We hope you are taking time to enjoy the James this season.
Below are a few opportunities to enjoy and protect your river.
Become a member today and enjoy exclusive discounts all year long!
Volunteering for the James
Meet Valerie Hubbard, our November Volunteer of the Month. She is a RiverRat, water quality monitor, invasive species tackler, native tree planter, and advocate for the James. Valerie really does it all!
Growing up on the James in Richmond and spending time sailing on the Chesapeake Bay with her family, Valerie has a deep connection to Virginia's waterways. She volunteers to keep the water she loves clean and safe for everyone to enjoy.
Thank you to Valerie and all our volunteers. We couldn't do the work we do without the support of people like you!
Rare find on the James
In October our Education staff discovered five young Atlantic sturgeon during an education program on the James. They were no more than 5cm long and estimated to be only a few weeks old. The sturgeon were immediately returned to the river and swam away safely.
This was an incredible find!
Juvenile sturgeon have been very scarce in the James River, but new and encouraging discoveries are continuing to happen. Last fall VCU researchers documented the first two juvenile sturgeon discovered in the James River in more than a decade. Finding young sturgeon that are too small to have migrated from a different river is incredibly important proof of successful spawning in the James River - a sign of positive momentum for the species.
You can read more about this exciting discovery here.
Volunteers needed to plant trees
Join us in protecting the James by volunteering to plant native trees in Albemarle and Amherst Counties at the end of the month.
November 27 - Albemarle County
November 28 - Albemarle County
November 30 - Amherst County
Planting native trees is an excellent way to reduce stormwater runoff and protect water quality. Tree canopies capture and store rainfall and reduce soil erosion. They take up a large amount of water from the soil and provide important habitat for wildlife.
Email volunteer@jrava.org for more information. All tools and instruction will be provided at the event.
Education season is in full swing
Fall on the James is here and our Education program is in full swing. We're busy throughout the watershed offering hands-on, river-based learning opportunities to students of all ages.
In October students from Falling Spring Elementary School visited the James River Ecology School at Presquile National Wildlife Refuge. They were able to participate in three stations: a nature hike to learn about local vegetation and wildlife, a lesson about pollution in the James River watershed, and a boat trawl to catch fish and learn about water quality.
