The Mountain Watershed Association is a nonprofit organization and we rely on the dedicated efforts of our many volunteers. MWA was founded by volunteers in 1994, and we have many ongoing opportunities for volunteers to assist in our work. Please look through the opportunities below and let us know if you would like to volunteer some of your time. If you have a particular skill that could be useful, please let us know and we can tailor an opportunity to suit your needs and ours. If you have questions about volunteer opportunities please contact us.

Administrative

MWA sends out quarterly newsletters and other mass mailings throughout the year. Volunteers help collate and fold mailings and stuff envelopes either in our office or at home. We also need volunteers to help us keep up with our filing system and catalog our newspaper clippings here at the office. 

Outreach

We provide community outreach in many ways. MWA participates in many local fairs and festivals, including the Fayette County Children’s Water Festival and the county fair. At these events volunteers help to spread the word about our work by talking to children and adults and handing out informational brochures.

Road Cleanups

MWA participates in the Adopt-a-Highway program. As part of the program, we clean up our adopted 2-mile stretch of Route 711 at least twice a year. One of the cleanups is done in the spring as part of the statewide Great American Cleanup of PA. Our road cleanups are held on Saturday mornings when traffic light on Route 711.

Trail Maintenance

We help to maintain the Indian Creek Valley Hike/Bike Trail. The maintenance jobs vary. Volunteers help with invasive species eradication, and we have also begun to prepare an area along the trail for a native wildflower garden. We hold regular trail clean-ups. We are entirely responsible for maintaining the Donegal Extension of the ICV Trail, which MWA owns. This section runs from Champion to Jones Mills, and needs to be mowed in the spring and summer as well as inspected regularly for downed trees and limbs.

Water Sampling

MWA takes quarterly water samples to monitor water quality in and around existing and future treatment sites. Volunteers assist in water sample collections at Sagamore, Permapress, Gallentine, Rondell-Correal, Fulton, and Marsolino. Sample collection involves walking to sites and collecting water at predetermined points. These samples are then taken to a lab to be analyzed. Due to lab schedule samples must be taken Monday through Thursday before 2:30 PM. We also occasionally conduct aquatic macroinvertebrate surveys; this involves collection of macros in stream with D-nets.

Fundraising

The Mountain Watershed Association’s biggest fundraiser is our lottery calendar. We need volunteers to sell and deliver calendars in the fall of each year. Do you have a good eye? We are always looking for photographs from the Indian Creek watershed for the calendar. We are also open to new fundraising ideas, so if you have an idea, please contact us!

Storm Drain Labeling

Our storm drain labeling project is in conjunction with our Fishable Swimmable Campaign. The storm drain labeling will help promote proper disposal of motor oil and engage folks in using less chemical lawn fertilizer. We are hoping to label drains throughout the watershed, and are looking for volunteers to assist in the process.