Westminster College Invites Public to Plant Shrubs at McClure Run

Westminster College invites members of the community to help plant 150 shrubs along the banks of McClure Run Saturday, Sept. 6, beginning at 9 a.m. Volunteers will meet at Westminster's softball field.

Extensive work has been done to improve the water quality of McClure Run, which flows through the Westminster campus and was designated a "stream under stress" by the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection. The plantings, one of the last portions of the project, will help stabilize the stream bank, provide tree canopy, and improve the overall appearance.

The project is a cooperative effort of Westminster; the Lawrence County Commissioners, Planning Department, and the Conservation District, who helped secure funding; and Wallace and Pancher, the design build firm that supervised the work.

Owen Wagner, director of Westminster's physical plant, outlined the three main purposes of the project: "We reconnected the stream with its flood plain. The next step was to install rock cross veins to direct the stream and create step pools to provide a good living environment for macroinvertebrates. Installing plantings is one of the last activities."

"There have been some ancillary benefits as well," Wagner added. "We have a new pedestrian bridge and bioretention cells (wetlands), and we've improved the dam structure to maintain the flow of fresh water to Brittain Lake."

Volunteers will plant 75 silky dogwood and 75 American elderberry shrubs Saturday. Oak, maple, and swamp white oak trees will be added next spring. Future additions include parking, walkways, trails, benches, and markers.

Wagner stated the planting will take place rain or shine, and volunteers should dress for the weather, including sturdy shoes and work gloves. Equipment will be provided, although workers are welcome to bring their own shovels.

Contact Wagner at (724) 946-7019 or e-mail owagner@westminster.edu for more information. 

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