Students represent the James through Eco Art

Every year Megan Wright, an art teacher at St. Bridget’s School, puts on an art show to showcase her students’ work. This year’s theme was EcoArt and focused on the flora and fauna of the Richmond region. Projects included watercolors of birds native to Virginia and a forest made out of recycled paper. First graders at the school were tasked with creating Atlantic sturgeon using paints and pastels to swim through a representation of the James River.

Before the first graders could create their sturgeon, they needed to learn about these ancient giants. They watched JRA’s new documentary The Great Return of the Atlantic Sturgeon, and marveled at the size of these fish, learning about their prehistoric existence and their triumph as the “fish that saved Jamestown.” Most importantly, students learned that by keeping the James River clean, they can help protect the environment and bring back more sturgeon to Virginia. 

Even though weeks have passed since
their EcoArt showcase, Ms. Wright reports that her students are still fascinated by Atlantic sturgeon. They have taken it upon themselves to educate their families about this miraculous fish and about how they can help the James River. 

Education is at the heart of JRA’s mission and we couldn’t be more excited to learn about a new group of future river guardians!

To learn more about St. Bridget’s School’s EcoArt project, visit http://saintbridget.org/events/museum-of-very-fine-arts-2014/. 

JRA Brings River-Friendly Landscaping to Habitat for Humanity Project

Over the past several months, JRA has worked with the Richmond Metropolitan Habitat for Humanity (RMHFH) to provide river-friendly landscaping to The Pillars at Oakmont in Richmond’s Church Hill neighborhood. This mixed-income community was completed last spring by RMHFH along North 33^rd Street between T and Kuhn Streets.

In February, JRA’s Watershed Restoration Team met with nine homeowners from the community to teach them how using native plants in landscaping creates a river-friendly yard that helps protect water quality. We worked with the homeowners to design landscapes for their yard that would not only meet the needs of their families, but also help the James River. 

GE volunteers gather before getting to work!

On Friday, May 9, an unusually hot Spring day, JRA was joined by representatives for RMHFH and 50 volunteers from GE for a work day at the Pillars to put the landscape plans into place Several local companies, including Yardworks, Luck Stone, Pete Rose Landscape Products, Glen Allen Nursery and New Line Hardscapes, provided assistance and/or in-kind donations for this project. Several members from the Central Virginia Landscape and Nursery Association (CVLNA) volunteered and taught volunteers the proper way to install plants. Members of the Old Dominion Chapter of the Interlocking Concrete Pavement Institute (ICPI) came to lead volunteers in the installation of the patios.  

Mulching around our native Blueberry shrub!

Big thanks go to members Brad Swortzel from BWS Landscaping and Mike Hart from Homescapes Ltd for leading the patio install.

Teams of homeowners and GE volunteers worked together on the backyards to complete various landscaping tasks, such as installing paver patios, prepping garden beds and planting native trees and shrubs. Native plants are an important aspect of river-friendly landscaping because they are adapted to local soil, rainfall and temperature conditions. These traits allow them to grow with minimal use of water and fertilizer and help reduce stormwater runoff from your property.

Proud homeowners enjoying their new native landscape!

All nine homes at the Pillars at Oakmont will become certified River Hero Homes, which is a way to recognize these homeowners for successfully taking steps to improve water quality by reducing the amount of stormwater and pollution leaving their property. Anyone living in the James River watershed can become a certified River Hero Home. It is a simple way you can help protect the James River.

One of nine new native gardens at The Pillars

Thanks for coming to the James RiverFest

The James RiverFest is an eco-friendly artisan festival held at Eco Discovery Park in Williamsburg every April.

We would like to thank all of the vendors and participants that supported the festival this past weekend. The weather was beautiful and it was a great opportunity to meet lots of new friends. 

There were many different activities going on during the event.  JRA offered a trash cleanup opportunity on Longhill Road, which resulted in 9 bags of trash being removed from the area! Jamestown Discovery Boat Tours and Chesapeake Experience both offered free opportunities to get out on the water, and there were several area non-profits in attendance with great kid's activities. There was also live music from In Layman Terms, The UnXpected, and FRIENDS.

Thanks to our partner, Eco Discovery Park for hosting our event, as well as TowneBank for serving as Presenting Sponsor. Thanks also to Williamsburg Event Rentals, Middle Peninsula, Martin's and WY Daily who is the only daily newspaper in the Historic Triangle, Williamsburg Yorktown. They provide the latest local news to your inbox, every morning, for free! 

Our Business Council members, Dominion Due Dilligence, Smithfield, Stamie E. Lyttle Co, Health Diagnostic Laboratory, Estes and Hardywood are also an integral part of all of our events. We would not have been able to have this event without support from our sponsors. 

Check out event photos on our Facebook page, and we hope you will be able to join us next year!

RiverRat Spotlight - John Mays

RiverRat John Mays manages to combines business with pleasure! As the owner of Twin River Outfitters, a paddlesport rental business on the Upper James, he is out on the river all the time!

John says he became a RiverRat “to help develop the river access points on the Upper James and to ensure that it is as clean and trash free as possible.” John knows that a clean river is both good for business and the environment. 

“I routinely patrol the section of the Upper James from Buchanan to Arcadia.  It’s a 6 mile section of water downstream of our store.  It has fun rapids, is very remote, and awesome Blueridge Mountain views.” Along the way he picks up litter. He says the best thing about being a RIverRats is getting to know other dedicated river folks.

To help more people get out on the river, Twin River Outfitters offers JRA members 10% off any rental, river trip or shuttle service (excluding retail merchandise.) If you’re in Buchanan Stop by and visit John and Twin River Outfitters at 653 Lowe Street or online atwww.canoevirginia.net.