Friends of Indian River Year End Report for 2016

The Friends of Indian River saw continued growth in the scope and effectiveness of our work in 2016. Volunteer hours were up by more than 50% over the previous year, surpassing 1250 hours. We added Plymouth Community Park to our Adopt-A-Park program, held a major BioBlitz event at Indian River Park, and hosted Clean the Bay Day events at each of these parks. We continued to work closely with the Elizabeth River Project on the Eastern Branch Restoration, including creating Oyster Reefs in the Indian River. Our group was instrumental in a successful grant bid by Chesapeake Parks, Recreation, and Tourism to get funds to establish a canoe/kayak launch site along the Indian River. And we continue to work on planning issues like the revitalization of the Indian River Shopping Center and the recently denied Eastwyck Crossing Apartments proposal.

Our organization is entirely driven by our volunteers and we are immensely thankful for all their efforts. Their work is at the heart of all these accomplishments. We also wish to thank our many partners who have supported these efforts including the Chesapeake Departments of Parks, Recreation & Tourism, Public Works, and Public Utilities, the Elizabeth River Project (ERP), the Chesapeake Bay Foundation, the Chesapeake Master Gardeners, the Tidewater Master Naturalists, the Eastern Virginia Mountain Bike Association and others.

The Friends of Indian River invite you to attend our Annual Meeting on Thursday, January 19, 7 pm at Oaklette United Methodist Church, 520 Oaklette Drive, Chesapeake, Va. 23325. We will hold elections for our officers and board and discuss plans for coming year. With the continued support of our members and volunteers, we will keep building upon our successes in 2017, which will also mark our group’s 5 Year Anniversary.

Key accomplishments for 2016 include:

162 Volunteers contribute more than 1250 hours to Friends of Indian River activities 

Volunteers came out in force again this year, topping our previous year volunteer hour count by more than 50%. Our biggest volunteer efforts included two Clean the Bay Day sites, participation in the International Coastal Cleanup, and performing quarterly road side cleanups along Indian River Road. At Indian River Park, volunteers kept up the native plant garden and trailhead entrance area, performed trail maintenance, and put in extensive efforts to control invasive species, particularly English Ivy and Japanese Stilt Grass. Our volunteers also worked to keep the gardens and trees at the Indian River-Oaklette Bridge looking beautiful. And hundreds of hours of behind the scenes work was done to coordinate with the City, the Elizabeth River Project, and other partners, perform outreach, and keep the organization up and running.

Indian River Park BioBlitz

On April 16th, the Friends of Indian River hosted the first ever BioBlitz at Indian River Park, an event both educate the public about the natural features of this urban wilderness and to identify as many species of plants and animals as possible. Several groups worked together to make the BioBlitz a success, including the Chesapeake Parks, Recreation & Tourism (PR&T), the Tidewater Master Naturalists, the Chesapeake Master Gardeners, Boy Scout Troop 42, and the Tidewater Master Naturalists. Wildlife experts were recruited from the Cape Henry Audubon Society, Old Dominion University, the Virginia Department of Forestry, the Virginia Department of Game and Inland Fisheries, Chesapeake PR&T, and the Virginia Cooperative Extension Office to provide guided hikes. Altogether, 84 people participated in the day’s activities including 22 youths. Over 9 hours and 6 guided hikes, 116 species were reported including squirrels, salamanders, the Eastern Kingsnake, 21 species of birds, 24 species of insects, spiders, and other “bugs”, 61 species of plants, and 7 invasive species. These discoveries brought the total species count for the park to over 300. The full BioBlitz report can be found at https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B1C5n48ReRbkS1VwLUNjRnJjbDA/view.  

Canoe/Kayak Launch Site 

The tidal Indian River has nearly 9 miles of shoreline and 60 acres of marsh with a diverse cross-section of wildlife. However, unless you live along the water, there is no practical public access to the river and certainly no public canoe/kayak access. The Eastern Branch Restoration Strategy identified this lack of public access as a key obstacle in getting citizens to care about the health of the river. The Friends of Indian River, working with the Elizabeth River Project, the Norfolk Highlands Civic League and the Chesapeake Parks, Recreation and Tourism identified a potential public access site. And this summer, with backing from these groups, the City won an $182,500 Virginia Land Conservation Foundation Grant, with City matching funds, to acquire the site. We expect the purchase to be completed in 2017 and progress to open the site to follow quickly.

Plymouth Park 

This year, the Friends expanded our efforts to Plymouth Community Park on the west side of the river. This small 4 acre park has long been overlooked and the Friends have Adopted the Park to help make it a useful asset to the community. We held a Clean the Bay Day event at the park in June and followed up by holding our International Coastal Cleanup there in September. Between the two events, volunteers removed over 1250 lbs. of trash that had accumulated over decades of neglect. The City is stepping up too and is installing picnic tables, new signage, and is considering future plans for a playground, pathways, and a river overlook.

