Being a RiverRat Comes Naturally to Charlotte Boudreau

Newport News RiverRat, Charlotte Boudreau grew up close to the river where her family used to boat and water ski and picnic on the beach near Smithfield. It’s easy to see why volunteering to become a JRA RiverRat came so naturally to her. As she says, she has always been conservation minded. “I want to teach others how important it is to take care of our resources and help save the wildlife. Monitoring the river seems like a wonderful and enjoyable way to help.”

A retired school psychologist, Charlotte currently volunteers with the Newport News Master Gardeners, Master Naturalists and the Living Museum. She also participates in some Hampton Roads Bird Club activities, like the annual bird count, and in the John Clayton Native Plant Society to promote the use of native plants. And, she still finds time to devote to her RiverRat patrols.

She monitors the Warwick River, a tributary of the James that begins near Fort Eustis and winds several miles down to the James. Most of her patrols are done by kayak since the narrow and safe river meets her comfort level, unlike the five mile wide stretch of the James where she lives. In describing the Warwick, she calls it a fairly pristine river because one side is residential with a wetlands and marsh buffer, while the other side is government-owned land that is used by the Army.

Her advice to any other nature lover to consider a volunteer opportunity: “I would encourage others to become a RiverRat because it is so important to take care of our resources for future generations to enjoy and because the James is such a special river.”

For more information on becoming a RiverRat visit our website.