Nearly 200 people helped make the 1999 Blackwater Review one of our best events ever. The Review was co-sponsored by the West Virginia Highlands Conservancy (WVHC) and the West Virginia Rivers Coalition (WVRC). Dave Saville and Pam Moe Merritt outdid themselves in organizing a fun and educational weekend.

People began arriving at the Blackwater Falls State Park lodge on Friday May 14 for a square dance with live music by the Environmentalist Groupies Band. The dancers were laughing and tying themselves up in knots, while the people that really know how to have fun were off in a corner, folding and tabbing 2,000 copies of the latest edition of the "Blackwater Canyon News."

Saturday was the day for adventures. Some folks choose to hike through the Canyon, some went fly fishing in the Blackwater River Canyon, and some canoed through the Canaan Valley National Wildlife Refuge on the Blackwater. Others explored caves, including the Sinks of Gandy where one WVHC member apparently sank into the Sink. Don't worry, he is still with us. Other folks took a drive to see where Corridor H could lay down its eco-scape annihilating asphalt. One group hiked with the Sierra Club’s Jim Sconyers in search of the essence of spring wildflowers. Painted trillium and lady slippers were among the treasures they discovered.

Several folks volunteered to shuttle vehicles for the hikers, so that the hikers could enjoy a leisurely stroll down the Canyon’s railtrail to their awaiting vehicles. While the shuttlers didn’t get to go on any of the field trips, we probably had the biggest learning experience. As we gunned (hey, they weren’t ours) the six vehicles out from the nice parking lot in Douglas, the one by the old coke ovens and the pretty orange waters of the North Fork of the Blackwater, I noticed a tire on the vehicle ahead of me was looking pretty floppy. After several minutes of wondering what that meant, I laid on the horn, gesticulated wildly and got the convoy to pull over. Yup, flat tire. We were forced to open the vehicle’s trunk, and we absolutely had to remove the cooler with the beer. It was heavy, so we had to drink some beer.

Then came the big educational event. Question: How many WVHC members does it take to change a tire? Answer: Judy Rodd to supervise and read the tire-changing directions (and drink the beer), Linda Cooper to supervise and eat her great lunch ( Siriani’s Restaurant of Davis prepared fine vittles for all the field trip participants), John McFerrin and Carroll Jett to stand around looking pretty and holding important things, and Viv Stockman to take notes and pictures on the eco-ethnobiology of tire changing.

Oh yes, back at the Lodge, we had "volunteered" this innocent bystander, a railroader, to be one of the shuttlers. Don, who is Jason Halbert’s dad, turned out to be a lug nut technician and he soon had the tire changed, thanks to the careful supervision of the WVHC members. He even craftily suggested we stop to get the tire repaired. The lesson learned? If you ever need a tire changed, never travel in groups that include only WVHC members.

So, while no one learned as much as the shuttlers, everyone arrived back safely at the Blackwater Falls State Park lodge for an evening devoted to updates on West Virginia environmental issues, and to talk about the formation of the Blackwater Canyon National Park. Tom and Judy Rodd opened the evening with a "Weirdoes who are Doing a Great Job Awards Ceremony." Linda Cooper and Bill Reed got to wear their awards -- wacky chapeaus -- for the rest of the evening. As the laughter died down, Judy said, "Now we all have to get back to being anxious."

WVRC’s Margaret Janes started off the serious discussions with her favorite topic -- chicken poop from factory farms. Hugh Rogers spoke about the long battle against Corridor H, noting that people were suffering from a mass delusion if they believed Corridor H would bring prosperity to the Highlands. Cindy Rank updated us on mountaintop removal. Pam Moe-Merritt spoke about the Clean Water Act and Judy Rodd gave an update on the Blackwater Canyon endangered species lawsuit. (The attorney on this issue was present in the audience, but Jason Huber was too busy recovering from turkey hunting and withdrawing from snuff to add many comments.)

Jason Halbert, of the Appalachian Restoration Campaign, stole the show with his visionary DRAFT maps on the Blackwater Canyon National Park, 65 percent of which includes land already owned by the US Forest Service and the state of West Virginia. His vision of the Park would allow for ecosystem connectivity -- wildlife and fauna corridors -- between existing wilderness and forest areas. Such connectivity is essential to the ecological restoration of the Appalachian Highlands.

Joe DiBello of the National Park Service explained the steps involved in forming any national park, and complimented us on our efforts to get the word out about the perils facing Blackwater Canyon. Jeff Towner of the US Fish and Wildlife Service spoke about the Endangered Species Act. Both men fielded numerous audience questions.

On Sunday, the Rivers Coalition held a membership meeting and the Highlands Conservancy held a board meeting. It was another glorious spring day. The weather, the Blackwater Canyon setting, and they 200 fine folks all ensured another great gathering. We hope to see you at the Fall Review.