Wednesday, October 31, 2012

Vote for Clean Water


by Adrienne Kotula, JRA's Policy Specialist

In the 40 years since the Clean Water Act was passed, we have made great strides toward fishable and swimmable waters. The James is arguably one of the rivers that has been the most improved – coming back from a 13-year fishing ban to recently being lauded as the river that runs through Outside Magazine’s Best River Town.

But what can we do to continue to protect and improve America’s Founding River? One simple act is voting for Clean Water. So on November 6th, please keep the James in mind as you head in to the voting booth. Remember that your vote affects the future policies and funding that will impact water quality.

Learn where your candidates stand on the Clean Water Act and remember that Virginia families have a right to enjoy clean rivers, streams and beaches. Let them know that Clean Water is a priority for you. Cast your ballot for Clean Water!

Questions about voting? 

To take the “I Vote Clean Water” pledge and receive a sticker of your choice, visit the Vote Clean Water webpage here!



Friday, October 26, 2012

A Perfect Weekend for the 2nd Annual RiverRats Raft-Up



On October 20th, a group of our 30 RiverRats came out to Rockcliffe Farm Retreat in Concord  for JRA’s 2nd Annual RiverRats Raft-Up. It was a gorgeous fall weekend and the trees had really started to peak. The day started with a talk from Scott Smith, a Fisheries Biologist with the Department of Game and Inland Fisheries, about the various types of fish found in the Upper James and their monitoring efforts.

The advanced training portion of the day included bacteria monitoring from Jamie Brunkow, our Lower James Riverkeeper, and about fishing and boating conditions from Pat Calvert, our Upper James Riverkeeper. Both of these trainings were created to help RiverRats learn more about what they can do to help our Riverkeepers gather data for the new James River Watch.

Lunch was a great time to chat with other Rats from throughout the watershed and share their experiences. After lunch, some RiverRats joined Pat and Jamie on a short float. The river was pretty low, so lots of rocks, but everyone had a good time. They all returned to relax and hear from the Marshall Expedition, which was an inspiring story for everyone.

 Awards were given out at dinner to Kim Payne for the Upper James, Kevin Hansen for the Middle James, Chris Gwaltney for the Lower James, and Joe Seiffert for his overall outstanding commitment to the James River and the RiverRats program. For those  who stuck around, we got to enjoy the campfire and listen to music by the local group, Farm Use String Band.

Some folks stayed the night and went on an 8-mile float from Rockcliffe to Bent Creek on Sunday, which was another gorgeous fall day on the James.

It was a great weekend filled with education, new friendships, and fun with a group of people sharing a love of the James River.  Thank you RiverRats!

View more photos from the Raft-up on flickr.

Thursday, October 25, 2012

The Call for a Cattle-free James River


by Pat Calvert, Upper James Riverkeeper

Healthy, working farms and farmers are critical assets to the sustainable protection of the James River and its tributaries. Virginia's agriculture community provides the Commonwealth with economic well-being, beautiful rural landscapes, food and a deepened "sense of place." With little doubt, farming is a rich source of Virginia's cultural heritage. Well-managed farms which utilize "best management practices" (BMPs) are assets that recharge groundwater and that permit the slowed infiltration, filtration and purification of runoff to prevent potential river pollution. Much has been done by our federal, state and local governments to assist farmers in excluding cattle from creeks and rivers since the inception of the Clean Water Act 40 years ago. Countless farmers and land managers have enrolled in cost-share and rebate programs to ensure that their farms are effectively ensuring clean water on the farm and off.

Unfortunately, too many farms to this day do not contain necessary BMPs to prevent cattle from entering and defecating in our public waters. These cattle access points contribute significantly to streambank erosion, nutrient pollution and bacterial contamination major pollutants to the James River. These same farms attract the kind of unwanted negative attention with which the greater farming community must concern itself. Though old habits may die hard, the agricultural community is a necessary and crucial partner in James River restoration. This excellent publication (http://pubs.ext.vt.edu/442/442-766/442-766_pdf.pdf) from Virginia Cooperative Extension details how farmers can actively and affordably improve their herd, land and economic health through streamside cattle exclusion strategies.

Destabilized riverbanks resulting from heavy-hoofed cattle entering the James River.
Land conversion from agriculture/forestry to urban/suburban is irreversible. If farmland is not lucrative through growing corn, cows or hay, then that land is very likely to grow buildings, roads, stormwater drains, parking lots and septic tanks. Even the worst polluting farm can be made healthy through relatively low cost and effective means while urban stormwater can be much more expensive and difficult to mitigate. As the Upper James Riverkeeper, I am currently spearheading a project to identify farms where cattle have direct access to the James River, engage in discussion with land managers and farmers, and to proactively ensure that these farms are provided with the necessary resources and funding to successfully achieve a "cow-free James River." We all need healthy farms for a healthy James.

