About Us
Friends of Peak Creek (FOPC) is a community-based, all volunteer non-profit 501(c)(3) organization dedicated to improving and protecting the environs of the Peak Creek Watershed. Our mission is to enhance and preserve a valuable headwater of the New River, improve water quality and ecological habitat in the creek, foster environmental awareness, help develop sustainable recreational and economic resources for all to enjoy.
The four founding members, Vicky Houk, Sybil Atkinson, and Ron and Linda Hall, were originally part of the Citizens Brownfields Grant Program team. Now, many more members make up the ranks of the organization, and the leadership has changed hands as well. Cathy Hanks , president of FOPC since 2014, found out about the organization through an impromptu photo-op. "I was working for Draper Aden Associates at the time, and they [Vicky, Sybil, John and Linda] had asked me to come down and take a photo of them to document FOPC getting started, and I just got involved."
The original team was focused on the economic aspects of renovating the walls that flank either side of Peak Creek. When Cathy joined however, she focused on the environmental aspect of the restoration process. "I was raised on the south side of Pulaski, so I crossed the creek every day to do something. You had to cross the creek to get school, to get to church, to get to the store. And everyone in Town does that, they just don't think about it. You don't think about the creek at all, until it's flooding or if something gross is floating in it, or if you're feeding the ducks." She knew that they needed to be the people that thought about Peak Creek when no one else was, and that approach led them into a growing and evolving project that has grown in scope ever since FOPC was first started. "It grew from the Town, to the [whole] creek, to the Town limits. FOCL (Friends of Claytor Lake) got involved and kind of mentored us on how to keep the organization going, and now it's the whole Peak Creek watershed."
The upkeep of the entirety of Peak Creek and its surroundings is very important for the health of the overall ecosystem, as one tiny portion can have a snowball effect on the remainder of the creek. Creek cleanups are usually held annually or bi-annually, depending on the need and the interest generated by the public. Bring your friends and volunteer to help!