The Reedy Recap

Friends of the Reedy River

Upcoming Events

June 11: Our River, Ours To Protect: FoRR Presentation at Greenville County Library Ramsey Family Branch.

June 18: Reedy River Meadow Volunteer Day. Volunteers needed! Sign up today!

June 27: FoRR at STEM Days of Summer at Roper Mountain Science Center. Come see FoRR at RMSC from 10 AM - 1 PM!

July 15: Save the Date! FoRR Speaker Series at Double Stamp Brewing. Details to be announced!

May In Review...

May 16

Second Volunteer Appreciation Tour of Unity Park BMPs with City of Greenville

FoRR and our partners at the City of Greenville Department of Parks, Recreation, and Tourism partnered to hold our second volunteer give-back event to express our gratitude for volunteers who have generously donated their time to our organizations in the past.

This event consisted of an educational tour of Unity Park’s stormwater best management practices (BMPs) and demonstrations for pruning shrubs and live-staking, which is a practice used to efficiently revegetate a river bank or wetland using fresh cuttings from living native trees and shrubs. We enjoyed seeing so many familiar faces and look forward to holding more similar events with the City soon! 

May 27

River Conservation Presentation at Furman University

On May 27, FoRR and Save Our Saluda were invited to speak at Furman University’s May Experience class on Fly Fishing and River Conservation. We shared insights about our advocacy and river restoration efforts and ways students can get involved in protecting and restoring our local waterways. We were excited to see the Furman students’ interest in river conservation. They even volunteered at Reedy River Meadow the next day!

May 28

Reedy River Meadow - Volunteer Work Day #2

On the morning of May 28, FoRR held our second volunteer work day at Reedy River Meadow, our newest riparian improvement project. Guided by Earth Design Landscape Architecture and Environmental Design, volunteers helped remove invasive, non-native, and undesirable plants from the site’s “Naturalized Edge” zone. Even with some rain, about 20 enthusiastic volunteers, including a class from Furman University and their professors, pitched in to prepare this area for vibrant plantings later this year!

We’re continuing our work to remove plants like Japanese honeysuckle and invasive Johnson grass. After clearing an area of invasive plants, we’re layering cardboard and a thick layer of mulch to suppress invasive species through the summer. Schneider Tree Care has generously donated mulch for this project, while SharpeScapes Landscaping is handling debris removal and mowing as an in-kind contribution. Thank you to everyone who’s helping bring the Reedy River Meadow to life! 

If you haven’t had a chance to volunteer 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!

May 29

Your Watershed, Your Plan: Saluda River Basin Plan Presentation

The Saluda River Basin Council (RBC), which includes FoRR staff, board, and board emeritus, has spent the past two years developing the Saluda River Basin Plan. On the evening of May 29, the RBC presented the final plan at ReWa, opening a 30-day public comment period.



Friends of the Reedy River was well-represented at the meeting, with several of our current, emeritus, and former board members and environmental partners in attendance. The draft plan, along with instructions for submitting public comments, can be found on the Saluda River Basin Plan page. 

We encourage you to review the plan and share your thoughts — your input is crucial to the protection and stewardship of the Saluda River Basin.

Month of May

Profit-Share at Pangaea Brewing Co.

We’re excited to share some great news from May!

Thanks to the amazing teamwork between Pangaea Brewing, the FoRR board, and our community, our profit-sharing month at Pangaea was a big success, because of you.

From trivia to bingo nights, the taproom was full of laughter, friendly competition, and fun facts about our beloved Reedy River. (Did you know it’s 65 miles long?)

One of the standout moments was our Pictionary Bingo night—tables were going all-in for bragging rights and prizes while learning about the Reedy River Meadow Project. But let’s be honest… the real winner of the night might’ve been Pangaea's own specially created wood-fired chard pizza paired with an ice-cold brew. That combo never misses.

We’re proud to share that the funds raised will support programs that help spread awareness and care for the Reedy throughout our watershed. Every dollar raised goes right back into protecting the river and connecting people to it.

To everyone who came out, thank you. Your energy, support, and love for the river made all the difference. And if you couldn’t make it this time, no worries, we’ve got more events on the way, and we can’t wait to see you there.

A huge shoutout to Pangaea Brewing for being such an incredible partner in this effort. Together, we’re making real, positive change. Cheers to the community, good beer, and a healthier Reedy!

Staff Highlight

Andrea Payment

FoRR Director of Development & Community Engagement

This month we're highlighting FoRR's new staff member, Andrea Payment! Andrea began working with FoRR in mid-May and we're so excited to have her on the FoRR team!

Corporate Opportunities:

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