Approximately 475 Waynesburg University volunteers serve at PA State Game Lands
WAYNESBURG — Waynesburg University’s incoming freshman class participated in a service project at the Pennsylvania State Game Lands Saturday, Aug. 22.
CONSOL Energy, the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation, Sherwin Williams and Wayne Lumber sponsored the event.
The approximately 475 volunteers included upperclassmen Bonner Scholars and orientation leaders as well as University faculty and staff who served alongside the freshman class. The Bonner Scholars also honed their leadership skills by leading the freshmen groups.
“Service is in the DNA of Waynesburg University, and this was evident with the class of 2019,” said Kelley Hardie, assistant dean of Student Services at Waynesburg University, in a release issued recently by the university. “The new students volunteered alongside Wildlife Conservation Officers to perform environmental stewardship. The outcome was remarkable and all service tasks were completed. The officers were extremely proud of our students’ hard work and servant hearts.”
The volunteers focused on revitalizing several cemeteries in the Game Lands. Dating back to the 1880s, the cemeteries were overgrown with brush and were in need of maintenance.
In addition to clearing brush, repositioning fallen tombstones, setting posts to mark the cemetery areas and painting fences, the group also built and hung 150 blue bird boxes.
Before heading to the Game Lands, Hardie, Jeremy Febinger, the Pennsylvania Game Commission’s wildlife conservation officer for Greene County, and Michael Merten, president of the Waynesburg University Student Senate, shared words of motivation and prayer with the student audience.
In alignment with the university’s mission of connecting faith, learning and serving, the first two days of New Student Orientation Weekend were devoted to faith and learning, with the third focusing on service through the project at the Game Lands.