EPCAMR was 1 of 3 Regional Reforestation Planting Projects selected for funding by the Appalachian Coal Country Team (ACCT). EPCAMR, with help from volunteers and Charlie Jones, who helped organize the project as part of his Eagle Scout project, has used the funds to plant 40 trees and incorporate 20 Groasis Waterboxx planters into the design and reclamation of the Huber Breaker Preservation Society’s Miner’s Memorial Park.
Robert Hughes, EPCAMR Executive Director, and Ray Clarke, HBPS Chairman and Treasurer, stand with Charlie Jones and other members of Troop #152 in front of the Huber Breaker and memorial at the Miner;s Memorial Park.
The Groasis Waterboxx, an AquaPro Holland product developed in 2009 as a way to grow trees and plants in desert environments, serves as an “intelligent water incubator” that captures water from the air through condensation and rain. Due to the design of the device, the condensation is produced and captured without using any energy. Installing a Waterboxx begins with digging a 4-6 inch hole that allows the Waterboxx to sit at the surface. After digging, the hole should be filled with 5 gallons of water to help restore soil capillary systems and allow for better water retention. At this point, the Waterboxx can be installed and is ready for planting, with an 8-shaped notch at the top providing space for plant growth while reducing evaporation.
This diagram shows the interior of a Groasis Waterboxx. The Waterboxx allows water to be retained in its base, as shown in blue, which allows plants to grow in desert-like environments. The notch at the top, seen near the trunk of the tree, reduces evaporation.
The Huber Breaker Preservation Society‘s Miner’s Memorial Park is a great location to test and monitor the effectiveness of the Groasis Waterboxxes because of the high concentrations of culm and other coal waste in the soil. The culm acts similar to sand, allowing for little moisture retention, making it difficult for native plants to sustain life. The Waterboxxes, which are designed for environments with poor water retention, will help to solve this problem and allow for more variation in plant life on the Memorial Park property.
Ray Clarke, HBPS Chairman and Treasurer, helping Troop #152 scouts dig a Waterboxx hole after hitting the Engine House Foundation.
After EPCAMR obtained the funds to begin the reforestation project at the Miner’s Memorial Park, Charlie Jones, an Eagle Scout candidate, decided to organize his Boy Scout Troop #152, Forty-Fort, to assist EPCAMR. On August 3, 2013, work began at the site with EPCAMR staff, Ray Clarke – Huber Breaker Preservation Society Chairman and Treasurer, and members of Troop #152. The day consisted of digging holes for the installation of Waterboxxes, mulching and tending to various shrubs that already been planted at the site, and planting four fruit trees: pear, peach, plum, and black cherry. After the end of the project, EPCAMR installed 20 Waterboxxes that will be monitored for water content and tree growth monthly as part of research for the Regional Reforestation Planting Project funded by the ACCT and Groasis.
Troop #152 members install Waterboxx lids on top of the plum and pear trees at the Miner’s Memorial Park
The information will be valuable in determining the viability/value of using Waterboxxes. If they are deemed successful, as they have been over the last year, they will be included in other reforestation projects by EPCAMR.
EPCAMR Intern- David Svab places a Groasis Waterboxx into its freshly dug hole at Espy Run.
EPCAMR Executive Director- Robert Hughes plants a Groasis Waterboxx at Espy Run.
EPCAMR was again funded for a Phase II round of research funding and was provided with an additional 20 more Waterboxxes, of which 8 were planted at the Espy Run AMD Treatment Wetlands location, in Hanover Township in the Fall of 2013 by EPCAMR Watershed Outreach Intern David Svab and EPCAMR Executive Director, Robert Hughes, in partnership and with permission from the landowner, the Earth Conservancy. Due to the fast approaching Winter and a delay in getting the seedlings and trees delivered and in stock from the nursery that was used, EPCAMR will be continuing to plant an additional 12 Waterboxxes at the first sign of Spring.
This photo shows the newly planted Waterboxxes next to the settling ponds at the Espy Run AMD Treatment Facility.
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