September Newsletter

• Upcoming Events
• Thursday, September 17: Monthly Meeting - Chesapeake Planning
• Saturday, Sept 19: International Coastal Cleanup @ Indian River Oaklette Bridge
• Saturday, Oct 10: Second Saturday Hike @ Indian River Park
• News
• 2026 Legislative Scorecard
• Data Centers in Chesapeake
• Bird Safe Hampton Roads
• Chesapeake Celebrates Trees - and Healthy Landscapes
• Chesapeake Bay VoiCeS

---

Upcoming Event

Thursday, September 17: Monthly Meeting - Chesapeake Planning

• 7 pm to 8:30 pm
• Location: Oaklette United Methodist Church, 520 Oaklette Drive
• Speaker: Olivia Knox, Chesapeake Planning Department on City Planning affecting the Indian River area.
• All are welcome.  We'll also have the latest community news and updates!  There will be light refreshments.

Saturday, Sept 19: International Coastal Cleanup @ Indian River Oaklette Bridge

• 
  Time: 9:00 am to Noon
• Location: Meet at Lilac Avenue and Indian River Road.  Park along Lilac Avenue by the Norfolk Highlands Primary School.  It is a No Parking zone along Oleander Avenue (parallel to Indian River Road).
• As part of the International Coastal Cleanup, we will be cleaning up around and underneath the Indian River - Oaklette Bridge, at Blue Heron Landing Park, and along Indian River Road  
• The city will provide garbage bags and orange safety vests.  
• Please wear closed-toe shoes, a hat, and bring work gloves and other items that may be useful.  We will have water and snacks, but we also always encourage folks to bring their own water in reusable bottles to minimize the use of plastic bottles.  Participants under 18 years of age must have adult supervision.
• Please pre-register at https://forms.gle/5CZDr8sQAw2YjL7R9  
• If have access to the Indian River and are interested in "paddling up" to this cleanup with your own canoe or kayak, please reach out to us in advance at info@friendsofindianriver.org

Saturday, October 10: Second Saturday Hike @ Indian River Park

• 
  8:30 am to 10 am
• Location: Indian River Park entrance at Rokeby Ave. and Main St. (2003 Rokeby Ave.) 
• Join us for a hike along the nature trail and through the park. Learn about the history of the park, the native trees and plants in this century old forest on the Indian River flood plain, and its value to maintaining the health of local butterfly, bird, and wildlife populations. Note: the forest trail has uneven surfaces and minor elevation changes.
• Please pre-register at https://forms.gle/N8WUZRQTNDGfZ82LA (suggested but not required)

---

News

2026 Legislative Scorecard

The Virginia League of Conservation Voters has published its 2026 Legislative Scorecard on the environmental voting record for Virginia delegates and senators.  Our local Indian River representatives all scored well:

• Delegate Bonita Anthony - 96%
• Delegate Cliff Hayes - 96%
• Senator Louise Lucas - 92%

Find the issues that were tracked and the scores for all the delegates at https://valcv.org/

Data Centers in Chesapeake

There was a great deal of activity to define regulations for future data centers in the City of Chesapeake over the summer.  The Planning Department prepared a draft ordinance and policy document in June.  In July, this draft was significantly amended by the Planning Commission, including setting requirements establishing significant setbacks - up to one-half mile from any existing homes - and noise restrictions.  The Planning Department was concerned these amendments would effectively ban data centers in the City, which the City Attorney argued was not something the City could legally do.  The City Council ended up requesting an 8-month moratorium on any data center applications, to allow for more public input.  But the City still needed to close a By-Right "loophole" in the existing City Ordinance, and the Planning Department brought forth a proposed ordinance in August that would do that - but would also set less strict setback requirements - only 1000' from homes - and permit data centers by Conditional Use in the Fentress area.  After a large turnout of people in opposition - 39 speakers at the August 18 City Council meeting - the City Council approved a "clean" ordinance that closed the By-Right "loophole" and deferred all the other regulations.

The next step is collecting more public input.   The Planning Department is holding three open houses in September to collect public input, including one in our area, each from 5 pm to 7 pm:

• Tuesday, September 1, Great Bridge Primary School, 408 Cedar Road
• Monday, September 14, Indian River Community Center, 2250 Old Greenbrier Road
• Wednesday, September 30, Camelot Community Center, 948 King Arthur Drive

Learn more about the City's proposed policy and the various concerns, including opening up the Fentress overlay to data center development, permitted noise levels, setback distances from residential properties, plans for decommissioning defunct data centers, and efficiency standards from our partners at the Chesapeake Sustainability Network.

Bird Safe Hampton Roads

The Friends of Indian River also partner with the local Cape Henry Audubon Society to promote the Bird Safe/Lights Out Initiative.   The fall migration is underway and Chesapeake lies along the Atlantic Migratory Flyway. During migration, birds rest during the day and fly at night.  During these long-distance flights, birds become disoriented by the bright, artificial lights of cities and are drawn into hazardous urban areas, where building collisions are a leading human cause of bird deaths, killing around 1 billion birds each year.  

