May is Membership Month

You’re going to hope your JRA membership is up-to-date when you read this!

If you’ve ever dreamed of taking fly fishing lessons or rafting down the James with a few of your friends to celebrate a special occasion, here’s your chance. The James River Association is now offering exclusive discounts to help its members get out and enjoy the James.

Your JRA membership (at any level) now entitles you to exclusive discounts of up to 20% at select outfitters and vendors throughout the watershed. And, there are more new vendors and exciting opportunities to come!

JRA  members are an important part of everything this organization is doing to protect the James and your efforts are rewarded by a healthier river… but we wanted to do more to thank you for being a loyal JRA member. All current JRA members in good standing are eligible for the discounts; just show your valid membership card.

But wait there’s more! If you live within the James River Watershed and become one of JRA’s certified River Hero Homes, you’ll also be eligible for additional discounts at local nurseries and garden centers. It’s an easy and effective way to reduce your homes stormwater pollution and protect the James from runoff.

No currently a valid member? If you used to be a JRA member but let your membership lapse, now is the time to renew! You can do itonline now. If you’re not yet a JRA member, don’t’ wait any longer to join. We have a special limited time membership rate and a gift just for you, because May is Membership Month! Go to our membership page and find out more.

What are you waiting for? It’s a beautiful day to use your new discounts and enjoy your river!

What Bugs Tell Us

What Bugs Tell Us

This spring, find your way to a nearby steam and turn over a large rock from a riffle. The scurrying or clinging little life forms you uncover are called benthic macroinvertebrates by scientists who are trying to tell us that these are the spineless animals that we can see living at the bottom of the creek. Invertebrates, such as mayflies, are critical to the aquatic ecosystem; without them there would be no fish, no heron, and no fisherman. Like earthworms in the soil, they eat dead organic matter like leaves, and themselves become food for larger predators. By bridging death and life, they form an essential link in the nutrient cycle.

Playing in the creek as a boy, I was amazed by the confusing array of different critters I could find. This probably meant I was playing in a healthy stream. As we learn to identify these creatures, we find that cleaner waters support more biodiversity. This general observation has been distilled by science:

"Freshwater invertebrates are used more often than any other group of organisms to assess the health of freshwater environments. Some kinds are very sensitive to stress produced by pollution, habitat modification, or severe natural events, while others are tolerant of some types of stress. Taking samples of freshwater invertebrates and identifying the organisms present can reveal whether a body of water is healthy or ill, and the likely cause of the problem if one exists, much like an examination by a physician." (Voshell, A Guide to Common Freshwater Invertebrates of North America, p. 11)

When we find a diverse array of invertebrates that cannot survive in a polluted stream, we know we have an intact ecosystem. On the other hand, upon pulling a seine net from a stream to find only a homogenous sample of a certain fly larva or snail, we may conclude that this body of water is in distress.

Assessing ecosystem health by sampling the diversity of life it supports, calledbiomonitoring, shows scientists the big picture. While a chemical test of the water may yield precise numbers, it offers only a limited snapshot; recent weather conditions and seasonal variation can easily distort the picture. Biomonitoring, on the other hand, tells a more complete and subtle story of the life and times of the particular stream of interest.

In spring many freshwater invertebrates are getting ready to swim to the surface and undergo metamorphosis, much like a caterpillar becoming a butterfly. Emerging from their old skin, they forego the swimming, clinging existence of a nymph for the life of a flying adult. These are the dragonflies, damselflies, mayflies, stoneflies, caddis flies, crane flies, and even the gnats and mosquitoes. All these creatures are as aquatic as they are airborne. It’s a dramatic season of change, and the perfect time to head for the creek to look under rocks and explore the world below. By learning to identify these fascinating animals, you’ll soon be predicting the health of your local creek.

Learn more:
Online key for freshwater invertebrates. >>The best book to learn to identify and understand freshwater invertebrates. >>

2013 Poster Contest

The results are in from JRA’s third annual poster contest “What a Healthy River Means to Me”!

JRA received nearly 250 entries from across the James River Watershed depicting lots of healthy fish, wildlife and happy river enthusiasts as part of our “What a Healthy River Means to Me” poster contest.  Middle school students in the City of Richmond, City of Lynchburg/James City County and public middle schools in Henrico County and Chesterfield County that are located within 5 miles of the James River were eligible to participate.

