The History of MERG

Our story begins at
the ABC Community Center...

...located in Alderpoint, California, and we work closely with the Casterlin School to encourage young people to participate in our projects and learn about river health issues.
We believe that developing community spirit and consensus in environmental health issues is essential. The answer is not to put every tree and stream into public hands, but rather to educate private landowners in effective and cost-efficient stewardship techniques, and assist financially where needed.

MERG was founded in October 1997 by George Epsilanty with the support of Casterlin Healthy Start coordinator April Wilson. They believed that community-based activities like MERG fit in well with the Healthy Start philosophy of helping the student by helping his or her family and community.
This truly farsighted viewpoint inspired others to join MERG and combine their environmental awareness with community action and education for adults and children. The organization grew tremendously when Ruth Goodfield of ERWIG (Eel River Watershed Improvement Group) encouraged George to apply for a CA Department of Fish & Game 271 grant, which greatly expanded MERG's activities.

Our group has sponsored two Community Cleanup events with adults and Casterlin students who have collected many truckloads of garbage from streams and roadsides. We have also provided the Casterlin School with an aquarium and a water chiller unit so that Marc Wilson's 6,7&8th grade students can watch salmon eggs hatch and grow. MERG has also facilitated visits from AmeriCorps volunteers to show videos and teach and organize field trips.

...located in Alderpoint, California, and we work closely with the Casterlin School to encourage young people to participate in our projects and learn about river health issues. We believe that developing community spirit and consensus in environmental health issues is essential. The answer is not to put every tree and stream into public hands, but rather to educate private landowners in effective and cost-efficient stewardship techniques, and assist financially where needed.
	MERG was founded in October 1997 by George Epsilanty with the support of Casterlin Healthy Start coordinator April Wilson. They believed that community-based activities like MERG fit in well with the Healthy Start philosophy of helping the student by helping his or her family and community. This truly farsighted viewpoint inspired others to join MERG and combine their environmental awareness with community action and education for adults and children. The organization grew tremendously when Ruth Goodfield of ERWIG (Eel River Watershed Improvement Group) encouraged George to apply for a CA Department of Fish & Game 271 grant, which greatly expanded MERG's activities.
Our group has sponsored two Community Cleanup events with adults and Casterlin students who have collected many truckloads of garbage from streams and roadsides. We have also provided the Casterlin School with an aquarium and a water chiller unit so that Marc Wilson's 6,7&8th grade students can watch salmon eggs hatch and grow. MERG has also facilitated visits from AmeriCorps volunteers to show videos and teach and organize field trips.