Camp Hill, PA – AmeriCorps Member River Missal is no stranger to service of Pennsylvania’s natural, outdoor spaces. He joins Pennsylvania Parks and Forests Foundation (PPFF) as a Pennsylvania Mountain service Corps AmeriCorps member & Trail Training and Workday Coordinator.
After graduating from Bloomsburg University of Pennsylvania with a bachelor’s degree in anthropology and minors in archaeology and geoscience, River joined AmeriCorps under the Open Streets Sustainability Fellow program and then joined the Pennsylvania Mountain Service Corps. In his journey between his education, careers, and path to earning his Eagle Scout from the Boy Scouts of America, he acquired knowledge and experience working with volunteers and communities, recruitment, research projects, vegetation and invasive species management, erosion control, tree identification, trail work, and construction and installation of trail amenities, such as kiosks, benches, etc.
“I am excited to be joining PPFF as a Pennsylvania Mountain Service Corps AmeriCorps member with a focus on trail training and volunteer recruitment,” states River. “I have a passion for the outdoors and am honored to have this opportunity to keep Pennsylvania beautiful and our trail networks strong!”
In his new role, he will be responsible for training volunteers in trail maintenance, leading volunteers in trail workdays, and educating the public on Leave No Trace principles. He will also be contributing to the development of a trail assessment app, work with various state parks and forests, and writing for an educational blog.
“The PPFF is excited to work with Pennsylvania Mountain Service Corps AmeriCorps through Appalachian Intermediate Unit 8 to assist in addressing trail needs through volunteerism and stewardship. With more than 7000 miles of trails in Pennsylvania, we all play a role in keeping them in shape,” said Marci Mowery, President of the Pennsylvania Parks and Forests Foundation.
“We are so happy to gain PPFF as a partner in our environmental stewardship efforts. River brings a lot of knowledge and experience to the team,” states Jill Latuch. “We are looking forward to this great partnership and new opportunities for member service in our PA Parks”
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About the Pennsylvania Parks and Forests Foundation
The Pennsylvania Parks and Forests Foundation supports 124 state parks and 2.2 million acres of forest by coordinating volunteers, activities, and donations through its 45 chapters. The mission of the foundation is to inspire stewardship of Pennsylvania’s state parks and forests. To learn more about PPFF, visit https://paparksandforests.org/.
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