Congratulations to the winning students:  First place: Kristen Street, Midlothian Middle School, Chesterfield County; Second place: Joshua Hubbard, Manchester Middle School, Chesterfield County; Third place: Carson Clark, Tomahawk Creek Middle School, Chesterfield County; Fourth place: Grace Chun, Sandusky Middle School, Lynchburg.

The winning artists’ science teachers are: Karen Jaeger, Midlothian Middle School; Deborah Bodsford, Manchester Middle School; Donald Mugford, Tomahawk Creek Middle School; Leah Purvis, Sandusky Middle School.   Both the teachers and the students were awarded cash prizes.

First Place
Kristen Street
 Midlothian Middle School
Chesterfield County

Second Place
Joshua Hubbard
 Manchester Middle School
 Chesterfield County

Third Place
Carson Clark
 Tomahawk Creek Middle School
 Chesterfield County

 

Fourth Place
Grace Chun
 Sandusky Middle School
 Lynchburg

 Honorable mentions in the contest are: Daniel Aultice, Sandusky Middle School, Lynchburg; Justin Bagby, Albert Hill Middle School, Richmond; Christian Slater, Tomahawk Creek Middle School, Chesterfield County; Gia Schiavone, Tomahawk Creek Middle School, Chesterfield County.

Daniel Aultice
 Sandusky Middle School
 Lynchburg

Justin Bagby
 Albert Hill Middle School
 Richmond

Christian Slater
 Tomahawk Creek Middle School
 Chesterfield County

Gia Schiavone
 Tomahawk Creek Middle SchoolChesterfield County

Thank you to all the students and teachers for your participation!  

More Can Cost Less When You Go Native

By Judith Warrington, owner of a certified River Hero Home

Here’s one more good reason to become a certified River Hero Home: saving money! After too many years of falling in love with a bright, promising annual or pinning  my hopes on a perennial that can’t take the heat and humidity of a Richmond summer, I’ve gone native.  This spring you won’t find me at the garden center wasting money on a big pot of “something” simply because its flowers are blue. This spring any plant I purchase has to be suited to the region and it has to be a native!

The River Hero Homes program is designed to reduce stormwater runoff from your home, but the benefits of river-friendly practices, like planting a BayScape with native plants, also provides food and habitat for wildlife.

 Native plants were a new concept for me. In my first year as a River Hero Home, I planted my BayScape on a somewhat experimental basis to see which native plants would work best for my backyard’s mixture of sun and shade. Admittedly, my original plant choices were pretty random. But this past warm weekend revealed some welcome surprises in the new garden.

The Rudbeckia (Black-eyed Susan) is coming back with a vengeance. That means there will be plants to share with the neighbors.  Plus, the goldfinch enjoyed the seed heads last fall, so that was an added benefit. The Chysogonum, (Green and Gold) never went away during our not-too-cold winter and is happily putting out bright new growth. (This low-growing native plant may be my favorite discovery.)The Chelone (Turtle-head rose) proved to be a charming addition to the semi-shade area and the Asclepias tuberosa, (Butterfly weed) loved the blazing sunny portion. A plant that is usually late to emerge, the Butterfly weed had more than a few colorful visitors last summer. My fingers are crossed that it will come back!

Last weekend found me at the garden center, loading a cart up with pots…all of them native plants. It felt good to know that I wasn’t gambling my money away on plants that might -- or might not -- be happy in my BayScape.  It also felt good to show my River Hero Home card at checkout and get a discount on my rather sizable purchase. This spring you should consider becoming a River Hero Home and going native. You’ll enjoy a more successful gardening experience with less work, less water and you might spend less money.

www.jamesriverhero.org

JRA Celebrates Earth Day in Richmond

by Judith Warrington, JRA's Communications Coordinator

Thank you to everyone who stopped by the JRA booth on Saturday at the Richmond Earth Day Festival at the historic 17^th Street Farmers Market sponsored by Enrichmond. Our rain barrel raffle was a big hit and a number of people took the time to tell us about how they are using rain barrels at their home.