Oyster Reefs along the Indian River 

Three members of the Friends of Indian River went through the permit process to install oyster reefs along their Indian River waterfronts. The Elizabeth River Project, in cooperation with the Chesapeake Bay Foundation, laid down 180 cubic yards of oyster shells creating one large and two smaller oyster reefs near the mouth of the river. Next year we’ll see how much natural recruitment of “baby” oyster spat occurred on the reefs with the goal of accelerating oyster recovery along the river.

Eastern Branch Trail 

Another goal from the Eastern Branch Restoration Strategy was to eventually create a bike route around the Eastern Branch from downtown Norfolk to Indian River Park to Kempsville and then back to downtown along the north shore of the river. In late 2015, Norfolk approved its new citywide Bike Plan that calls for establishing dedicated bike lanes along Indian River Road. The Friends engaged the Chesapeake Bicycle and Trails Advisory Committee and they also endorsed the concept of extending this route along Indian River Road in Chesapeake to the site of the planned canoe/kayak launch and then through Norfolk Highlands to Indian River Park. Eventually the route, if built, would follow the Dominion Power Line corridor onward into Virginia Beach.

Eastern Branch Environmental Restoration Strategy 

Many of the above actions are parts of the larger Eastern Branch Environmental Restoration Strategy developed by Elizabeth River Project along with multiple regional partners including the Friends of Indian River. This year the Elizabeth River Project was awarded a $750,000 grant to further advance the effort. The Friends of Indian River will continue to participate in the planning and execution of the plan to improve the health of the Indian River and its surrounding communities.  

Indian River Shopping Center/Aqua Virginia 

The Friends continue to follow and provide input on the negotiations between the City and Aqua Virginia regarding the water service to the Indian River Shopping Center and the neighboring residential area. At the end of year, there is a proposal establish cross-connections between the City and the Aqua water systems to allow the City to provide backup water supply to the system in the case of emergencies. This would stabilize the system in the event of power outages and enable Aqua Virginia to install fire hydrants in the community in phases. The City would also be allowed to provide a direct connection to the Shopping Center for fire suppression water supply, removing the key barrier to redevelopment. But Aqua Virginia is not interested in selling their system and would remain the primary water provider to the community. For a more thorough description of the proposal, see http://www.friendsofindianriver.org/2016/12/aqua-virginia-update.html. Additional public hearings are expected early next year.

Education Field Trip 

The Friends sponsored an education field trip to New Earth Farms in Pungo, Virginia Beach to learn about the how and, perhaps more importantly, the why of sustainable farming. The 21 acre farm is a classroom and laboratory working to protect the living soil, eliminate chemical use, maintain seed diversity, and raise farm animals in a way that is healthy for the animals and the environment. 

Monthly Speakers 

The Friends continued in our efforts to bring quality speakers to our monthly meetings. Speakers this year included

• Dean Bohon on Flowers of Hampton Roads 
• Farmer John Wilson of New Earth Farms 
• Master Gardener Lorraine Schreiber on Decorative Vegetable Gardening 
• Kirsten Halverson of Buy Fresh, Buy Local 
• Rogard Ross on Saving Chesapeake Bay, It's For the Birds 
• Jim Cahoon on Living Shorelines and Rain Gardens 
• Yohn Sutton of FrogWatch 
• Vice-Mayor Rick West 

Other Areas of Interest

• The City Council denied the application to build the 240 unit Eastwyck Crossing Apartments on a 17 acre wooded lot adjacent to Indian River Park. The Friends had raised concerns that additional environmental mitigation was needed on the site and about the impact to the already overcrowded schools of our area. But do note that the developer does have pre-existing approval to build 208 condos on the site and their future plans are TBD. 
• The Friends continued to engage local civic leagues including the Norfolk Highland Civic League, the Georgetown Civic League, the Campostella Square/Plymouth Park Civic League, and the Ipswich Townvilla Association. 
•  The Friends are renewing their interaction with the Eastern Virginia Mountain Bike Association to develop a joint trail maintenance plan for Indian River Park 
• The Friends continue to track progress on the renovation of the old community center at the Providence Playground which will house the new Rokeby Senior Center. Opening is now planned for early 2017. 

You can now also make a donation and become a supporting member of the Friends of Indian River online at http://www.friendsofindianriver.org/p/membership.html

And please remember to join us for our Annual Meeting on Thursday, January 19, 7 pm at Oaklette United Methodist Church to discuss plans for 2017.

Jayne Whitney,
President,
Friends of Indian River

December Newsletter

It is starting to feel a lot like Christmas!   And our big Annual Holiday Party is on December 15th.   We very cordially invite all our members, volunteers, and their guests to come join us for our year end celebration.   We'll recognize our wonderful volunteers and all their great accomplishments, share holiday treats, socialize ... and do some shopping!   The party features our big silent auction, always brimming with some quality items donated by our members.  Even if you have not been to a meeting in a while or if this would be your very first meeting, we encourage you to come out and partake in the merriment.   The party is from 7 pm to 9 pm at the Oaklette United Methodist Church.    Please bring a desert to share and join the festivities.   Also, the Oaklette United Methodist Church food pantry will be collecting donations of non-perishable food items.

