Ways to Get Involved
Since 2009, the West Virginia Field Office has partnered with the Appalachian Forest Heritage Area (AFHA) to sponsor at least one AmeriCorps member per year. This partnership gives the Partners Program in West Virginia the ability to expand its scope and outreach. In exchange for their year of service, AmeriCorps members receive a living allowance and an AFHA-AmeriCorps education award.
Examples of work by AmeriCorps members include:
- Biocontrol project of invasive purple loosestrife
- Enhancement of education and outreach programs such as Schoolyard Habitat
- Mapping of red spruce for the Central Appalachian Spruce Restoration Initiative
- Increased surveying and monitoring of invasive plants in high priority watersheds
- Outreach on endangered species
AmeriCorps is a program of the Corporation for National and Community Service, an independent federal agency whose mission is to improve lives, strengthen communities and foster civic engagement through service and volunteering. The AFHA AmeriCorps program is sponsored by Volunteer West Virginia, the state's Commission for National and Community Service.