The Reedy Recap

Friends of the Reedy River

Upcoming Events & Volunteer Opportunities

Cleveland Park Stables Invasive Plant Pull: August 9

Interested in learning more about the connection between native and invasive plants and water quality? Join us and the City of Greenville for an Invasive Plant Pull at the rain gardens at Cleveland Park Stables from 7:30-10 am on August 9! Volunteers Sign-up Here!

Water Quality Monitoring Outings: TBD in mid-August

The Greenville and Simpsonville water quality monitoring teams will head to the river for water quality sampling in mid-August. Updates will be announced on our social media and in our Monitoring Team Email. Please contact us if you are interested in joining and Join Our Monitoring Team to receive future updates!

Save the Date! 2023 Fall River Cleanup - Saturday, Sept. 16

Save the date for FORR’s Fall River Cleanup on the morning of Saturday, September 16! Registration will open on August 21, stay tuned for more details soon! 

Sponsor Spotlight: Bricolage Dynamics

The word “bricolage” means to take something used and rework it in a new product. Bricolage Dynamics, Greenville’s solution for residential and commercial glass recycling, offers customers a convenient way to dispose of waste while also giving back to the environment. 

Bricolage does the following:

• Reduces the amount of glass waste going to the landfills
• Provides a reliable recycling service for the Greenville region
• Creates new job opportunities for locals
• Limits emissions by turning glass into sand that can be used locally instead of shipping off to other parts of the country
• Creates a sustainable, affordable sand product that benefits businesses and reduces sand mining



Please visit www.bricdynamics.com to learn more.

Why We Do What We Do: Plastic Free July

We want to thank everyone who participated in the Plastic Free July challenge. You are now part of the global community of concerned citizens taking action to reduce or eliminate single use plastics. Research shows 88% of participants make one or more changes that become new habits and reduce their waste and recycling by an average of 18kg per person per year! Let’s keep the momentum going! Remember to bring reusable bags to the grocery store, use refillable water bottles, and put trash where it belongs so it doesn’t end up in our watershed. In addition to those activities, consider trying something new to decrease your single-use plastic waste in your kitchen: use beeswax food wrap. Our board member, Rebecca Wade, started a small business in Greenville that makes these reusable food wraps which function just like plastic wrap, using locally sourced ingredients. If you want to learn more, visit her website at beccasbeeswaxwraps.com.

Please consider participating in our upcoming Fall Cleanup on September 16 or donating to our organization so we can continue our critical work of protecting the Reedy River.

July In Review...

July 13

Cleveland Park Stables Rain Garden Invasive Plant Removal

Volunteers joined FORR and the City of Greenville Parks and Recreation Department to remove invasive plants from the rain gardens at Cleveland Park Stables and prepare the grounds for new native plantings. Thank you to everyone who joined. We appreciate your ongoing support in our fight against invasive plants!

July 15

TD Saturday Market

Friends of the Reedy River Board Members had a blast at the TD Saturday Market in downtown Greenville on July 15! Thanks to everyone who came out to learn more about protecting our local watershed and how you can get involved with FORR. 

Board Member Highlight

Emerald Clark

Emerald attended The University of South Carolina where she received her Bachelor of Arts degree in Journalism and Mass Communication with a minor in English. Her professional background spans more than 17 years in the Greenville area working with companies like Erwin Penland, Michelin, Fluor, and Greenville Water. Today, she is the Director of Community Engagement for FAVOR Upstate, an organization that provides intervention and recovery services to those seeking recovery. In her role, she is responsible for rebuilding lives, healing families, and strengthening communities through volunteer engagement, strategic fundraising, and raising community awareness to put a "face and voice" on recovery. 

Yoga and weight lifting are part of Emerald's daily life, as is an overall active and healthy lifestyle. She has one cat and is an advocate for animals through her work with Greenville Animal Care and the Greenville Humane Society. Emerald also loves to travel and has been to 26 countries with Afghanistan and Croatia topping the list of the most interesting thus far. She is a strong supporter of diversity in Greenville and volunteers her time with the Hispanic Alliance for various events. She can also be found volunteering her time to Mill Village Farms, Meals on Wheels, and in her local community as an advocate for growth and change as the Vice President of the Monaghan Community Association.

Q: What is the best piece of advice for taking care of the Reedy River?

A: We have a social and environmental responsibility to uphold when it comes to the Reedy River. We can all do our part through our everyday actions at home, work, school and play. Whether it’s picking up after your pet, volunteering for one of our clean up events or picking up litter during a stroll along the Reedy, advocating for less impervious surfaces and more green space, or even donating to our organization. 

The little things do make a difference!

Q: What's your favorite place on the Reedy?

A: Falls Park! It brings together people from all over our community and is a great example of environmental sustainability. It is truly a sight to behold.