Tuesday, October 23, 2012

The UK Takes a Serious Approach to Invasive Plants


By Judith Warrington, JRA Communications Coordinator

England’s gardens are famous and the stringent control of invasive plants may be one reason why they are so beautiful. On a recent trip to London, a homeowner Q&A column in the Evening Standard came as a real surprise.

A homeowner in the UK was selling a property and the buyer’s surveyor had found some Japanese knotweed (Fallopia japonica), an invasive plant, on the grounds. The surveyor said the Japanese knotweed would have to be reported to the buyer’s mortgage lender. And, unless it was eradicated, the plant could even prevent the sale of the property. The sellers were questioning the validity of this claim.

It turns out that in the UK, landowners are legally obligated under the 1981 Wildlife and Countryside Act to prevent this plant from spreading…and not just by pulling it up and tossing in the rubbish bin either. According to the article, under the Environmental Protection Action 1990, Japanese knotweed is classified as controlled waste and must be disposed of properly. The UK’s Environmental Agency has a Japanese Knotweed Code of Practice that details how to prevent it from spreading, how to treat it, and how to dispose of the plant. That’s a serious approach to an invasive plant!

Bill Johnson http://www.nps.gov/plants/alien/pubs/midatlantic/faja.htm
Japanese knotweed is also found throughout the Mid-Atlantic States, including widely scattered areas in Virginia, where it grows in moist open habitats such as along riverbanks. Ironically, this Asian plant was introduced to the US via England as an ornamental and for erosion control in the late 19thcentury.  Here in the US it is also recognized as an invasive.

Over the past 100 years invasive plants have changed the face of our landscape. Imagine what the southern US would look like without kudzu. In the James River watershed non-native plants such as Bush honeysuckle, Purple loosestrife and English ivy tend to be vigorous growers that choke out native plants and some of these invasive plants are even sold in nurseries for home gardeners.

While a bit of ivy won’t hold up your house sale, if we took a stronger stand on invasive plants in our own yards and in public parks, the local ecosystem would thank us.  For more information on identifying and eradicating local invasive plants, including Japanese knotweed, the National Park Services offers a downloadable guide called “Plant Invaders of Mid-Atlantic Natural Areas.” http://www.nps.gov/plants/alien/pubs/midatlantic/midatlanticprint.htm

Thursday, October 18, 2012

Students Put Conservation Lessons Into Action


By Gabe Silver, JRA Education and Outreach Manager

Those whose work involves email will be familiar with the sense of dread held by the “inbox” upon one’s return from a vacation. So it was for me, coming back in October after taking some time off, and facing my inbox for the first time. Amongst the many electronic missives chronicling things to be done, fixed, or responded to, was a simple message from Botetourt County teacher Sharon Keith that warmed my heart, and that’s what I’d like to share today.
 
Sharon Keith is one of nine teachers who, along with students from her school, participated in this past summer’s James River Expedition. The group from James River High School in Botetourt County came halfway across the state one overcast Saturday this past July to begin paddling in Richmond. Eight days of hard work and learning later, they paddled around the point at Fort Monroe and into the Chesapeake Bay. The students had a chance to connect with the river, living in and around it each day and learning from their experience about the beauty, importance, and health of the river.


We say goodbye at the end of these amazing journeys and hope that the inspiration about conservation and the environment lasts with each participant. So an email like Sharon’s really makes my day!

She simply reported that she and her students had gotten involved in the Upper James River Volunteer Clean-Up Day. She reported that these energized young river rats not only decided to help with a day of pulling tires and other trash out of the river, but had recruited fellow students to help out as well. And furthermore, they don’t want to stop there; they want to take on other river conservation projects in the future.


So thanks Sharon, for connecting your students to the James River, and especially for taking the time to send us a few pictures. Seeing kids take on cleaning up their world (most often a mess they didn’t create), helps everyone stay inspired to keep working for a better future.

Tuesday, October 16, 2012

Dirt! The Foundation for a Healthy Lawn

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


It’s that time of year again when we see our neighbors throwing tons of fertilizer on their “lawn” hoping for greener grass, which currently is just compacted dirt. I hate to be the one to tell them, but that fertilizer won’t do much good if they have unhealthy soil. Here are two steps that will give you a green and healthy lawn without all the fertilizer.
 

Aerate your lawn. Many of our lawns are compacted, which makes it difficult for oxygen, water, and nutrients to seep below the surface. By aerating your lawn you are creating spaces that allow the air, water, and nutrients to access the roots where they can do some good. Aerating also pulls some soil to the surface, which helps decompose thatch. You only have to do it once a year and your lawn will love you for it.

Incorporate compost. One of the best ways to improve the structure of your soil is to top-dress your lawn with 1/4” of fine compost at least once a year. So what’s so great about compost? In a few words…it is full of life! Compost improves drainage, reduces pest and disease problems, balances the pH levels of your soil, and attracts the good insects and worms. One of its greatest benefits is that it contains all of the important nutrients, as well as trace elements you do not find in commercial fertilizers. Compost also helps your soil retain moisture. You can either buy compost or use homemade compost from your own pile.

