The Reedy Recap

Friends of the Reedy River

Upcoming Events

September 20 - Save the Date for FoRR’s 2025 Fall River Sweep! Registration will open August 25, so please stay tuned for details! 

September 25 - Boyds Mill Pond Cleanup with Keep Laurens County Beautiful and LCWSC. Join us to make a difference in our watershed!

Coming This Fall - More volunteer opportunities at Reedy River Meadow! Stay tuned to our newsletters and social media!

July In Review...

July 1, 15, 17 and 21

FoRR On the Road: Legacy, Rotary Club Mauldin, Cascades, and Overture

We've been making waves all over Greenville recently visiting Legacy Reserve at Fairview Park (7/1), The Rotary Club of Mauldin (7/15), Cascades Verdae (7/17) and Overture Greenville (7/21). At each stop, we shared the story of the Reedy River: where it has been, what's happening now, and where it's flowing next. From its industrial past, the restoration projects that brought it back to life, and the exciting future dreams in the works. We're proud to connect the community to the river that runs through it all.

Our "River Roadshow" brings the story of Greenville's watershed straight to your group with plenty of fun facts, community updates and ways to get involved.

Want us to come speak to your organization, HOA, or garden club, etc? Email us at info@friendsofthereedyriver.org

FoRR in the News:

Blue Ridge Outdoors Magazine

FoRR was featured in the July issue of Blue Ridge Outdoors Magazine in a segment called “Paddle with

Purpose,” which highlights the Reedy River and the efforts of FoRR to keep our river clean. 

July 17

By the Banks: Speaker Series

FoRR held our first "By the Banks: Reedy River Speaker Series" talk on the evening of Tuesday, July 15. Thank you to everyone who joined us at Double Stamp Brewing for two engaging speakers– Ben Lord, FoRR Board Member who spoke on “Hydrology 101 – OMG Water!” and FoRR Board Member Emeritus, Dr. Robert Hanley, who gave an overview of PFAS “Forever Chemicals” and how they’ve become such a prolific part of the water story in America. Check out some interesting links Ben and Rob included in their talks here.

Thank you to our presenting sponsor, Adriana Teodoro-Dier with Bluefield Realty Group, for making these talks possible. Stay tuned for the next one coming in late September! Details will be announced soon. 

Have a topic you’d like to see discussed at another edition of By the Banks? Let us know! 

July 18

Reedy River Meadow

Volunteer Work Day #5

On the morning of July 18, FoRR hosted one more volunteer workday at Reedy River Meadow, our newest riparian improvement project. Our hard-working volunteers helped remove a huge patch of invasive Johnson Grass from the project’s Meadow Zone, then covered the area with cardboard and a thick layer of mulch (a technique known as sheet-mulching) to prevent the invasive plants from returning.

We sincerely appreciate all of the hard work from our wonderful volunteers who worked tirelessly in the July heat to help us ready the Meadow for new plants. Volunteer efforts are making all the difference in restoring this riparian meadow— we hope you're all just as excited as we are to watch this project bloom! 

If you haven’t had a chance to volunteer at RRM yet, you can still make a meaningful impact! A donation to FoRR will help us continue removing invasive plants, plant native species to create pollinator habitat and improve stormwater runoff and turn this unused area into an educational community centerpiece. Every contribution—big or small—makes a difference!

Individual and Corporate Opportunities:

FoRR loves to get individuals and the local business community involved in our organization through volunteer opportunities, sponsorships, and speaking engagements. Contact info@friendsofthereedyriver.org for more information!

July 23

Unity Park Wetland Tour for National Park and Recreation Month

July 30

FoRR In The News: Access Carolina

FoRR staff recently appeared on Access Carolina to share with Host Margaret Burnquist about the latest project, turning an overgrown and neglected site into a vibrant native plant loving meadow that will improve water quality and provide the community with a beautiful new park to enjoy.

They shared their knowledge about native plants and why they matter, and how this space will soon be a spot for people, community gathering and educational visits. No tax dollars, just a whole lot of sweat and community love.

July 31

Reedy River Meadow Corporate

Workday with IPI and Boy Scouts

On Thursday, July 31, FoRR were joined by a corporate group with Industrial Project Innovation (IPI) at Reedy River Meadow. Many team members traveled from other parts of SC or even from out of state to join. was part of IPI's young professionals' network, and most volunteers were 30 years old or younger. A layer of corrugated cardboard topped with two-three inches of mulch to the johnsongrass patches we hope to eradicate. apply the sheet-mulching technique on the johnsongrass patches we hoped to target. Thank you to IPI for reaching out to work with FoRR at Reedy River Meadow. Your work ethic and efficiency truly blew us away.



We were also joined at the same event by eight Boy Scouts, who were working to achieve a merit badge. Thank you to the scouts for being kind and courteous volunteers and helping us get the job done at Reedy River Meadow.

Staff Highlight

Miranda Glenn

FoRR Furman Summer Fellow