Friends of Blackwater is happy to announce that we are now offering eco-tours of the Allegheny Highlands! We will be leading hikes that will focus on different plants and animals of the region as well as more general ones that will teach you a bit about everything. Scroll to the bottom of the page to RSVP […]
Wildlife
Friends of Blackwater works to conserve critical habitat for rare species, and to fight for policies like the Endangered Species Act and Extinction Prevention Act which will keep West Virginia and the Highlands "wild and wonderful" for future generations.

Latest News
Winter Wildlife Art Contest!
Friends of Blackwater held a Winter Wildlife art contest for students up to grade 12. We had a list of animals that were to be used. The idea was to draw or paint the animals in a setting that they would be found in winter. For example, Timber Rattlesnakes spend the winter in dens under […]
SAY NO TO TIMBERING IN UPPER ELK ROADLESS AREA!
The United States Forest Service is planning major timbering in the “Upper Elk Roadless Area,” a section of the Monongahela National Forest — in Pocahontas county West Virginia — that is home to “Ginny,” the protected West Virginia Northern Flying Squirrel. The Forest Service’s “Roadless Area Conservation Rule” states that any tree cutting in a […]
Speaking with Senator Manchin’s Staffer about Extinction Prevention Act
Friends of Blackwater spoke with Senator Manchin’s staffer in a video conference call on August 19th to gain his support in voting for the Extinction Prevention Act. This act would provide funding for some of North America’s most at-risk species for extinction. Some of these include 39 species of butterflies, 70% of freshwater mussels, 42 […]
Groups Challenge Trump Administration’s Latest Assaults on the Endangered Species Act
Earthjustice, a nonprofit environmental law firm, just filed two law suits against the former Trump administration after their final attacks on the Endangered Species Act that stripped vital protections from federal lands that research indicates are necessary for endangered and threatened species conservation. The first case challenges what the Trump administration defines as “habitat,” which […]