One of the best stories came from a man who had moved his family to Richmond from New York about three years ago, an extremely hot year. His mother was thrilled to have a place to grow roses at their new home. But he was shocked by how high his water bill was. He’d never had to pay for water before. His solution was to build a rain barrel out of a big trash can. He connected it to a downspout at the back of his house, beside his other trash can and conveniently located near his mother’s beloved rose garden. The result was a big savings on his water bill, a beautiful, well-watered rose garden, and a happy mom! He has since added other barrels and wants to do even more to save on his water usage.

Many people were surprised to learn that their rain barrels and other river-friendly practices put them well on their way to being a certified River hero Home… and that all they needed to do now was to apply to receive their certification and benefits! One woman who has multiple rain barrels in use, native plants, does not fertilizer her lawn, leaves her grass clippings in place and always picks up after her dog, looked at the list of RHH partners offering discounts and said, “I was just there and spent over $100 on plants!” Next time she goes to the garden center she’ll probably have her River Hero Home discount card!

Have you applied to become a River Hero Home yet? Make every day Earth Day. Become a certified River Hero Home. Help protect the James and save money by applying today.

The Top 5 Plants We Do Not want to See in the James River Watershed

by Amber Ellis, JRA watershed Restoration Associate/Volunteer Coordinator

Invasive plants have become one of the most serious threats to native species, natural communities, and ecosystem processes. The Virginia Department of Conservation and Recreation has a great list that breaks plants down by highly, moderately, and occasionally invasive. Here is a list of our Top 5 invasives that are often seen in our parks and around our homes. Help keep these “invaders” out of the James River 

watershed:

         English Ivy (Hedera helix)

         Japanese knotweed (Polygonum perfoliatum)

         Johnson Grass (Sorghum halepense)

     Phragmites (Phragmites australis)

         Tree of Heaven (Ailanthus altissima)

March 3 through 8 is National Invasive Species Awareness Week! Want to celebrate, but not sure how? Participate in a local invasive removal event, go out your backdoor and see if there are some pesky invasive plants to remove, or go out and plant natives!

More Resources:

Ivy out of Richmond

Plant Invaders of Mid-Atlantic Natural Areas

Invasive Species in Virginia

PROGRAM SPOTLIGHT: WATERSHED RESTORATION

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

The People

JRA’s Watershed Restoration “team” is made up of only two people who cover the entire watershed!

Michelle Kokolis is the Watershed Restoration Program Manager and has been with JRA since 2008. She grew up just north of Pittsburgh near the Allegheny River and if you have ever met her, you will know she is a huge Pittsburgh Steelers fan! Michelle received a Masters of Science in Biology with a concentration in Wetland Sciences from Old Dominion University. One reason our staff love her? She can make one mean cupcake!

Amber Ellis splits her time between Watershed Restoration and Volunteer Coordination for all programs and has been with JRA since May 2010. Amber grew up in Powhatan County and has a healthy obsession with gardening. She may be the only person that actually enjoys weeding! Amber received a Bachelors of Landscape Architecture from Virginia Tech and is a licensed Landscape Architect in Virginia.

The Work

People may think that we are outside every day planting trees., but about 75% of our time is spent in the office. While our projects evolve constantly, there are a few things that remain constant: engaging the public through hands-on projects and educating the public on watershed health.

Our volunteer events include cleanups, rain garden maintenance, and planting. The Self-Directed Trash Program allows groups to direct their own cleanup with site ideas and supplies provided by us. Extreme Stream Makeover is a major project that we do every couple years within the James River watershed. This is a weeklong restoration project that targets an impacted urban stream. During that intensive week volunteers remove trash, build rain barrels, plant buffers and install rain gardens in the targeted area. 

Corporate partner often want to conduct a team building or community service event and with their support, we are able to provide an event catered toward their needs. Some examples have included an invasive species removal and bluebell planting at Pony Pasture with the employees of Tredegar and a tree planting at Bryan Park with Altria staff.

Our education efforts include rain barrel workshops, presentations to groups, and the River Hero Homes certification program. This program recognizes homeowners who are taking steps to improve water quality on their property.  Some steps they can take include installing a rain barrel, cleaning up after their pet, or planting natives.

There are many ways for you to become involved with JRA’s Watershed Restoration efforts. Sign up to volunteer today for one of our upcoming events, rain barrel workshops, or become a River Hero Home!