Accepting Applications for the 2014 James River Expeditions

Canoeing through the Allegheny Mountains
 on the Upper James Expedition

JRA’s Education team is gearing up for warm weather and the 2014 James River Expeditions. This year marks the fourth consecutive summer that JRA and the Dominion Foundation have hosted the Expeditions, a series of 8-day journeys that will collectively paddle the 340‐mile length of the James River. This adventure of a lifetime was created to connect young people living within the James River watershed with “their river.” Not only will students be immersed in understanding the health and ecology of the river, but the Expeditions also challenge students mentally and physically, inspiring self-confidence and appreciation for their environment. 

The 2013 Middle James Expedition team preparing 

for the start of their journey in Lynchburg

In order to reach more students than in years past, the 2014 Expeditions will have an open-enrollment application process. Interested rising 10^th and 11^th grade students from any public high school within the James River watershed are encouraged to fill out an application. Never paddled or camped before?  No problem, there is no experience required to participate!

The 2014 Expeditions also offer a different opportunity for teachers as well. JRA is looking for three outstanding high school teachers, one per leg of the Expedition, to assist JRA in leading these floating classrooms down the James River. Teachers will be awarded a stipend and an educational experience that can help with Professional Development requirements.

A Lower James Expedition student learns about energy
while touring the Dominion Nuclear Power Station in Surry, VA

If chosen, you will join a team of 10 students, one teacher and JRA staff.  The Expedition journeys begin at the headwaters of the James River in June and ends at the mouth of the Chesapeake Bay in August. These trips immerse students in the rich ecology, beauty and natural history of one of our country’s greatest natural resources, the best way we know how, from the seat of a canoe.

2014 Expedition Dates:

Upper James Expedition: June 21 through June 28

Middle James Expedition: July 12 through July 19

Lower James Expedition: July 26 through August 2

The application deadline for teachers is Friday, February 21, 2014. The student application deadline is Friday, March 14, 2014.

More information about the 2014 James River Expeditions, including applications, can be found at www.JamesRiverAssociation.org/Expedition. We look forward to seeing you on the water! 

Caption:  Canoeing through the Allegheny Mountains on the Upper James Expedition

New Signs Feature Facts About the Monster Fish of the James

Learn about Atlantic sturgeon and maybe even see one breach near the boat ramp at Ancarrow’s Landing

Do you want to know more about Atlantic sturgeon? If you find yourself in the Richmond area, keep an eye out for JRA’s new interpretive signs. They can be found at the Conch Republic in Rocketts Landing, near the boat ramp at Ancarrow’s Landing and along the Canal Walk at the Turning Basin. The signs were placed at these locations because sturgeon have been known to breach, or jump out of the water, just below the river’s fall line during the summer and fall.

JRA's Lead Educator Intern, Kyle Burnette, and RiverRat volunteer Steve Hill installing the new Atlantic Sturgeon signs.

If you are still curious about sturgeon, there is more! A special documentary on James River sturgeon is scheduled to be released at the Richmond Environmental Film Festival on Sunday, February 9. This film, narrated by JRA and US Fish and Wildlife staff, will highlight the challenges facing sturgeon today, as well as our need to work together to protect the health of river.

Not in the Richmond area?  You can contact Jamie Brunkow, Lower James Riverkeeper, at jbrunkow@jrava.org with your questions and concerns regarding Atlantic sturgeon. 

Tell the General Assembly: Do Not Dilute Stormwater Regulations Designed to Protect Our Waterways!

We all rely on our waterways for drinking water, and sometimes it is hard to see the damage that stormwater inflicts on them. That’s why we all need to pitch in to make sure they’re healthy, or face the consequences of degrading our river, creeks, streets and homes.

Across our watershed and throughout Virginia, stormwater pollution is a serious problem that impacts the health and quality of our local waterways. It is an issue that all of our communities must address.

In order to contribute to solving the stormwater problem, local governments must adopt ordinances requiring all new development to address their stormwater impacts. Currently, all of the local governments in our watershed are required to do so by July 1, 2014 – but this requirement is currently under pressure at the 2014 General Assembly.

What is stormwater pollution? 
When it rains, the water falls on rooftops, streets, sidewalks and parking lots and then flows to our community’s waterways. Along the way, it picks up all kinds of pollutants like pet waste, fertilizers and pesticides, oil and automotive fluids. Much of the ground in cities and suburbs is covered in surfaces that do not allow this water to absorb (also called impervious surfaces) – surfaces like asphalt, cement, and roofing material– this makes polluted stormwater which flows into our rivers, streams and lakes.

What are the impacts of stormwater pollution?
Stormwater adversely impacts the quality of our local waters, as it carries with it various pollutants, sediments, and other debris from the surfaces over which it runs off. Stormwater also creates quantity problems which result in flooding, stream bank erosion, combined sewer overflows (CSO), basement flooding, and sewer backups. Polluted stormwater also often negatively affects drinking water sources. This, in turn, can affect human health and increases drinking water treatment costs.

Why is it important to address stormwater now?
Virginia has been working for over ten years on the development of stronger stormwater requirements that will protect our local streams and the James River.  We cannot wait any longer - the time to act is now!

