m.
Volunteers will have the opportunity to participate either from the water or from land. The Chief Cornplanter Council of the Boy Scouts of America will again provide loaner canoes for participants who want to help from the creek.
Following registration, volunteers using canoes will be shuttled to the Front Street Boat Launch, where they will enter the water and float downstream while collecting garbage along the way. Two pickup locations will be used during the cleanup before participants return to Point Park.
Land-based volunteers also are needed to help collect trash and support the cleanup effort.
Organizers encourage participants to wear closed-toe shoes and bring a refillable water bottle, as well as snacks or lunch.
The cleanup is one of several outdoor and environmental education opportunities being offered by Penn Soil RC&D this fall.
The council will also debut the Kinzua Heritage Folk School's inaugural artisan workshops on Saturday, Oct. 10, at the Kinzua Heritage Festival grounds, 4047 Fox Hill Road, Russell.
The event marks the beginning of an effort to establish a central location where artisans, musicians, storytellers and students can gather to learn traditional skills and help preserve the cultural heritage of the Kinzua region.
The workshops will run from 9 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. Participants will select two workshops, one in the morning and one in the afternoon each lasting two hours and 30 minutes, with lunch provided between sessions.
The registration fee is $40 for those who register by Oct. 2. Later Registration is $45, and a limited number of walk-in participants may be accepted.
Workshop topics include wire wrapping, introductory blacksmithing, Iroquois-style beading, basket weaving, ply-split braiding and fall garden preparation. Those ages 12 through 17 must attend with a parent or guardian.
The Kinzua Heritage Folk School workshops are part of a larger effort to develop the festival grounds into a year-round center for traditional arts and cultural education.
Another new opportunity for traditional arts and skills is the council's second Women’s Outdoor Workshops, known as WOW!, on Saturday, Oct. 17, at the Tionesta Church of God.
The all-day event, scheduled from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., is designed for women and girls ages 12 and older. Participants ages 12 through 17 must be accompanied by a parent or guardian and attend the same classes.
The workshops are intended to provide participants with opportunities to learn new skills, brush up on existing ones and spend time outdoors without having to purchase specialized equipment.
Registration is $40 and includes four workshops along with lunch. Some classes require an additional $5 materials fee.
Participants choose four first-choice workshops and four alternate choices because class sizes are limited. Registration is due by Oct. 5.
Workshop offerings include beekeeping and pollinators, introductory blacksmithing, birdhouse building, diamond painting, forest bathing, herbal tincture making, macroinvertebrate and freshwater mussel investigation, mosaic making, leather pouch making, outdoor photography, proper pruning, self-defense, soil health, stormwater and erosion, upcycled-material wind chimes, Lake Erie beach glass wire wrapping, and introductory yoga and Tai Chi.
Coffee and donuts will be available during registration, and lunch will be provided by the Women’s Auxiliary of the Tionesta Church of God.
The event will take place rain or shine, with some workshops held outdoors and others indoors. Participants should bring a refillable water bottle. Ice water and lemonade will be available throughout the day.
For registration information and forms, visit Penn Soil RC&D’s website at www.pennsoil.org or contact Sue Nielsen at 814-726-1441 or pennsoilrcd@wcconservation.net.