West Fork Watershed Day

11 October 2025 at Watters Smith State Park

Come celebrate our West Fork River watershed while you learn about how it works at Watters Smith State Park, Saturday, 11 October 2025, 10 to 4.

All ages are invited to bring a picnic lunch and spend the day, bring your mountain bikes and ride the trails, walk the trails or visit the Watters Smith farm museum. Or drop in for the morning, the afternoon, or just one activity.

Learn more at https://guardiansofthewestfork.org/2025/09/15/west-fork-watershed-day-at-watters-smith-state-park-11-oct-2025-2/

Sunday, 20 July 2025: Watters Smith Memorial State Park

Watters Smith Memorial State Park

“I always wondered how a real estate man could buy up a farm and put a whole city on it.” He said. “ I don’t think it’s right. When we first came out here there was just one other house in the whole area. Now there is a subdivision across the street.” “I guess I could have gotten a good price for this place, but when I was young, I used to walk in these pretty woods along Kyte Creek with its clear water and think, “Someday this would make a good park.””

— Norm Skare, talking about a different park created from a different family farm, as quoted in “Norm Skare and an oasis of wilderness”, Rochelle News-Leader (Rochelle, Illinois), May 27, 2022

We currently have a Spiritual Outing on the third Sunday of each month during the summer. For this year’s July outing, we will gather for a celebration of outdoors and nature on Sunday, July 20, at Watters Smith Memorial State Park. There will be no ZOOM session this Sunday.

We will meet at 11 a.m. in the Pioneer shelter in the picnic area near the historical area for a short service followed by a potluck picnic, conversation, and walking. Bring food to share if you are able and wish to share; otherwise, just bring food for yourself and share our company.

If you are not on the WFUU members email list, or want a ride, please contact us at westforkuu@gmail.com.

We would love to have you come worship with us.

Pickerel frog (Lithobates palustris) swimming in Duck Creek

Email westforkuu@gmail.com or use our contact form for more information or to carpool, or write to us at PO Box 523, Clarksburg WV 26302

Sunday, 15 June 2025: Spiritual Outing at Valley Falls State Park

Tygart Valley River
Tygart Valley River at Valley Falls

To Hindus the universe itself was a perpetual motion machine, and there seemed nothing absurd in an endless and spontaneous flow of energy. Bhāskāra speaks of the siphon as though it were a device for perpetual motion, and his fourteenth-century European imitator insists that his mercury wheel is in perpetual motion, even though when he made it experimentally he applied heat to its lower part, and is quite aware that it turned because the heat made the mercury rise. A windmill on a hill with constant breezes, a water-mill in a stream which never runs dry, were, to the Middle Ages, perpetual motion machines. The significant things about the idea of perpetual motion in late Medieval Europe, in contrast to India and Islam, are the indications of the intense and widespread interest in it, the attempt to diversify its motors, and the effort to make it do something useful.
— Lynn White, Jr., Medieval Technology and Social Change (1962).

We have Spiritual Outings on the first Sunday of each month through the summer (very loosely defined), but this month it will be on the third Sunday. For this year’s June outing, we will gather on 15 June at Valley Falls State Park for a celebration of summer, the joys of nature, the perpetual flow of water, and the challenges of fellowship. Come join us on the banks of the Tygart Valley River.

We will meet at 11 a.m. in the picnic area for a short service followed by a potluck picnic, conversation, and walking — look for the WFUU banner. Bring food to share if you are able and wish to share; otherwise, just bring food for yourself and share our company. In the event of rain we will probably get wet; in the event of clear sky we will probably get hot — bring weather-appropriate clothing.

We would love to have you come worship and eat with us.

Note that ZOOM will not be available for this service.

This link will take you to a map: https://goo.gl/maps/CiiqyDAXiw42

Email westforkuu@gmail.com or use our contact form for more information or to carpool, or write to us at PO Box 523, Clarksburg WV 26302

A Great Spangled Fritillary (Speyeria cybele) came for the picnic

West Fork Watershed Day

12 October 2024 at Watters Smith State Park

Celebrate our watershed at Watters Smith State Park, Saturday, 12 October 2024, 10 to 4

All ages are invited to bring a picnic lunch and spend the day, bring your mountain bikes and ride the trails, walk the trails or visit the Watters Smith farm museum. Or drop in for the morning, the afternoon, or just one activity.

Learn more at https://guardiansofthewestfork.org/2024/09/09/west-fork-watershed-day-at-watters-smith-state-park-12-oct-2024/

Sunday, 6 October 2024: Spiritual Outing at Valley Falls State Park

Tygart Valley River
Tygart Valley River at Valley Falls

To Hindus the universe itself was a perpetual motion machine, and there seemed nothing absurd in an endless and spontaneous flow of energy. Bhāskāra speaks of the siphon as though it were a device for perpetual motion, and his fourteenth-century European imitator insists that his mercury wheel is in perpetual motion, even though when he made it experimentally he applied heat to its lower part, and is quite aware that it turned because the heat made the mercury rise. A windmill on a hill with constant breezes, a water-mill in a stream which never runs dry, were, to the Middle Ages, perpetual motion machines. The significant things about the idea of perpetual motion in late Medieval Europe, in contrast to India and Islam, are the indications of the intense and widespread interest in it, the attempt to diversify its motors, and the effort to make it do something useful.
— Lynn White, Jr., Medieval Technology and Social Change (1962).