As part of this voluntary program, we encourage property managers, businesses, tenants, government agencies, and residents to help prevent nighttime bird collisions with buildings by turning off and/or blocking as many external and internal building lights at workplaces as possible at night to help prevent injury and death of migrating birds, especially from 11 pm to sunrise.    Learn how you can help at Bird Safe Hampton Roads.

Chesapeake Celebrates Trees - and Healthy Landscapes

The City's annual Arbor Day recognition will be on Saturday, September 26, 12 - 4 pm, at the Chesapeake Arboretum.  Chesapeake is celebrating 40 years as a Tree City USA.  The event will include Arbor Day Ceremonies, tree climbing demonstrations, interactive butterfly exhibits, forest bathing, tree trail tours, a food truck, giveaways, and more.

The Chesapeake Environmental Improvement Council (CEIC) is also continuing its Chesapeake Healthy Landscape Program.  This program recognizes and encourages residents to take steps to create healthy landscapes on their properties.  Participants who sign up can receive an information kit and a landscape flag as recognition for their efforts.  To be recognized, they are looking for commitments to Protect Your Trees, put the Right Plant in the Right Place, Consider Wildlife, Reduce Lawn Maintenance, Reduce Runoff, Avoid or Remove Invasive Plants, and Limit Chemical Usage.  Learn more and sign up at Chesapeake Healthy Landscape Program.

Chesapeake Bay VoiCeS

Would you like to learn more about the environmental issues impacting the Chesapeake Bay watershed and ongoing restoration efforts?  The next Chesapeake Bay Foundation Chesapeake Stewards (VoiCeS) class, a highly recommended multi-week adult education course, will be held in Portsmouth (near Camelot) from September 15 to October 20.  Learn more and Register 

Have an idea for an article for our newsletter?  Send your submission, max 250 words, to us at info@friendsofindianriver.org along with a photo and we'll consider it for our next edition.

Summer Newsletter

• News
• Grocery Outlet Grand Opening
• Indian River Road Bike Lanes
• Indian River High School Scholarship
• Volunteer Recap
• Volunteers needed for gardening
• Fall Calendar

---

News

Grocery Outlet Grand Opening

The long awaited opening of the new grocery store, Grocery Outlet, at the Indian River Shopping Center occurred with much fanfare on July 9th.  This culminated a long effort by the community, the City, and the owners of the Indian River Shopping Center.   

After years of decline, one key barrier to revitalizing the shopping center was the lack of adequate water pressure to implement fire suppression sprinklers for renovated tenants.   To address this and water quality issues, the City acquired the private Aqua Virginia well-water system in 2018, which supplied the shopping center and the residential community behind it, disconnected the wells, and provided everyone access to City-supplied water.    Meanwhile, the shopping center ownership was steadily renovating property, section by section.   In the past year, new landscaping was added along the storefronts.    We are excited by all the progress!

Indian River Road Bike Lanes

We are also excited by our brand new and hopefully safer Indian River Road!   The roadway has now been repaved and restriped, with new buffered bike lanes and a reduced speed limit.  At the time of writing, there are still several final touches pending:  bicycle icons and directional markings need to be painted in the bike lane, the bus stops need to be marked, and high-visibility crosswalks need to be added.  These safety improvements have also been years in the making, originally defined in the Indian River Small Area Plan adopted by the City in 2021.  

These changes should reduce the speeding along Indian River Road, provide a safe lane for bicycle traffic, and buffer the sidewalk from the car traffic.  You can already tell it is more pleasant to walk the sidewalk.  It also removes the need for bicycles to ride on the sidewalk.  In the coming months, a new crosswalk and pedestrian signal at Lilac Avenue is to be added to improve access to Blue Heron Landing Park. 

Indian River High School Scholarship

Congratulations to Shanell Lawson, graduating senior and winner of our 2026 Indian River High School Education Scholarship.  Shanell embodies the spirit of the Friends of Indian River mission, excelling in leadership, citizenship, extracurricular activities, and academics.   She demonstrated exemplary scholastic skills and pursued a rigorous curriculum that included Honors, AP, and Dual Enrollment courses.   She was a member of the National Honor Society and Student Council Association.  We are delighted about her interest in seeking a degree in Forestry and Conservation. We wish her many successes in her future endeavors. 

Volunteer Recap

In early June, 24 volunteers came out to Indian River Park and removed over 500 lbs of litter and debris - plus one king-sized mattress - from the west side of the park.   Thank you to all the hardy volunteers, including teams from Healthcare Administrators of Tidewater, crew members from USNS Hector A. Cafferata Jr., ESB 8.   And thank you to Southern Volkswagen - Greenbrier for allowing us to stage the cleanup from their parking lot and use their dumpster.

Volunteers needed for gardening

We have a regular need for volunteers to help maintain our gardens and plantings, both along Indian River Road at the Oaklette Bridge and at the native plant garden at Indian River Park.  This is in addition to our monthly volunteer days.  The tasks include regular weeding and other garden work; some work involves small group events during the week; once orientation is completed, some work might be on an individual schedule.  If you are interested in helping out, e-mail us at info@friendsofindianriver.org for more information.

