MERCER COUNTY, W. Va. (WVVA) -If you are looking for something fun to do this summer, you might want to start by looking at the natural beauty to be found in your own backyard. That’s what brought one state-wide botany group to our neck of the woods this weekend.

The West Virginia Native Plant Society (WVNPS) is a group of people who travel to different places looking for rare plants found in the Mountain State. Their journey brought them to Mercer County, first to the Brush Creek Preserve on Saturday and then to Pinnacle Rock State Park on Sunday. There, they looked for rare plants like the Carolina lily and the highbush blueberry patch.

Kevin Campbell, a trustee for WVNPS and one of the organizers for this expedition, says the natural uniqueness of this part of West Virginia makes it the perfect spot for plant-based tourism.

“You start getting different geologic formations. You are on the edge of the ridge and valley region here of the state, so you have a lot more varied habitats to look at, and that means a lot more plants to look at,” says Campbell.

Campbell says this was the Society’s first visit to the area since their last visit a decade ago.

If you would like more information about the West Virginia Native Plant Society, how to join the group, or the plants to be found in the state, Campbell encourages you to check out the WVNPS Facebook group.

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Olney (Md.) Good Counsel 2027 offensive lineman Jaiden Lindsay competed in the second West Virginia big man camp of the summer and walked away with a scholarship offer.

Lindsay, 6-foot-3, 275-pounds, was one of the standouts during the event, especially during the one-on-one portion and once it was over he met with offensive line coach Matt Moore.

“He told me he was very impressed with my skills at such a young age. My reactions were I was shocked and proud of myself because I know that I worked hard for this opportunity,” he said.

The Mountaineers became the first Division One program to offer the versatile offensive lineman who was impressed with the set up of the big man camp as well as how the coaches taught him. He was especially impressed with how the coaches treated every kid on campus the same.

But his performance did warrant some additional feedback.

“The type of feedback I got was Coach Moore told me I could be a great offensive lineman if I keep working and hit the weight room,” he said.

West Virginia is targeting Lindsay anywhere from tackle to center depending on how he continues to develop his body and that versatility is something that caught the attention of Moore as well.

“That would help me in the future and they want to see me develop and grow,” he said.

The plan is for Lindsay to get another look at West Virginia in the future.

“I would love to come back for another visit,” he said.

Gov. Jim Justice has made his English bulldog, Babydog, a minor celebrity in West Virginia where she often joins him on gubernatorial trips. Now she’s enshrined in a new mural under the golden dome of the state Capitol.

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