If we don’t want to face increased flooding in our homes, businesses, and streets, increased pollution in our rivers and streams, and increased fines for inac­tion, we need to act now. The outdated methods that we rely on to carry our stormwater are not up to the task. New local programs will be designed to handle stormwater runoff and improve our waterways for future generations.

Delaying or weakening the adoption of local stormwater programs will hinder Virginia’s ability to meet its state and federal Chesapeake Bay cleanup commitments to reduce pollution from runoff and would simply create a bigger, more costly gap to overcome. The program’s improved technical requirements and effective administrative framework (including citizen participation rights) should be permitted to go into effect without delay, weakening, or dilution.

Contact your legislators (Who is my legislator?) and let them know that they must not delay or dilute Virginia's stormwater management program to ensure safe, healthy, and productive waters for us all.  They must hold firm to the July 2014 implementation deadline.

Want to take more action? Becomea member of JRA’s Action Network.

To learn more about what you can do to reduce your runoff, visit smartstormwater.org.

Let us know if you take action, or if you have any questions, by contacting JRA’s Policy Specialist - Adrienne Kotula at (804) 788-8811 x206 or akotula@jrava.org. 

Top 5 Gifts for Rising River Lovers

It’s that time of year again to find gifts for our little critters! If you are a river lover yourself, your child has a good chance at becoming one too. Here are a few gift ideas to get your rising river lover out into nature to have fun, stay dry and warm, and maybe learn a few things too!

     WATER BOTTLE: A water bottle is a great gift to teach your child how to be friendlier to the environment by reusing their bottle instead of buying bottled water. There are some fun designs for kids out there. Check out these bottles by Camelbak.

CLOSED TOE SANDALS: These keep their little toes safe, but still allow them to walk in the river and hop through rain puddles! Keen has a wide variety of colors and styles for kids.

LONG UNDERWEAR: Cold weather doesn’t keep river lovers indoors and keeping your child nice and cozy with long underwear while on a short winter hike is important.

PERSONAL FLOTATION DEVICE (PFD): Keeping your child safe while they are on the water is the most important thing. REI has tips on finding the right one. 

BOOKS: There's a great new book called ABC’s from the James River, With Love and the author’s are donating 20% of the sales to the James River Association! Please order your books via www.dementibooks.com . When you get to the checkout screen, please enter the coupon code: JRA. Another fun book for kids is Camp Out: The Ultimate Kids Guide from the Backyard to the Backwoods. 

And don’t forget to get them something FUN! Okay, so this one is silly, but check out these Chameleon goggles! These goggles will teach your child about how other creatures see the world a bit differently.

The Return of the Great Blue Heron

by Justin Doyle, JRA Outreach Manager

Photo by Nick Kotula.

Similar to the population of Bald eagles, the Great blue heron population of the Chesapeake Bay region has increased dramatically since the late 1960s when the population reached a low. The steep population decline is attributed to the widespread use of the agricultural insecticide DDT, which was banned in 1972. Since then the Great blue heron population has rebounded and the number of breeding colonies has increased from a dozen to 407 according to a 2013 survey conducted by The Center for Conservation Biology, a collaboration between the College of William and Mary and Virginia Commonwealth University.

Some of the best places to see Great blue herons on the James River are the falls of the James, specifically the Pipeline Walk in Downtown Richmond, and throughout the Lower James. A large heronry (rookery) exists on Vauxhall Island (or “Pterodactyl Island” as I like to call it) within the James River Park System, and is clearly visible from the Pipeline Walk. They are especially active during the spring months courting, mating, and nest-building, but can be seen throughout the year.

Another way to get up close and personal with a blue heron is to paddle or float above the fall line. If you put-in at Pony Pasture and float down to Reedy Creek, you will likely see at least one heron during the spring and summer months. They are commonly seen perching on rocks and wading in shallow water, oftentimes near rapids. If you are lucky, you might see one snatch a fish from the river.

Building Schoolyard Habitats- Learning By Doing

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

The James River Association received a grant from the US Fish and Wildlife Service to engage teachers and students at two urban schools in creating schoolyard habitats at their school and in programs at the James River Ecology School at Presquile NWR.  This project ties urban schools to the National Wildlife Refuge System and to the restoration of wildlife habitat in their communities’ backyard. The two schools that were selected were Falling Creek Middle School in Chesterfield, VA and Colonial Heights Middle School in Colonial Heights, VA.

JRA’s Education Manager, Jessica Templeton, and JRA’s Watershed Restoration Associate, Amber Ellis, went to each school in early September to teach the students about the type of elements that are needed in a schoolyard habitat and the students came up with their own designs for what they wanted to see at their school. All of their designs had to address the need for wildlife (food, shelter, water), and for people (spaces to learn, accessibility, visual interest). The students’ designs were taken into consideration and combined into final plans that were implemented this fall.

Students at Falling Creek Middle School developing their designs.

