Indian River Park Nature Trail

There has been great progress on our plans for establishing a nature trail in Indian River Park.   We've been consulting with the Eastern Virginia Mountain Bike Association - Southside on trail alignment and back in April we submitted a formal proposal to the City of Chesapeake Parks and Recreation Department.   The proposal was well received and now the Parks and Recreation Department is looking to allocate funds from their Open Space budget for improvements to the park entrance area at Rokeby Ave. and Main St.

Our plans include converting a section of trail along the riparian flood zone of the Indian River inside the park into a mulched nature trail, complete with tree identification markers, benches, and some interpretive signs.   We are looking to the city to improve the entrance area by establishing an improved permeable surface parking area, adding picnic benches, an information kiosk, and bike rack.  To this we would add a  demonstration native plant and/or rain garden.   We are also looking to improve the signage and pathways around the Paramount Ave. entrance by the power lines.

We see this project providing improved access to natural open space for the community and a renewed interest by the city in the significance of the park.  It will also provide a venue that can be used by scouts, school groups, and others to learn about native vegetation and the benefits of preserving a healthy and interconnected habitat for fish, birds, and other wildlife.

Our goal is to establish the nature trail this year and have the entrance area improvements complete by the spring.   We're going to need a lot of volunteers to help with building the trail and establishing the other features.  Please contact us at info@friendsofindianriver.org if you are interested in participating or if you have any questions.