Help JRA do ‘Amazing’ things through Give Richmond’s Amazing Raise.

The Amazing Raise is a 36-hour giving campaign that takes place from 6 am, September 17 to 6 pm, September 18.  During this exciting 36-hour giving campaign more than 500 Richmond-area nonprofit organizations will collect donations and compete for the chance to win additional incentive prizes ranging from $500 to $15,000!  See complete list of prizes here.

Here’s how YOU can do something AMAZING for the James…

•  Starting on September 17 at 6 am visit JRA’s website www.jrava.org and use the form to donate. Or you can revisit this blog and donate below. 
• All donations must be made online by credit or debit card. Minimum donation is $25.
• Only gifts made through the donation form between 6 am on September 17 and 6 pm on September 18  count toward JRA’s The Amazing Raise total.
• You can make your gift in honor or memory of a loved one. And, you can track JRA’s progress on the real‐time leaderboard here.

What AMAZING things has JRA done this past year?

Here are just a few examples. Thanks to the support of people like you, JRA has…

• Helped build a new Chickahominy River access point.
• Served 2,403 students through our Education Program.
• Created the third artificial sturgeon spawning reef.
•          Trained over 40 new JRA volunteer RiverRats. JRA currently has over 180 RiverRats who patrol 85% of the main-stem of the James River.

Help JRA do more AMAZING things to protect America’s Founding River through your donation of $50 or more during the Amazing Raise, 6 am September 17 to 6 pm September 18! Go to www.jrava.org to donate and learn more about the Amazing James!

Stormwater Runoff Reduction in Petersburg

By Matthew Perry, JRA Intern

On July 22, JRA and the Center for Watershed Protection (CWP) trained the City of Petersburg’s executive staff on the importance of stormwater management. The training focused on how the City’s departments could work together to limit its stormwater runoff and how they could foster a sense of environmental stewardship in its communities. From the head of the Municipal Golf Course to the Police Chief, everyone in the meeting room remained engaged and involved during presentations from both JRA and CWP.

This was the inaugural training of JRA’s Promoting Green Infrastructure program, which is designed to increase the understanding and facilitate the implementation of green stormwater projects. The program focuses on three urban areas within the James River watershed: Lynchburg, Charlottesville, and Petersburg. In each locality, JRA will work to increase stormwater knowledge, engage local citizens on stormwater issues, and establish a “Walkable Watershed” in a neighborhood. The walkable watersheds will connect a community to a nearby creek or stream, establish safe passage routes for pedestrians and cyclists to schools and community centers, and contain watershed improvements that help slow, infiltrate, and clean rain water. Not only will the neighborhood that hosts the walkable watershed reduce its stormwater impact, it will also benefit from the beautification and community-building that comes from making green space an important component of their area. This concept was introduced to all attendees at the meeting and was met with considerable approval.

Although the implementation process has not yet begun in Petersburg, this meeting marked a crucial step in the program: getting government officials educated and involved. Every official left the meeting with a new understanding of stormwater issues and how to address them. By establishing an environmentally-friendly mentality in Petersburg, JRA can ensure that all government departments will work together to make green infrastructure a reality in their city. Citizens and city officials both share the motivation for pollution reduction and both are ready to meet the challenge with assistance from JRA and CWP.