Friends, OWCA thanked for park maintenance

Nov 25, 2023

Pictured are Chip Hillis, Cumberland Mountain State Park manager; OWCA board members Bill Morgan, Jenna Walls, Jean Cheely and Brad Fox; Laurie Snyder, secretary/treasurer, Friends of CMSP; OWCA Vice President Brian Graska; and Friends of CMSP President Connie Bowman.

The Friends of Cumberland Mountain State Park (FCMSP) and the Obed Watershed Community Association (OWCA) partnered with Cumberland Mountain State Park (CMSP) to help weed, plant native plants and maintain the planters by the restaurant, museum, office and aviary. In appreciation, signs acknowledging this effort were installed at the restaurant and office on Aug. 14.

Chip Hillis, CMSP manager, spoke to the OWCA and FCMSP members present and told them how deeply he appreciates their dedication, labor and expertise with native plants. It would be challenging for the CMSP staff to keep up with maintaining the planters at the level which OWCA and FCMSP are able to provide. The Fairfield Glade Rotary are also appreciated since members often join in on the weeding.

There are tentative plans to beautify the ADA trail with flowers, and to renovate the iris bed near shelter 3 with native flowers and iris. Recently members dug up and replanted the area to the right of the office after the large holly tree was removed. FCMSP have added name plates for many plants around the office and restaurant/ museum.

This is one of many projects of the OWCA, a nonprofit volunteer organization. Per Jenna Walls, past treasurer, “This organization is dedicated to maintaining and enhancing the health and vitality of the Obed River watershed in Cumberland County. OWCA provides educational programs about the Plateau’s natural resources and organizes many projects to clean up streams, rivers and wetlands to stabilize waterways, restore habitat, and remove invasive plants and accumulated trash.”

If you would like to volunteer to share the responsibility to keep our water clean or to keep your local state park looking beautiful, you can visit OWCA’s website at www.obedwatershed.org or Facebook or email OWCA at [email protected] or call 931-484-9033.

The Friends of CMSP nonprofit group exists to preserve and improve the park. Revenues from firewood, T-shirt sales and aviary food campaigns are used to bring free programs like Wings to Soar and Animalogy/NHECM, Kite Day and Wonder of Monarchs and Milkweed; and to purchase such items as pedal boats, campfire grills, fishing boat batteries, defibrillators, and water bottle filling stations. FCMSP built an aviary which houses four raptors and an extension for two more cages has been presented to the state building commission. FCMSP provides the food and travel cages and such for the aviary.

If you would like information about Friends of CMSP or you want to help to weed the park planters email [email protected] or see their website at CMSPFriends.com or facebook at cmspfriends.

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