The Counting House in Waynesboro hosted the 2024 South Mountain Partnership fPower of the Partnership Meeting. While weather forced the networking hour indoors, attendees connected over regional theme tables displaying partner’s work, local businesses, and make-and-take crafts. The South Mountain Program Committee and Mainstreet Waynesboro partnered well to coordinate this fun and informative networking part of the event.
Franklin County Planning Department shared Franklin County’s vision for land use and conservation through the Comprehensive Comprehensive Plan’s Focus Areas of Imagine Franklin 2035 . Presentation available here.
The Keynote Panel Discussion was Authentic Communities at the Intersection of Recreation and History featured Bill Kohler of Mainstreet Waynesboro, Katie Allen of Appalachian Trail Conservancy, Janet Pollard of Franklin County Visitors Bureau, and Tracy Holliday of Buttonwood Nature Center. Together, they reminded participants that joy, passion, and community engagement have spurred their success at various scales in economic development and conservation missions.
The Mini-Grant and Flex Grant Programs awarded over $60,000 of investment in 11 deserving projects.
The highlight of Power of the Partnership is the Spirit of South Mountain Award. This year’s 13th annual winner was Melodie Anderson-Smith.
Anderson-Smith served as the executive director of Renfrew Institute for Cultural & Environmental Studies, known today as Buttonwood Nature Center, Home of The Institute (The Institute) from 1993 to 2017. In 1985, she created the first environmental education program available in the Waynesboro Area School District using her background as an early childhood educator. This program was incorporated into The Institute’s educational offerings for visitors in 1986.
Conducting classes for young visitors as “Earthwalker,” Anderson-Smith served for nearly 40 years as an educator focused on fostering appreciation for the natural world through direct, hands-on engagement. Her lessons invited students to explore the environment with their senses, whether it was by studying snowflakes or sloshing through streams.
Additionally, Anderson-Smith developed partnerships with various community organizations, including SMP, Happel’s Meadow Wetlands Committee, and Antietam Watershed Association, strengthening efforts to care for local natural resources across the South Mountain region. From 2017 to 2021, she brought her passion for environmental education to the university level by working with student teachers and interns as The Institute’s Director of Environmental Studies.
Anderson-Smith retired from The Institute in 2021, and she continues to work for the betterment of the South Mountain Region. Today, Anderson-Smith volunteers her time on the boards of several local nonprofit organizations dedicated to initiatives within the region.
“Anderson-Smith’s work shows her long-term dedication to improving environmental education in the South Mountain area,” says Katie Hess, director of South Mountain Partnership. “For the past 40 years, she has worked hard to teach thousands of young people about the environment and help them appreciate nature.
“Taking care of this area that we call home means taking care of both nature and our culture. This is how we can live in a way that keeps the air, water, land, and people healthy,” Hess continues. “To encourage continuous good stewardship of our home, people need to connect with nature through important experiences, like the ones Anderson-Smith helps young people have. The students’ love of nature, cultivated through these educational experiences, inspires them to care for the environment in the future as residents and leaders. This impact will continue for many generations.”
To stay abreast of other SMP events, subscribe to the Around South Mountain newsletter at southmountainpartnership.org.