Top 5 Ways to Celebrate the Arrival of Spring on the James

by Gabe Silver, JRA Education and Outreach Manager

A season of change blows in with the windy month of March. As the water and air temperature rise and the days get longer, animals stir with the ancient desire to migrate or find mates. It’s a great time to be a river-lover. Here are five ways to notice and celebrate spring on the James River this year:

1. Mark the arrival of the first osprey back on the James. They are expected to arrive here in mid-March.

2. Monitor the water temperature and go shad fishing when it reaches 50-550 F. You can also check out the Shad Cam at Bosher’s Dam just upriver of Richmond.

3. Pick a place in a nearby natural area you can walk to and visit it each week for the next two months. Keep a journal of the changes you see each week.

4. Follow the young-rearing efforts of a pair of bald eagles in Norfolk on this amazing web cam.

5. Get involved with the North American Amphibian Monitoring Program and help track the health of these important critters, like frogs, by learning to identify their calls and listening for them at night.

Photos courtesy of John Bragg.