Sincerely,
Rogard Ross
Volunteer & Outreach Coordinator

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Adopt-A-Park Volunteer Work Day
Date: Saturday, December 10th, 9:30 am to Noon
Location: Indian River Park, 2001 Rokeby Avenue

Meet at the park entrance at Rokeby Ave. and Main St. (2001 Rokeby Ave.) which is located just south of Military Highway, i.e. across Military Highway from the Fire Station. We'll be focusing on removal of invasive species, primarily English Ivy. Please wear closed-toe shoes, a hat and bring work gloves. We will have water and lots of snacks. (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.

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Annual Holiday Party
Date: Thursday, December 15th, 7 pm
Location: Oaklette United Methodist Church, 520 Oaklette Dr.

This will be our end of year celebration to recognize our many accomplishments, recognize our volunteers, and socialize. Please bring a desert to share and join the festivities. We'll have a silent auction, so you can finish some Christmas shopping too.  Please also consider bringing a donation of non-perishable food items for the Oaklette United Methodist Church food pantry to the meeting this evening. 

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Other News

• At our November meeting we heard from the Director of Public Works, David Jurgens, on the negotiations with Aqua Virginia addressing water issues affecting their service area on the east side of Norfolk Highlands, including the Indian River Shopping Center. The proposal under consideration could rapidly resolve the fire protection service issues for the Shopping Center - and thus enable its redevelopment, provide backup water supply from the city for the entire neighborhood, and ultimately provide fire hydrant coverage for the entire area in stages over the next several years. But Aqua Virginia has no interest in selling the water system and would continue to be the primary provider of water for that neighborhood. Community input to the City Council will be crucial in bringing this deal to closure.   Read more details at http://www.friendsofindianriver.org/2016/12/aqua-virginia-update.html
• Mark your calendars - our Annual Meeting and elections will be held on January 19th, 2017, 7 pm, at the Oaklette United Methodist Church

Aqua Virginia Update

At the Civic League meeting in early October we heard from David Jurgens, Director of Chesapeake Public Utilities and John Aulbach, the new President of Aqua Virginia. We also received the same input from Mr. Jurgens at the Friends meeting later in the month.  The City and Aqua Virginia have been in negotiation for approximately two years and they outlined a proposal to address the water quality and fire protection issues in the Aqua Virginia service area.

What we heard was that, if agreed upon by the City Council, the proposal would within 12 to 18 months 1) establish cross-connections between the City water system and the Aqua water system to allow the city to provide a BACKUP supply to provide water and pressure to the system in the event of power loss and/or to support fire fighting, 2) allow the City to directly provide an emergency water line from its 12" main pipe along Indian River Road to the Indian River Shopping Center to enable fire suppression/sprinkler systems in the center, 3) have Aqua Virginia install fire hydrants within its service area that has 6" cast iron pipes, generally the area between and including Linden Ave and Sparrow Road. Then over the next 5 to 7 years 4) Aqua would perform a capital construction improvement process to replace its oldest 2" to 4" galvinized pipe network and provide fire hydrants in its remaining service area, i.e. the area between Sparrow Road and the Virginia Beach line.

Aqua Virginia Service Area - Conceptual Hydrant Map

The proposal would resolve the fire protection issues, including for redevelopment of the Indian River Shopping Center. The proposal would address some of the water quality issues and would not require major rate increases for customers. The presenters indicate that a key cause of the water quality issues is the corrosion and sediment build-up in the aging pipe system, especially the very old galvinized pipe network: water pressure fluctuations especially stir up this contamination causing the "brown water" to flow to residents. The cross-connection to the city will provide a backup water supply if power is lost to the system, reducing the problem related to water pressure fluctuations. The ultimate replacement of the galvinized pipes will remove a major source of contamination. Aqua Virginia also said it would investigate cleaning the less old 6" cast iron pipe system, although the feasibility of this was unclear.

We heard that the possibility of have Aqua exclusively purchase water from the City, rather than relying on well water, is also under consideration, but whether is financially viable for Aqua is to be determined and it does not in itself address the problem of the aging pipes. Aqua Virginia was also quite clear that they have no interest in selling their system to the City. The next steps include gathering further public input and finally taking the proposal to the City Council.

November Newsletter

It is finally starting to feel like fall. This Saturday, October 29th we will have a guided hike at Indian River Park, which is spruced up after our Adopt-A-Park event last week. There is also still room to join our tour of New Earth Farm on Saturday, November 5th. Free for our members, this tour will visit this sustainable and educational farm in Pungo; we’ll visit their educational gardens to talk about sustainable agriculture, see their sustainable building and energy use techniques, learn about their farm animals, and visit other areas of the 21 acre working farm. RSVP now by emailing info@friendsofindianriver.org.

