Adopt a Duck Blind

By Craig Metcalfe, Lower James RiverRat, James City County

As a JRA RiverRat out on my Powhatan Creek and James River patrols, I have seen

numerous abandoned duck blinds. It has always bothered me that material from these blinds ends up in our waterways.  During the first Saturday in June, I support the Chesapeake Bay Foundation’s annual Clean the Bay Day, and along with other boaters, I help by collecting debris from the creek and river. A majority of the debris we collect is from duck blinds that are in disrepair. 

For years, I have been trying to find a way to track and report abandoned blinds. The problem is large enough in Virginia that in 2013, the Virginia General Assembly passed a law which stipulates that “those licensing stationary blinds in the public waters shall remove the blind when the licenses expire or when they no longer intend to use them, whichever occurs first.” This is step a in the right direction, but doesn’t address the issue of old unlicensed or abandoned blinds.

This fall I made contact with Sergeant Randy Hickman at the VA Department of Game and Inland Fisheries (DGIF). After a brainstorming session, we proposed and settled on the following reporting system:

• Find out of date or unlicensed blinds
• Identify the body of water
• Note the GPS coordinates
• Take a picture of the blind
• Record the date and time

Finally I sent the information to Sergeant Hickman, who ran a check on who owned the blinds.  Out of the five Powhatan Creek blinds reported, three were abandoned. The other two had renewed for the 2015 season and posted their licenses by November 1^st, as required by law.

Knowing that we now have a process in place, I met with Jamie Brunkow, Lower James Riverkeeper.  We came to the conclusion that with the support from VA DGIF,  fellow Rats could follow the same process simply by including duck blind information in their patrol logs.

Now the interesting part, Jamie and I thought about removing the abandoned blinds, however, that would be very time consuming and a hassle to take the debris to a dump site.  We came up with the idea to reuse the abandoned blinds by posting a sign, created by the JRA RiverRats, giving information on how to “adopt” the blind.  This is a wonderful incentive to duck hunters looking for a place to hunt as they would only need to fix-up existing blinds, saving both time and money. The adoption and maintenance of existing blinds would cut down on the number of new blinds and prevent the risks of debris to boaters and improve the viewshed.

RiverRats looking for an Action Project may take part in the “Adpot a Blind” project by following Craig’s lead. Get more information from Jamie Brunkow, Lower James Riverkeeper (jbrunkow@jrava.org), or if you’re interested in becoming a RiverRat signup for one of JRA’s upcoming trainings. 

Protect your water

Many aspects of our world today threaten the safety and health of the James River. Help us protect this incredible feature for future generations to continue using the James for drinking water and recreation.

Drinking water is the most vital purpose that the James River serves to the communities along its course. Today, 37 counties and 18 cities rely on the James River as a major source of their water supply. The James River, and thousands of Virginians’ drinking water is at risk from 1,100 toxic storage sites.

Last week, another unfortunate example of how our river can be at risk occurred in West Virginia. A diesel spill shut down drinking water for 12,000 people.

Now is our chance to make sure the same thing doesn't happen here.

Tomorrow, January 29th, Virginia's Senate Agriculture, Conservation and Natural Resources Committee is considering several bills which could vastly improve the management of toxic chemicals and help prevent these accidents in Virginia. We need your help to support them!

These bills have the potential to protect the river from future toxic spills, enhance toxic spill notification to the public, increase fines for violators and inventory toxic waste sites in the Commonwealth. Each of these bills will help us to protect the James River moving forward.

In order to protect the James River and all of its citizens, changes must be made.

Please click here to help us in our efforts to make these bills successful. Tell the committee that you want to see the James River protected.

Top 5 Plants for Birds this Winter

by Amber Ellis, JRA's Watershed Restoration Associate/Volunteer Coordinator

Yellow-Rumped Warbler

Native trees and shrubs that produce berries are a must-have in your garden. Not only do they provide visual interest during the dreary winter, but by adding one or several of the plants below, you can help provide much needed nourishment for birds that stick around for the colder months. Plants were selected based on value to the birds, aesthetics, fruiting season, and general plant availability.

 Eastern Red Cedar (Juniperus virginiana): This evergreen tree is easy to find and comes in a variety of different varieties. They are very tolerant and are easy to grow. Birds do not love the berries as much as others, but that makes it even more important! These berries will still be available after everything else has been picked over in late winter.  

American Robin

 Holly (Ilex spp.): Hollies are very easy to find and come in varieties of trees and shrubs, mostly evergreen, but there are a few deciduous such as Winterberry (Ilex verticillata). Some of the best evergreen holly shrubs are Yaupon Holly (Ilex vomitoria) and Inkberry (Ilex glabra). American Holly (Ilex opaca) is a native tree that is a great addition as a specimen tree or within a woodland garden. The berries are poisonous to humans, but birds love them!

Southern Bayberry (Myrica cerifera): This is a large shrub or small tree and is pretty common at nurseries. They are very easy to grow and the fragrant evergreen foliage provides shelter for birds. The berries are enjoyed by many species of birds and provide much needed fat and fiber in the winter.

Staghorn Sumac (Rhus typhina): This type of Sumac is a large deciduous shrub or small tree and is available at some nurseries. There are various native types of Sumac, but this one is the most commonly available. They are beautiful in the fall and the foliage has an almost tropical look. It will form colonies, so is not suitable for small gardens, but would be great if you have a large space to fill. The berries form in large cone clusters and are preferred by many types of birds in the winter.

Viburnum (Viburnum spp.): There are many varieties of Viburnums and almost all of them are great additions to the home landscape. They come in various heights, have beautiful blooms, and the berries come in reds and blues. Two of the best and most available are Southern Arrowwood (Viburnum dentatum) and Highbush Cranberry (Viburnum trilobum).

Northern Cardinal

Berries aren’t the only type of food that can be provided. Seedheads from grasses and perennials can also be a great source. This could include not cutting back your Black-Eyed Susan’s or Switchgrass until late winter/early spring. Remember, whether it is winter, spring, summer, or fall birds always need the three basic essentials: food, water and shelter.  In addition to planting one of the above, make sure to provide shelter (brush piles, dead trees, evergreen trees, etc.) and water (heated bird bath).

Other Resources

This Winter, Give a Bird a Berry

A Garden for All

10 Berries that Birds Love
Birds in the Winter Wildlife Garden