We have Spiritual Outings on the first Sunday of each month through the summer (very loosely defined). For this year’s October outing, we will gather on October 6 at Valley Falls State Park for a celebration of early Autumn, the joys of nature, the perpetual (we hope) flow of water, and the challenges of fellowship. Come join us on the banks of the Tygart Valley River.

We will meet at 11 a.m. in the picnic area for a short service followed by a potluck picnic, conversation, and walking. Bring food to share if you are able and wish to share; otherwise, just bring food for yourself and share our company.

We would love to have you come worship with us.

Note that ZOOM will not be available for this service.

For a map, please use this link: https://goo.gl/maps/CiiqyDAXiw42

Email westforkuu@gmail.com or use our contact form for more information or to carpool, or write to us at PO Box 523, Clarksburg WV 26302

A Great Spangled Fritillary (Speyeria cybele) came for the picnic

Sunday, June 4, 2023: Valley Falls State Park

Tygart Valley River
Tygart Valley River at Valley Falls

We have Spiritual Outings on the first Sunday of each month during the summer. For this year’s second outing, we will gather for a celebration of the beginning of summer, flowers, and the challenges of fellowship, June 4, at Valley Falls State Park — picnic and hiking on the banks of the Tygart Valley River.

We will meet at 11 a.m. in the picnic area for a short service followed by a potluck picnic, conversation, and walking. Bring food to share if you are able and wish to share; otherwise, just bring food for yourself and share our company.

We would love to have you come worship with us.

For a map, please use this link: https://goo.gl/maps/CiiqyDAXiw42

Email westforkuu@gmail.com or use our contact form for more information or to carpool, or write to us at PO Box 523, Clarksburg WV 26302

A Great Spangled Fritillary (Speyeria cybele) came for the picnic

Sunday, 7 May 2023: Watters Smith Memorial State Park

We have Spiritual Outings on the first Sunday of each month during the summer. For this year’s first outing, we will gather for a celebration of spring, flowers, and the challenges of labor history on Sunday, May 7, at Watters Smith Memorial State Park. There will be no ZOOM session this Sunday.

We will meet at 11 a.m. in the Pioneer shelter in the picnic area near the historical area for a short service followed by a potluck picnic, conversation, and walking. Bring food to share if you are able and wish to share; otherwise, just bring food for yourself and share our company.

Directions will be sent to the WFUU email list. If you are not on the email list, or want a ride, please contact us at westforkuu@gmail.com.

We would love to have you come worship with us.

Email westforkuu@gmail.com or use our contact form for more information or to carpool, or write to us at PO Box 523, Clarksburg WV 26302

Sunday, May 1, 2022: Valley Falls State Park

Tygart Valley River

Tygart Valley River at Valley Falls

We have Spiritual Outings on the first Sunday of each month during the summer. For this year’s first outing, we will gather for a celebration of spring, flowers, and the challenges of labor history on Sunday, May 1, at Valley Falls State Park — picnic and hiking on the banks of the Tygart Valley River.

We will meet at 11 a.m. in the picnic area for a short service followed by a potluck picnic, conversation, and walking. Bring food to share if you are able and wish to share; otherwise, just bring food for yourself and share our company.

During this time of continuing covid-19 pandemic we are following current CDC guidelines (see https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/your-health/gatherings.html). Fully vaccinated people are safe without masks for themselves and for unvaccinated people.  If you are not vaccinated you should consider wearing a mask and practicing appropriate social distancing.

We would love to have you come worship with us.

For a map, please use this link: https://goo.gl/maps/CiiqyDAXiw42

Email westforkuu@gmail.com or use our contact form for more information or to carpool, or write to us at PO Box 523, Clarksburg WV 26302

 

A Great Spangled Fritillary (Speyeria cybele) came for the picnic

Sunday, September 5, 2021: Valley Falls State Park

Tygart Valley River

Tygart Valley River at Valley Falls

We have Spiritual Outings on the first Sunday of each month during the summer. For this year’s fifth outing, we will gather for a celebration of the end of Summer and the beginning of Autumn on Sunday, September 5, at Valley Falls State Park — picnic and hiking on the banks of the Tygart Valley River.

We will meet at 11 a.m. in the picnic area for a short service followed by a potluck picnic, conversation, and walking. Bring food to share if you are able and wish to share; otherwise, just bring food for yourself and share our company.

During this time of continuing covid-19 pandemic we are following current CDC guidelines (see https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/communication/guidance.html). Fully vaccinated people are safe without masks for themselves and for unvaccinated people.  If you are not vaccinated you should wear a mask and practice appropriate social distancing.

We would love to have you come worship with us.

For a map, please use this link: https://goo.gl/maps/CiiqyDAXiw42

Email westforkuu@gmail.com or use our contact form for more information or to carpool, or write to us at PO Box 523, Clarksburg WV 26302

Sunday, July 7, 2019: Valley Falls State Park

Tygart Valley River

Tygart Valley River at Valley Falls

We have Spiritual Outings on the first Sunday of each month during the summer. For this year’s second outing, we will gather for a celebration of summer on Sunday, July 7, at Valley Falls State Park — picnic and hiking on the banks of the Tygart Valley River.

We will meet at 11 a.m. in the picnic area for a short service, followed by a potluck picnic, conversation, and walking.

We would love to have you come worship with us.

For a map, please use this link: https://goo.gl/maps/CiiqyDAXiw42

Email westforkuu@gmail.com or use our contact form for more information or to carpool, or write to us at PO Box 523, Clarksburg WV 26302