Most lawns in Virginia are cool-season grasses and the best time to apply compost and aerate is between September and November. If you have warm-season grasses the best time is early April to late August. 

Do you already aerate and compost? Then you may be a River Hero Home! Visit www.jamesriverhero.org for details and to apply. You will receive a River Hero Home garden flag to hang proudly, so that when the neighbor who has been fertilizing his lawn tirelessly sees your beautiful green lawn, you can tell him your secret for a healthy lawn and a cleaner James River!

For more information:
Making Compost from Yard Waste. http://www.pubs.ext.vt.edu/category/lawns.html
River Hero Homes. www.jamesriverhero.org

Thursday, October 11, 2012

JRA RiverRat Installs “No Dumping” Markers in Lynchburg


RiverRat Nora Cox, along with six other volunteers, including Virginia Master Naturalists and one other RiverRat, headed out on Saturday, September 22 to install storm drain markers. They worked in three teams of two for about three hours and installed 90 markers in an area bounded by Peakland Place, Link Road and Spottswood Place in Boonesboro.


The markers are a great tool to educate the public about how stormwater does not go to a magical place to get cleaned before entering our waterways. All of that trash and pollution off the street goes into the drain and eventually the James River.

Materials for the storm drain project were provided by the Middle James Roundtable and are available to any group that wants to install them in their local neighborhood!

Nora’s recommendations for anyone considering a similar project: Each team needs someone strong enough to work the adhesive; remember to not only cut the tips of the tubes off but to also puncture the foil down in the tip; and the warmer the air temperature, the easier the adhesive is to apply.

Want to help? If you live in the Lynchburg area, sign up to volunteer for a storm drain marking project with JRA. On Wednesday, October 24 from 9:30 to noon, we will be installing markers and picking up trash throughout a neighborhood near the Oakwood Country Club. Pre-registration is required. To register contact Amber Ellis at 804-788-8811, ext. 205 or register online at volunteer@jrava.org.

Tuesday, October 9, 2012

Wildlife of the James - Presquile’s Parasitic Plants


By Zack Lake,  JRA Field Educator

It’s the Halloween season, so here’s a plant that would make any vampire happy! Walking along the boardwalk at Presquile National Wildlife Refuge, if you look just to the left facing the creek, you will come across dodder, one of the 4,100 known species of parasitic plants. Dodder (Cuscuta sp.) is a genus of yellow, orange, or red parasitic plants which is comprised of 100 to 170 different species, only 9 of which have been identified in Virginia.

While certain species of dodder are capable of photosynthesis, other species are obligate parasites. This means it must have its host to survive and complete its life cycle. A host is needed because many species of dodder lack leaves and chlorophyll entirely, hence the yellowish coloration. The plant is rather inconspicuous, and appears as a thin yellow string. To compensate for its lack of chlorophyll, dodder penetrates the host plant with modified root structures known as haustoria, inserts itself into the vascular system of the host plant, and extracts carbohydrates. Although dodder can be germinated without a host, it has to reach a plant quickly to survive.

Here’s the fascinating part that makes this parasitic plant even creepier: dodder seeks a viable host through the use of airborne volatile organic compounds (VOCs) and then grows toward these cues to reach its host! To put that into simpler terms, the plant actually seeks out and finds its host by sense of smell. Like any good vampire who wants a meal, it is not advantageous for dodder to kill its host plant, and infestation is generally not deadly to the host plant, though infestations may prove fatal if severe enough.

While certain species of dodder are host species-specific, meaning that they can only grow on a particular species, most dodder species can grow on several different types of plants. Some host plants include Spotted jewelweed, Goldenrod, Black locust, and Blackberries. Even though it is a parasitic plant, dodder has such a seemingly relentless strategy for survival that it can actually be beneficial to plants other than the host. For example, dodder can control the growth of fast-spreading plants such as Virginia creeper and English ivy, which can often crowd out other plants. Dodder is an annual plant that spreads through seed dispersal. And it is extremely patient! Dodder’s seeds have a very hard coat and can remain dormant for as long as 5 to 10 years. Happy Halloween from Presquile National Wildlife Refuge, home of the James River Ecology School…and dodder!

Tuesday, October 2, 2012

Volunteers Clean Up Trash in Bryan Park

On Saturday, September 22, the first day of fall, JRA and a group of 18 volunteers started the season off with a cleanup at Bryan Park in Richmond. One volunteer showed up with an amazing invention! He built a bag holder that has a side for trash and a side for recycling!


With inside knowledge from the Friends of Bryan Park, the group focused on some really trashy areas that needed attention. Some headed knee deep into Jordan’s Branch, others cleaned up along the flood plain, and a few went to the dam and lower ponds. They collected roughly 35 bags of trash including “tons” of plastic bottles, Styrofoam, and several tires.


Thanks to everyone who did their part for a cleaner park and a cleaner James. If you’d like to be part of a future JRA volunteer project visit http://jrava.org/news/calendar  for more information.