Vice-Mayor Rick West will be the guest speaker at our next meeting on Thursday, November 17th, to address questions relevant to our community. The following Saturday, November 19th, we'll hold an Adopt-A-Road Cleanup along Indian River Road.

And mark your calendars .... Thursday, December 15th is our, not to be missed, Annual Holiday Party. This is our end of year celebration to recognize volunteers and accomplishments, and socialize. Please bring a desert to share and join the festivities. We'll have a silent auction, so you can finish some Christmas shopping too.

Sincerely,
Rogard Ross
Volunteer & Outreach Coordinator

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Indian River Park Nature Trail Guided Walk

Date: Saturday, October 29th, 8:30 am to 10:00 am
Location: Indian River Park, 2001 Rokeby Avenue

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.

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Field Trip: Tour of New Earth Farm
Date: Saturday, November 5th
Duration: 9 am to about 2 pm including travel time.

Located at the Pungo end of Indian River Road, New Earth Farm is a working, sustainable and educational farm started by “Farmer John” Wilson in 1995 to grow and provide all-natural, chemical-free produce and products for the health of you and the environment!  The tour includes their educational gardens to talk about sustainable agriculture, viewing sustainable building and energy use techniques, learning about their farm animals, and visiting other areas of the 21 acre working farm.     We'll meet to carpool at 9 am; the tour is from 10 am to 12:30 pm and we should be back by around 2 pm.  There is an optional hands-on activity, so wear sturdy shoes and comfortable clothing.  Free for our members, this tour is limited to 30 persons.  Contact us at info@friendsofindianriver.org to RSVP.

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Monthly Meeting: Guest Speaker Vice Mayor Rick West
Date: Thursday, November 17th, 7 pm
Location: Oaklette United Methodist Church, 520 Oaklette Dr.

Vice-Mayor Rick West will present at our next meeting and address questions relevant to our community. There will be light refreshments and door prizes afterwards. Please also consider bringing a donation of non-perishable food items for the Oaklette United Methodist Church food pantry to the meeting this evening.

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Adopt-A-Road Cleanup along Indian River Road
Date: Saturday, November 19th, 9:30 am to Noon


Meet at side parking lot of Indian River Post Office, 3810 Indian River Road, Chesapeake, for our next quarterly cleanup along Indian River Road.   This will help to spruce up the area, collect trash that will otherwise get washed into the river and impact wildlife, and give us the opportunity to interact with residents and businesses along Indian River Road.  The city will provide garbage bags and orange safety vests. We'll have water and a few snacks available. Please wear closed-toe shoes, a hat and bring work gloves and other items that may be useful. Participants under 18 years of age must have adult supervision.

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Adopt-A-Park Volunteer Work Day
Date: Saturday, December 10th, 9:30 am to Noon
Location: Indian River Park, 2001 Rokeby Avenue

Meet at the park entrance at Rokeby Ave. and Main St. (2001 Rokeby Ave.) which is located just south of Military Highway, i.e. across Military Highway from the Fire Station. We'll be focusing on removal of invasive species, primarily English Ivy. Please wear closed-toe shoes, a hat and bring work gloves. We will have water and lots of snacks. (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.

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Annual Holiday Party
Date: Thursday, December 15th, 7 pm
Location: Oaklette United Methodist Church, 520 Oaklette Dr.

This will be our end of year celebration to recognize our many accomplishments, recognize our volunteers, and socialize. Please bring a desert to share and join the festivities. We'll have a silent auction, so you can finish some Christmas shopping too. Please also consider bringing a donation of non-perishable food items for the Oaklette United Methodist Church food pantry to the meeting this evening. Even if you have not been to a meeting in a while or if this would be your very first meeting, we encourage you to come out and partake in the merriment.

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Other News

• 2016 RiverFest is rescheduled for Sunday, November 20th at Paradise Creek Nature Park in Portsmouth.   Stop on by for a fun filled afternoon of family oriented, river friendly activites and also an organized walk across the Jordan Bridge.   See http://www.elizabethriverfest.org/ for all the details.
• In a very brief hearing on October 18th, the City Council voted to DENY the Eastwyck Crossing Apartments proposal, located on 18 acres adjacent to Indian River Park, by an 8-0 vote. The existing zoning for condos, approved in 2008, is still in place but immediate development plans appear to be on hold. http://www.cityofchesapeake.net/Assets/supporting_docs/actions_council/2016/10-18-16/Marked+Agenda.pdf
• We had a great turnout for the Adopt-A-Park volunteer day at Indian River Park in October. Between the Friends of Indian River, the Eastern Virginia Mountainbike Association, and the Tidewater Appalachian Trail Club, we had 27 volunteers come out. The ATC gave an excellent trail maintenance primer to the group. The EVMA crew focused on clearing the trails of storm debris, fixing some storm damaged bridges, and other trail work. The Friends focused on the Rokeby trail entrance, weeding the native plant garden, cleaning up storm debris and putting down mulch . A lot was accomplished and we give a big thank you to all the volunteers! See pictures at https://www.facebook.com/FriendsofIndianRiver/posts/1235640959834586
• Congratulations to Wickers Crab Pot for receiving an Honorable Mention in the Chesapeake Business Beautification Award.