Fall Calendar

Here's a glance at events we're planning this fall:

• Thursday, Sept. 17 - Bi-Monthly Meeting - speaker TBA
• Saturday, Sept 19 - International Coastal Cleanup
• Saturday, Oct. 10 - Second Saturday Hike at Indian River Park
• Saturday, Oct. 17 - Adopt-a-Park at Indian River Park (tentative)
• Saturday, Nov. 14 - Second Saturday Hike at Indian River Park
• Thursday, Nov. 19 - Bi-Monthly Meeting - Kim Sudderth on Environmental Justice
• Saturday, Nov. 21 - Adopt-A-Road Cleanup

Have an idea for an article for our newsletter?  Send your submission, max 250 words, to us at info@friendsofindianriver.org along with a photo and we'll consider it for our next edition. 

June Newsletter and Events

• Upcoming Events
• Saturday, June 6: Adopt-A-Park @ Indian River Park
• Saturday, June 13: Second Saturday Evening Hike @ Indian River Park
• Thursday, June 18: Welcome Summer Evening Potluck Picnic
• News
• Volunteers needed for gardening
• Oyster Gardening
• May Recap

Upcoming Event

Saturday, June 6: Adopt-A-Park @ Indian River Park

• 9 am to Noon
• Location: We are partnering with Southern Volkswagen Dealership for this event and will be staging the cleanup from the south end of their parking lot, at 1248 S Military Hwy.  Please be sure to register at the link below so we can provide updated parking information.  
• Our focus will be a cleanup of the floodplain inside Indian River Park.  There are areas along the edge of the floodplain that need trash collection, but we will also work inside the floodplain which is muddy and wet.  If possible, bring rubber boots and clothes that can get muddy.  Please wear closed-toe shoes, a hat and bring work gloves.  Long pants recommended.  
• We will have water and snacks but, we also always encourage folks to bring their own water in reusable bottles to minimize use of plastic bottles. 
• Participants under 18 years of age must have adult supervision.
• Please pre-register at https://forms.gle/ig4wqRufzSduA2Ns6 

Saturday, June 13: Second Saturday Evening Hike @ Indian River Park

• 
  ** 6 pm to 8 pm in the evening
• Location: Indian River Park entrance at Rokeby Ave. and Main St. (2003 Rokeby Ave.) 
• Join us for a hike along the nature trail and through the park. Learn about the history of the park, the native trees and plants in this century old forest on the Indian River flood plain, and its value to maintaining the health of local butterfly, bird, and wildlife populations. Note: the forest trail has uneven surfaces and minor elevation changes.
• Please pre-register at https://forms.gle/Qv8SCmXYUm8cBxk56 (suggested but not required)

Thursday, June 18: Welcome Summer Evening Potluck Picnic

• 6 pm to 8 pm (come out anytime during the event)

• 

  Picnic do Bruno | Michell Zappa | Flickr

  Location: Picnic Pavilion behind Oaklette United Methodist Church, 520 Oaklette Drive; park in the side lot along St. Lawrence Dr.
• Rather than our usual monthly meeting, in June we'll have a potluck picnic out behind the church.  Bring a dish to share and join us for some camaraderie as we roll into summer.  The Friends will set out tables and chairs, and provide a main protein dish (likely chicken).  We suggest bringing a comfy lawn chair.
• In the event of rain, we will move the event inside the church's fellowship hall.
• To help coordinate who is bringing what, we set up a Sign Up Genius form at https://www.signupgenius.com/go/10C094DADA92FA2FA7-63952039-friends

---

News

Volunteers needed for gardening

We have a regular need for volunteers to help maintain our gardens and plantings, both along Indian River Road at the Oaklette Bridge and at the native plant garden at Indian River Park.  This is in addition to our monthly volunteer days.  The tasks include regular weeding and other garden work; some work involves small group events during the week; once orientation is completed, some work might be on an individual schedule.  If you are interested in helping out, e-mail us at info@friendsofindianriver.org for more information.

Oyster Gardening

Do you live along the Indian River?  Want to help clean our water? The Chesapeake Bay Foundation—Hampton Roads and Eastern Shore, VA is hosting Oyster Gardening Seminars around Hampton Roads in June and July to get you set up. Learn more and sign up at https://www.cbf.org/resources/virginia-oyster-gardening-seminars/

May Recap

As we reported in the last newsletter, we started May with Clean the Bay Day.  Fifteen volunteers braved the rain to come to the cleanup at Blue Heron Landing Park, around the Oaklette Bridge, and along Indian River Road.  We had also planned to mulch the gardens at the bridge, but the rain cancelled those plans, so we rescheduled this and ...

We had a great turnout on a beautiful day mid-month for our Adopt-a-Garden work at the Oaklette Bridge today.   Thank you to all our volunteers, including crew members from ESB 8, USNS Hector A. Cafferata Jr., for weeding and mulching the garden.  Also, thank you to the Public Works Department, who, earlier that week, mowed and edged the area!  

Have an idea for an article for our newsletter?  Send your submission, max 250 words, to us at info@friendsofindianriver.org along with a photo and we'll consider it for our next edition.