The Reedy Recap

Friends of the Reedy River

Upcoming Events & Volunteer Opportunities

30 for 30 Fundraising Campaign!

In honor of FoRR's 30th Anniversary, we are raising $30,000. Can we count on your support? Click here or on the DONATE button at the bottom of this newsletter. Learn more about our 30 for 30 campaign.



FoRR Annual Meeting: November 6

FoRR members have been invited to attend our Annual Meeting on the evening of November 6. We are extending our RSVP deadline by an additional day, so please RSVP via email by the end of the day on Thursday, 11/2!

Action Alert: Wear Blue for Buffers at County Council : November 7  

Wear blue to the next Greenville County Council meeting on Tuesday to show your support for strengthening Greenville’s county-wide riparian buffer requirements. Learn more here.

Water Quality Monitoring Outing: November 20

Find more information here. Updates will be announced on our social media and in our Monitoring Team Email.

See the latest water quality data HERE.

October In Review...

September 30

Swansgate Community Cleanup

Former FoRR board member, Karen Martin, led her neighborhood's biannual Brushy Creek cleanup in the Swansgate Community. FoRR always provides supplies for these projects, and we love that the Swansgate Community members continue to be great stewards of our watershed.

October 4

Veritas Litter Cleanup

FoRR led a litter sweep with seven sixth graders and two teachers from the Veritas Preparatory School. They met at St. Matthew Church where their school is located and walked along Boxwood, Woodland Way, and Woodland Way Circle. They collected several bags of garbage and part of an old sofa!

October 24

Reedy River E. coli TMDL Response

In mid-October, FoRR submitted comments on SC Department of Health and Environmental Control's (SC DHEC) draft Reedy River Basin E. coli Total Maximum Daily Load (TMDL) document. FoRR provided a letter of recommendations to be included in the document during the initial call for stakeholder comments in November 2022 and sent our most recent letter commenting on the draft TMDL in mid-October to assist SC DHEC in their final review of the TMDL in hopes of strengthening the document to help manage E. coli coliform in the Reedy and its tributaries. Read the Draft Reedy River TMDL.

October 30

Opportunity Greenville

Partnership and Resource Developer, Mary Sillik, attended Opportunity Greenville’s "Making a Difference in Your Community" final session. She spoke on a panel with other amazing organizations including Feed & Seed, Upstate Warrior Solution, the Julie Valentine Center, and Upstate International to share how local businesses can make an impact in the community by getting involved with Greenville nonprofits. 

Board Member Highlight

Nikki Grumbine

Emeritus Board Member

Nikki Grumbine is a retired textile marketing executive. She has been on the board of FoRR since 2007 and served as president from 2013 to 2017. She is also involved with the YMCA of Greenville, having served on several boards and a big supporter of their community mission. Nikki is married to Allen Grumbine.

Q: How did you get involved with FoRR?

A: I got involved with FoRR in 2007 when I was asked by Frank Holleman to join the board. As a lifelong environmentalist, FoRR ignited a passion in me that citizens must act and speak up to prevent the degradation of our natural world. I have met the finest people by partnering with and supporting all the conservation and environmental organizations in our town and region. My dream is that working with local government and private property owners, we transform the Reedy River and riverbanks into a nature park teeming with pollinator plants, native plants, and the attendant wildlife.

Q: What is your favorite book?

A: I love to read, and dozens of books are in my Top Ten list (ha ha). But if I’m to choose one, I must go with A Gentleman in Moscow by Amor Towles as my all time favorite. It’s a book to read slowly and savor each page and each turn of events.

Q: What is your favorite native plant?

A: My favorite native plant is the American Beautyberry. It comes in lots of shapes and colors and the berries are very prominent in the fall. I love watching the birds sit on the swaying branches and filling their stomachs with good natural food. My backyard is certified by the National Wildlife Federation as a Certified Wildlife Habitat. It is not a difficult certification to achieve, and I encourage folks to look into it. It makes picking your favorite native plant a difficult one!

Q: What is the best vacation you have ever been on?

A: The best vacation for me is our regular summer travels to Maine. My extended family was blessed with a lake house funded in 1957 by my great grandfather and now that we are retired we spend a good part of the summer on the lake. There is nowhere else I’d rather be (qualification: in the summer), surrounded by nature and lake life all day, every day. Watching my grandkids bond with the place warms my heart.