October Newsletter

Hope everyone is keeping dry with all this weather.  I guess we can say that at least everyone's gardens are getting plenty of rain.   And frogs, the subject of this month's talk, probably like the weather.

Our next meetings is on Thursday, October 20th, featuring Yohn Sutton speaking on FrogWatch.  

We really need volunteers on October 22nd for our Adopt-A-Park event at Indian River Park; we'll be doing work on the gardens at the entrance area and working with the Eastern Virginia Mountain Bike Association on trail maintenance.

The following week on October 29th we'll lead a guided walk at the Indian River Park - it's a great chance to discover the park in its fall colors.   And on November 5th we'll sponsor a tour of New Earth Farm.

The Eastwyck Crossing Apartment project was recommended for Approval by the Planning Commission and is heading for the City Council this month; despite some improvements there are still concerns about this 240-unit development adjacent to Indian River Park.

On the positive side, the Elizabeth River Project won a $700,000 grant for Eastern Branch Restoration projects including along our Indian River.   We will see a reinvigorated effort in our area including installation of living shorelines, lawn makeover, and evaluation of the impact of septic systems on our river.   Planning will kick into gear this fall and we will keep you informed about upcoming projects.

Sincerely,
Rogard Ross
Volunteer & Outreach Coordinator

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Monthly Meeting: Frog Watch
Date: Thursday, October 20th, 7 pm
Location: Oaklette United Methodist Church, 520 Oaklette Dr.

Yohn Sutton, coordinator for the Frog Watch chapter at the Virginia Zoo will tell us all about frogs and how you can participate in Frog Watch, a fun and educational program that has individuals, groups, and families learn about wetlands in their communities by reporting on the calls of local frogs and toads.  There will also be light refreshments and door prizes after the presentation.

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Adopt-A-Park Volunteer Work Day
Date: Saturday, October 22nd, 9:30 am to Noon
Location: Indian River Park, 2001 Rokeby Avenue

Meet at the park entrance at Rokeby Ave. and Main St. (2001 Rokeby Ave.) which is located just south of Military Highway, i.e. across Military Highway from the Fire Station. We'll be doing work around the park entrance, trailhead, and along the trails including some trail work, pruning, weeding, and cleanup. Please wear closed-toe shoes, a hat and bring work gloves. If you can, bring shovels, rakes, pruners, saws and other gardening tools. We plan to have a brief pruning and trail maintenance workshop giving by the Tidewater Chapter of the Appalachian Trail Club. We will have water and lots of snacks.  (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.

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Indian River Park Nature Trail Guided Walk


Date: Saturday, October 29th, 8:30 am to 10:00 am
Location: Indian River Park, 2001 Rokeby Avenue

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.

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Field Trip: Tour of New Earth Farm
Date: Saturday, November 5th
Duration: 9 am to about 2 pm including travel time.

Located at the Pungo end of Indian River Road, New Earth Farm is a working, sustainable and educational farm started by “Farmer John” Wilson in 1995 to grow and provide all-natural, chemical-free produce and products for the health of you and the environment!  The tour includes their educational gardens to talk about sustainable agriculture, viewing sustainable building and energy use techniques, learning about their farm animals, and visiting other areas of the 21 acre working farm.     We'll meet to carpool at 9 am; the tour is from 10 am to 12:30 pm and we should be back by around 2 pm.  There is an optional hands-on activity, so wear sturdy shoes and comfortable clothing.  Free for our members, this tour is limited to 30 persons.  Contact us at info@friendsofindianriver.org to RSVP.

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Other News

• The Eastwyck Crossing Apartment project was recommended for approval by the Planning Commission on September 14th.   It is scheduled to go to the City Council in October (probably 10/18) for final review.   There are continuing concerns around the developments impacts on the city and school budgets, the overcrowding at Indian River Middle School, and the need for mitigation related to the loss of 18 acres of mature woods adjacent to Indian River Park.   Citizen input is critical at this time - if you are interested in learning more about this development and how you can comment to City Council, contact us at info@friendsofindianriver.org for more info.
• Voter registration deadline in Virginia is October 17th.  You can register, update your address, or just double-check your registration online at http://www.elections.virginia.gov/voter-outreach/
• Work is progressing on the new Rokeby Senior Center at Indian River Park (at Rokeby and Providence).   The Parks Department is finishing up work on the brand new interior and the opening is expected in the next couple of months.
• The Friends of Indian River sponsored an International Coastal Cleanup at Plymouth Community Park on 9/17.   Thank you to the volunteers who came out and collected about 250 lbs. of trash including hundreds of beverage bottles, including glass bottles that probably haven't been manufactured in decades.   And a local business, Savior Martial Arts, held another cleanup at the mouth of the river on 9/18 removing another 100 lbs. of trash; kudos to them also!
• We are always looking for more volunteers, both for our scheduled events and for various on-going or proposed projects.   Find out ways you can help at http://www.friendsofindianriver.org/p/volunteer.html

