Home Ground uses Frostburg's Grounds to Raise Awareness

By: Aaron Oliver, ENGL 336.002

     This September has many citizens of Frostburg in high spirits for reasons other than the start of football season. The city comes together to celebrate the area's diversity, beauty, and culture. It is also Frostburg’s 200^th birthday, which is the icing on the cake for this small community.

     The purpose of the Appalachian Festival is to bring people of different communities together to witness and support the talent and variety in the city. Not only was that accomplished this weekend, attendees were also given a chance to help support a local cause.

     Home Ground was only founded about a year ago by citizens who wanted to sustain and enrich the beautiful natural resources in Allegany County. Their mission is to “increase the knowledge of Allegany County’s natural assets, inspiring citizens to support sustainable use and conservation of our land and water resources”, as the Home Ground brochure reads.   

     Helping to spread the info about Home Ground was Mary Huebner, a retired librarian and Cumberland resident.  Mary is also the Vice President of the Board of Directors that has 13 other members. She grew up in the Baltimore City area and actually had a few cousins that went to my Alma Mater, Loyola Blakefield. Mary said, in her opinion, the purpose of Home Ground was “getting people interested in our natural resources …making sure we retain our natural resources and things like that.”

     Mary was very pleased that Home Ground was able to get a table at the Appalachian Festival this year. She wants to share her love of the great outdoors with everyone she comes in contact with. She said, “We need to get more young people involved.” Mary is right, and this was a perfect opportunity for the Home Ground cause to infiltrate the Frostburg Campus. The best way for students to get involved is to volunteer their time. Students can also get involved by attending Home Ground’s events. For example, “We had a hawk-watch last fall at Dan’s Rock, which is fairly close to here (Frostburg). We try to get out and have walks and hikes in Allegany County” says Mary. Other upcoming events include Discover Allegany outdoors which is on October 6^th at Rocky Gap State Park, and also hawk watching at Dan’s Rock is on October 14^th. More information about these activities and more can be found here: http://www.homegroundallco.org/.

Mary also quoted her favorite weather-man talking about how much good nature can do. “I have to get into nature. Whenever I see a town destroyed or something like that, I have to get back into nature and rejuvenate my spirit.” She went on to say, “Being out in the woods, being away from all of that (Baltimore City), it does your soul a lot of good."

If you are in the Frostburg area and looking for a way to enjoy the natural beauty the area has to offer, visit this website: http://www.homegroundallco.org/. Frostburg State is fortunate to have a group such as Home Ground willing to encourage young people to participate and bask in the area’s nature. If you are at the next Applaician Festival, stop by Home Ground’s table. You just might fall in love with nature.