October 2022 Newsletter

Stream Cleanup set for Sunday, Oct. 16 at

the historic Muster Grounds in Abingdon

Join us for our annual Muster Grounds Stream Cleanup Sunday, Oct. 16, from 2 to 4 p.m. Meet at the cul-de-sac at the end of French Moore Blvd. in Abingdon just past the Washington County Government Center. Sponsored by Sustain Abingdon, the event will offer T-shirts and pizza for volunteers.

Upper Tennessee River Roundtable and Keep Southwest Virginia Beautiful will furnish litter grabbers and gloves. Compostable trash bags will be provided by Sustain Abingdon.

If you are bringing a large group, let us know so we can plan ahead. Call 276-628-1600. Hope to see you there!

Three Rivers Art Auction set for Friday, Oct. 28, 6-8 p.m.

Lots of great art pieces will be auctioned at our Annual Three Rivers Art Auction Friday, Oct. 28, from 6-8 p.m. at the Spring House with Tumbling Creek Cider, Wolf Hills Coffee, and Appalachian Botanicals.

Tickets may be purchased on our website and are $25/person and $40/couple. Each ticket includes a glass of Tumbling Creek Cider of your choice, appetizers, coffee, and entrance to both silent and live auctions.

Proceeds from this event will help with our clean river work in Southwest Virginia.

This fish painting is by Marylou Fresco of Lebanon. Watch our FaceBook page for photos of other art.

Click here to buy tickets on our website

Fall Roundtable meeting planned for Thursday, Oct. 13

The fall Roundtable membership meeting is set for Thursday, Oct. 13, at 6 p.m. through Zoom. To obtain the link, email uppertnriver@yahoo.com and put "fall meeting" in the subject line. You do not have to be a member to attend.

The meeting will feature a proposed revision to our bylaws and a brief talk by one of our award winners. We will present awards to a number of groups and individuals who contributed greatly to our watershed work in the past year.

Trash treasures Oct. 11, Oct. 20 to feature fall crafts

Upper Tennessee River Roundtable will coordinate trash treasures workshops Tuesday, Oct. 11, at 5 p .m. with the City of Norton and Thursday, Oct. 20 , at 5:30 p.m. with Tazewell Soil and Water Conservation District. Keep Southwest Virginia Beautiful partners on these workshops which focus on reusing rather than discarding.

To sign up for the Norton event, contact rmiozzi@nortonva.org or call 276-679-0754. To register for the Tazewell event, contact elizabeth.bennett@vaswcd.org. Cost for the Norton workshop is $7/person and for the Tazewell workshop, $5/person.

Environmental education events reach many students

Upper Tennessee River Roundtable coordinated a three-day Washington County Conservation Camp at Sugar Hollow Park in September for over 450 third graders and their teachers.

The next week, Upper Tennessee River Roundtable assisted Janet Lester in her role as chair of the Washington County Fair Kids' Day by recruiting speakers for a mini conservation camp. Many thanks to the speakers who helped with the Conservation Camp and with the Fair mini Camp.

The Roundtable presented lessons at the Tazewell Soil and Water Conservation District Kids in the Creek event in September and at the Daniel Boone Soil and Water Conservation District Kids in the Creek last week.

Upper Tennessee River Roundtable's first Fix-It Fair

a success in Lebanon with many items repaired

Seven vendors worked at the Roundtable's first Fix-It Fair Saturday, Sept. 17 at the Lebanon Farmers' Market to repair clothing, chairs, lamps, small appliances, tables, electronics, and jewelry brought in by residents throughout the region. Vendors included Mike's Computerland, James Wise, Brandon Blevins, Martha Chapman, Phyllis Sword, Mary Lynn Grizzle, and Elsie Keith.

The Roundtable received a grant from Keep Virginia Beautiful to pay for the event, which was co-hosted by the Clinch Valley Soil and Water Conservation District. The Roundtable's newest volunteer, Jeannie O'Dell, contributed her skills to help make the event a success. Roundtable volunteer Quinn Price, shown at left in photo above, assisted with the event by showing participants how to transform a T-shirt into a reusable shopping bag.

Thank you to the Virginia Department of Environmental Quality for a Roundtable support grant that pays for our subscription to Constant Contact.