September Newsletter

We hope everyone had a great summer.   The statistics for August still need to be compiled, but this may very well have been the hottest summer on record.  But now we're looking forward to more comfortable temperatures and starting up our fall programs listed in the attached calendar.   The Elizabeth River Project has also gotten new funding and we expect to see a re-invigorated effort around the Eastern Branch Restoration Strategy starting in October.  

To kick-off those efforts, the guest speaker at our September 15th meeting will give us information about Living Shoreline Restoration and on the September 17th we'll be doing the International Coastal Cleanup at Plymouth Community Park.  We're also working with the Parks Department to initiate a revitalization plan at Plymouth Community Park.   

The proposal to build the Eastwyck Apartments adjacent to Indian River Park has re-emerged and is going to the Planning Commission for another review on September 14th. We're continuing to follow this issue.

Sincerely,
Rogard Ross
Volunteer & Outreach Coordinator

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Rain Barrel Workshop
Date: Saturday, September 10th, 10:00 am to Noon
Location: Indian River Community Center, 2250 Old Greenbrier Road

The Chesapeake Master Gardeners and the Department of Parks, Recreation & Tourism (PR&T) are sponsoring a rain barrel workshop at the Indian River Community Center.  In this workshop, you'll receive all the materials, instructions, and hands-on help to build your own rain barrel to take home.   The Friends will be at the event too to lend a hand and distribute information.  Cost: $55 for materials.   Register with PR&T at 757-382-6411 or at https://apm.activecommunities.com/cityofchesapeake/Activity_Search/rain-barrel-workshop-indian-river-comm-ctr/22075

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Eastwyck Apartments at Planning Commission
Date: Wednesday, September 14th, 7 pm
Location: City Hall Council Chamber

The proposal to build 240 apartments on an 18 acre wooded lot on the some end of Miller Avenue, adjacent to Indian River Park, is returning to the Planning Commission.   The Friends have previously raised concerns about this project including the impact on school overcrowding, especially at Indian River Middle School,  and the amount of mitigation performed with regards to the lose of the 18 acres of woods.  The application posted on the current agenda also reverts back to the September 11, 2015 site plan which leaves out several adjustments agreed upon in November.   Persons wishing to comment at the Planning Commission must sign-up prior to 7 pm.

Planning Commission Agenda        Application Part 1      Application Part 2

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Living Shorelines and Rain Gardens
Date: Thursday, September 15th, 7 pm
Location: Oaklette United Methodist Church, 520 Oaklette Dr.

Jim Cahoon, from Bay Environmental, will present on Living Shorelines and Rain Gardens.  We'll also have information from the Elizabeth River Project on how you can get funding help to do your own living shoreline or rain garden installation.  The goal will be to implement dozens of living shoreline restorations along the Indian River over the coming years!  There will also be light refreshments and door prizes after the presentation.

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International Coastal Cleanup at Plymouth Park
Date: Saturday, September 17th, 9:30 am to Noon
Location: Plymouth Community Park, 701 Pond Lane

Plymouth Community Park is a small waterside park along the Indian River that is in need of some love. We did our first ever cleanup at this site for Clean the Bay Day. While we got out most of the big stuff, it needs another thorough going over to collect the remaining trash.   The city will provide garbage bags. We'll have water and snacks available. Please wear closed-toe shoes, a hat and bring work gloves and other items that may be useful. Participants under 18 years of age must have adult supervision.

We'll also be sharing information about planned improvements at the park.  Initial plans for park upgrades include the installation of improved signage, an information kiosk, garbage cans, a pathway along the tree line, a pair of picnic tables on the site of the old ball court, and some checkerboard game tables. Future improvements may include a children’s playground and a river overlook.

