We were thrilled to host Walter Emil Veselka IV and his stream restoration class from West Virginia University during a site visit to Cherry Ridge! This visit is part of Walter's efforts to bridge the gap between academia and industry by developing an Ecological Career Readiness course at WVU. While the new course is in the works, Walter's existing stream restoration class offers students invaluable hands-on experiences. These include site visits to explore various restoration styles, challenges, and the reasoning behind stream restoration with professionals from the state, private, and NGO sectors. During this visit, we covered: ✅ The process of Mitigation Banking—from land acquisition and permitting to design, construction, and monitoring. ✅ The benefits of floodplain design restoration and its transformative impact on ecological resilience. The feedback from Walter reinforces why these collaborations matter: "Cherry Ridge was the best site I have been on since I began my mitigation site journey… I sincerely thank RES for investing in our students' education and providing access to such professional expertise. I hope some of these students find their way into your company and contribute to your successes." We're proud to invest in the education of future ecological leaders, helping them gain real-world insights and connections that will shape their careers in environmental restoration. #WeAreRES #streamrestoration
Ava Wilson
3w
Thank you for all you do! Being able to see restoration first-hand is so valuable as a college student!
Striving to make the world a better place one decision at a time.
1moThanks for hosting us! Great visit and the students have learned a lot from your staff sharing their experiences and expertise. Much appreciated!