Falling Creek Middle School (FCMS)

At FCMS, the theme that the students wanted was a bird habitat. The design for their habitat includes a defined outdoor classroom that is surrounded in raised beds. In the center of the classroom there will be a paw print made out of pavers. Many of the students wanted to include this design element because their mascot is a panther. Multiple layers of native vegetation were planted to encourage bird habitat with understory trees and shrubs. Native fruit producing shrubs such as Blueberry and Winterberry, as well as American Holly, and Dogwood were planted to provide food for birds. The students wanted a Weeping Cherry, so we included a native alternative, Weeping Redbud, which will be beautiful next spring.  All of the installation took place over four days in November.

Big thanks go out to the Old Dominion Chapter of the Interlocking Concrete and Pavement Institute (ICPI), particularly a team from Homescapes , Ltd.  who donated their equipment and labor to build the garden walls, as well as Newline Hardscapes that provided a great discount on the block material. The students planted 50 native plants in two days! Teachers will be helping students make plant tags and stepping stones in the classroom that will be added to the garden.  

You can see some of the Falling Creek students’ original designs here.

 Falling Creek Middle School site before.

Students planting the garden at Falling Creek Middle School.

Falling Creek Middle School after the installation of the Habitat Garden.

Colonial Heights Middle School (CHMS)

The big theme that came from the students at CHMS was to create a garden that attracted pollinators. The design includes a classroom area that is filled with picnic tables and a reading area with picnic benches. The benches were built and funded by Capital One. This seating area is surrounded by native plants that provide value to pollinators, such as butterflies, moths, and bees. Some of the plants include Echinacea, Black-eyed Susans, Viburnum, Summersweet Clethra, Aster, and Butterfly Weed. The installation took place over three weeks in October. The first Tuesday about 15 adults helped prepare the site by spreading soil, stone dust, and edging. The second Tuesday about 30 students came out to install 80 plants! Volunteers from Capital One came out the third week to build the picnic tables and benches and worked with the students to build and paint birdhouses, and make plant tags and stepping stones.

You can see some of the Colonial Heights students’ original concept designs here.

 Colonial Heights Middle School site before.

Students installing the plants at Colonial Heights Middle School.

Colonial Heights Middle School after the installation of the Habitat Garden.

The US Fish and Wildlife Service Schoolyard Habitat and Outdoor Classroom Program have helped schools across the country create wildlife habitat and spaces for children to learn outside. These gardens serve a unique role in reconnecting the students and teachers to the natural world, while also providing habitat for wildlife.

Big thanks also go to these groups that helped with the efforts at Falling Creek Middle School.

1. Homescapes: Their crew dedicated 5 days of labor and use of equipment. www.homescapesltd.com 

2. BWS Landscaping: Their crew pulled a much needed half day to get things ready for the kids. www.bwslandscaping.com 

3. NewLine Hardscapes, LLC: Miles Clarkson is one of the owners of NewLine and president of the ICPI Old Dominion Chapter.  Nelwine discounted the hardscape products by 75% for the project. We are a local manufacturer that is happy to help out in our community. www.newlinehardscapes.com 

4. ICPI Old Dominion Chapter | ICPI: We are a non-profit dedicated to growing the hardscape industry.  This event helped train train members and their crews and give back to the community. www.icpiolddominionchapter.com 

RiverRats Participate in the 3rd Annual Raft-Up

By Amber Ellis, JRA Volunteer Coordinator

The 3rd Annual RiverRats Raft-Up was held at Chippokes Plantation State Park in Surry, Virginia on October 26, 2013. The weekend started with a talk on the James River’s Atlantic sturgeon by keynote speaker Dr. Matt Balazik, Sturgeon Biologist with the VCU Rice Center. Dr. Balazik's major focus is centered on the decreasing population of sturgeon in Virginia waters, particularly the James River.

RiverRats had the opportunity to choose from two advanced training options. The first option involved how to increase river access, presented by Justin Doyle, JRA Outreach Manager and John Mays of Twin River Outfitters in Buchanan. Several of our RiverRats have been engaged in creating more river access points along the Chickahominy, as well as in the Upper James, and we hope that this session will equip others with the knowledge necessary to help with that effort. 

The second training option was “Get the Dirt Out,” offered by JRA’s Riverkeepers. Sediment continues to be the main pollution source that has not been improving throughout the entire James River watershed. This training session taught RiverRats how they can help spot sediment sources along their section and what to do about it.

After chatting with other river lovers over lunch, the afternoon was spent in canoes along Lower Chippokes Creek or hiking around the park.

That evening four awards were given out to those RiverRats who have gone above and beyond their duties. The Upper James award went to Margi Vaughn, Middle James to Sister Elena Henderson, and Lower James to Andy Pillsbury. Steve Gregory received an award for his overall commitment to helping the James River.

For those who stayed the night, and it was a very chilly night, so we all stayed close to the fire and enjoyed some warming music from The Green Boys.

Sunday morning a group of tough RiverRats enjoyed a chilly, but beautiful, pontoon boat ride around Jamestown Island.

It was a great weekend to meet other RiverRats, learn a few new things, and enjoy a different stretch of the James River. The James River Association couldn’t do what it does without this hardworking and passionate group of RiverRats. Thank you!