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Other News

• Nothing new to report regarding Aqua Virginia.  The Pilot reported that Aqua Virginia will be getting a new CEO, but that doesn't seem to be directly related to our issues. Meanwhile, no word of any progress from City.
• The City of Chesapeake is partnering Elizabeth River Project to promote the River Star Homes program in our area.  When you take the pledge to join the free River Star Homes program, you can qualify for cost-share funding for lawn makeovers, shoreline restoration, rain gardens and more. You DON'T have to live by the water to sign up and make a difference. See http://www.elizabethriver.org/river-star-homes for more info!
• The Chesapeake Bay Foundation will be holding their VoiCeS training program in a new, condensed, two-day format on Saturday, September 17th and Saturday, September 24th. A number of Friends of Indian River members have taken this superb program to learn about the Chesapeake Bay ecosystem and what steps can be taken to "Clean the Bay". These classes will be held in Hampton from 10 to 4. $25 to cover cost of materials and field trips. Register at https://cbf.org/voices-hr-apply
• 2016 RiverFest will be held on October 9th at Paradise Creek Nature Park in Portsmouth.   Stop on by for a fun filled afternoon of family oriented, river friendly activites and also an organized walk across the Jordan Bridge.   See http://www.elizabethriverfest.org/ for all the details.
• Check out the updated Community Guide page on our website. Its chock full of useful links.  http://www.friendsofindianriver.org/p/resources.html

July Newsletter

Summer is here and our next meeting is not until September, but we wanted to thank everyone for a successful first half of the year.   We had volunteer events to remove invasive English Ivy at the park, cleanup along Indian River Road, and garden at the Indian River Oaklette Bridge.   Over 110 volunteers came out for Clean the Bay Day at Indian River Park and Plymouth Community Park collecting over 1500 lbs of trash.   And our BioBlitz was a big success documenting over 300 species of plants and animals in the park, 121 of which were recording on the day of the event.

Three of our members have now worked with the Elizabeth River Project to install oyster reefs off their property on the Indian River.   Over 180 cubic yards of oyster shell were strategically placed to provide the foundation to accelerate the recovery of oysters in the river.   The reefs will also provide homes to other river life including blue crabs, mussels, snails and juvenile fish.   At this point several other waterfront property owners have approached us to learn how they too can participate in river restoration efforts, like oyster reefs, living shorelines, and rain gardens.   If you are interested, reply back to this e-mail.

Upcoming events include
- Chesapeake Recycles Day at Greenbrier Mall on Saturday, July 23 from 9 am to Noon
- Rain Barrel Workshop at Indian River Community center on Saturday, Sept 10 at 10 am ($55, registration required)
- International Coastal Cleanup at Plymouth Community Park, Saturday, September 17, 9:30 am to Noon
For more information and our full fall calendar, please visit http://www.friendsofindianriver.org/p/calendar.html

Our next regular meeting will be Thursday, September 15, 7 pm at Oaklette United Methodist Church.   Jim Cahoon of Bay Environmental will present on Living Shorelines and Rain Gardens. We'll also have information from the Elizabeth River Project on how you can get help in doing your own living shoreline or rain garden installation.

A few other items of interest

• Would you like to have a healthier, river-friendly lawn?  The non-profit Elizabeth River Project can help you plan your organic lawn makeover and provide up to $500 in funding. One of their lawn expert will schedule a time to meet with you to go your over lawn concerns and goals and conduct a soil test to see what your soil needs. Often in this area, aeration, to deal with compacted soils, and top-dressing with organic leaf compost will add beneficial microbes to the soil. And, they can provide up to $500 to help Chesapeake homes in our Elizabeth River watershed with these lawn makeovers that are not only river-friendly, but safe for pets and kids as well. Sign up to have our lawn expert contact you at http://www.elizabethriver.org/organic-lawn-care-makeovers or call 757-399-7487.
• Also, the Virginia Conservation Assistance Program (VCAP) is another new program that provides financial reimbursement to property owners installing specific conservation practices like living shorelines, rain gardens, permeable pavement, and more.  The program is open to residential, commercial, industrial, recreational applicants, both private and public, and may reimburse up to 75% of the cost of some projects. Contact us for more information or see http://vaswcd.org/vcap
• Mosquito Control 101. Perform regular scans of your yard to make sure there is NO standing water. This includes tarps where rainwater has collected, clogged rain gutters, buckets, unmanaged birdbaths, old tires, planters, pet dishes, kiddy pools, cans or bottles. Mosquitoes need about one week to complete their lifecycle From eggs to biting adult.     For more info see http://content.yardmap.org/learn/mosquitoes/

Clean the Bay Day 2016

This year the Friends of Indian River hosted cleanups at two sites - our 4th year at Indian River Park and, for the first time, Plymouth Community Park on the west shore of the Indian River.

At Indian River Park, 81 volunteers pull about 530 pounds of litter. We thank all the volunteers who came out including Cub Scout Packs 42 and 700 and Boy Scout Troop 303. This year we expanded efforts into new areas south of the power lines that we didn't reach previously. And, we're very happy to report that the total trash collected was 40% less than last year haul and only half of the 1000+ pounds we collected in 2014 - a really positive trend.

This was our first year at Plymouth Community Park and perhaps the first cleanup at this site by anyone in a really long time. Plymouth Community Park is a small 4.5 acre park wedged between the Plymouth Park and Campostella Square neighborhoods along the river. The park consists primarily of a riparian buffer along the river and a stream, an open field, and has no amenities. About 30 volunteers came out and collected over a 1000 pounds of trash including 13 tires and items like an old microwave. We had to bring in a small tractor to help haul some of the stuff out. A big thank you to the volunteers at this site and our first time Zone Captain Carol. We hope to see increased community involvement and stewardship at this site and are planning to return for the International Coastal Cleanup in September.

 

June Newsletter

We're wrapping up our spring schedule and next up is our big Clean the Bay Day event on Saturday, June 4th.  This year we will be supporting two sites: Indian River Park and Plymouth Community Park.   Especially after this rainy season, there is a lot of trash wash into the parks and we're going to need lots of hands to help with the cleanups.   We're also holding a volunteer appreciation picnic at Indian River Park immediately after the cleanup.   Please RSVP to let us know you are coming.   

I'll be the featured speaker at our June meeting on the 16th with a presentation about Chesapeake Bay restoration efforts and the impacts and benefits on our feathered friends,  including some colorful history and great bird photographs.  And on the 18th we holding our Indian River Road and Bridge Garden Cleanup, rescheduled from the rained-out date in May.   We look forward to seeing you.

Sincerely,
Rogard Ross
Volunteer & Outreach Coordinator

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Clean The Bay Day at Indian River Park and Plymouth Park
Date: Saturday, June 4th, 9:00 am to Noon

NEW!! We'll be supporting Clean the Bay Day at two locations this year:

• Indian River Park starting at the park entrance at 2001 Rokeby Ave. (Rokeby Ave. and Main St., 1 block south of Military Highway)
• Plymouth Community Park at 701 Pond Lane (two blocks north of Border Rd).

The Friends of Indian River's will be doing our cleanup along the stream buffer in Indian River Park, the headwaters of the Indian River, and at Plymouth Community Park, a small waterside park along the tidal section of the Indian River.   This will help to spruce up the area, collect trash that will otherwise get washed into the river and impact wildlife.  The city will provide garbage bags. We'll have water and snacks available. 

Please wear closed-toe shoes, a hat and bring work gloves and other items that may be useful.   There is also trash to be collected from the flood plain of the creek, which is wet; bring rubber boots if you can help in this area.   Participants under 18 years of age must have adult supervision. 

Volunteers from both sites are invited to a post-event picnic at Indian River Park.  The Friends of Indian River will bring hot dogs, burgers, and drinks.   We invite folks to bring a side dish like dessert, chips, pasta salad to share.  

To help our planning, please RSVP to info@friendsofindianriver.org, tell us which site you want to support and if you know you will join us for the picnic afterwards.   (Last minute volunteers are still always welcome).

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Saving Chesapeake Bay, It's For the Birds
Date: Thursday, June 16th, 7 pm

At our next regular meeting, Rogard Ross will do a presentation on the past, present, and future of efforts to restore the Chesapeake Bay and the impact on bird life.   Packed with colorful history and some great bird photographs, this should be an interesting presentation. There will be light refreshments and door prizes after the presentation.  The meeting starts at 7 PM in the Social Hall at the Oaklette United Methodist Church, 520 Oaklette Drive. 

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Adopt-A-Road Cleanup/Bridge Planters along Indian River Road
Date: Saturday, June 18th, 9:30 am to Noon


We'll meet at Oaklette United Methodist Church, 520 Oaklette Drive, Chesapeake, VA for our next quarterly cleanup along Indian River Road.  (Park in the rear).  This will help to spruce up the area, collect trash that will otherwise get washed into the river and impact wildlife, and give us the opportunity to interact with residents and businesses along Indian River Road. We'll also have a team do some gardening and maintenance around the bridge planters and the trees this morning, including weeding, and mulching. Let us know if you want to be on the gardening team. The city will provide garbage bags and orange safety vests. We'll have water and a few snacks available. Please wear closed-toe shoes, a hat and bring work gloves and other items that may be useful. Participants under 18 years of age must have adult supervision.

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Other News

• Last chance to get your Chesapeake Notable Yards contest nomination in by May 31.   If you have a yard to nominate, reply to info@friendsofindianriver.org and we'll make sure they are submitted.
• The City hosted a public meeting about Aqua Virginia on May 23rd to solicit public input from the residents.   There seems to have been a good turnout and there are a few proposals on the table from Aqua Virginia and the City to deal with the fire suppression capacity issues affecting the Indian River Shopping Center and the adjacent community.   We'll be encouraging both parties to move forward and find a workable solution.   Stay tuned for more information.
• The next Chesapeake Recycles Day is Saturday, June 11 from 9 to Noon in Deep Creek. Bring your household hazardous materials, old electronics, Goodwill items, plastic bags, regular recyclables, and such. No old-style tube TVs, no tires; personal items only. Also they are collecting non-perishable canned goods for donation to a local food pantry.