May Newsletter and Events

 View this newsletter online at http://www.friendsofindianriver.org/ 

• Upcoming Events
• 5/13 - Saturday - Second Saturday Hike at Indian River Park
• 5/18 - Thursday - Bi-Monthly Meeting - Community Development Efforts in Chesapeake
• 6/3 - Saturday - Clean the Bay Day
• Other News
• Plant more Plants!
• April Re-cap
• Volunteer Needs
• Oyster Gardening

---

Upcoming Events

Second Saturday Hike at Indian River Park

Date: Saturday, May 13, 8:30 am to 10:30 am

Location: Meet at the Indian River 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.

Come out to the park to 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/7p4232xZNDZF7vjQ8 (suggested but not required)

Bi-Monthly Meeting - Community Development Efforts in Chesapeake

Date: Thursday, May 18, 7 pm

Location: Oaklette United Methodist Church, 520 Oaklette Drive

Our guest speaker will be Brian Solis, Deputy City Manager for the City of Chesapeake responsible for community development efforts by various city departments including Economic Development, Planning, Development and Permits, and Parks, Recreation and Tourism.  This is an opportunity to learn about on-going efforts and ask questions about future plans.

We'll also have the latest community news and updates!  Light refreshments will be served.

Clean the Bay Day @ Indian River Civic Campus

Date: Saturday, June 3, 9 am to Noon

Location: Indian River Civic Campus - area around Indian River Middle School, High School, Community Center, Library, Lake. Meet at side parking lot at Chesapeake Center of Student Success (old Indian River Middle School Annex) at 605 Providence Rd 

The Friends of Indian River's will be hosting Clean the Bay Day at the Indian River Civic Campus. 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.  Long pants are recommended.  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/Y7ybkQG2NqX6hmFo9 (suggested but not required)

---

Other News

Plant more Plants!

Spring gardening season is here and it's a great time to get out and enjoy your garden and make it a healthier place for your family and our planet.  We share our community with birds, butterflies, bees, and a surprising abundance of other wildlife.  What we do in our yards directly impacts both the people who live here and the environment overall.  Planting more shrubs, flowers, and trees - particularly native species - can provide more food and habitat for wildlife, reduce or eliminate the need for toxic herbicides and pesticides, and improve the wellbeing of people.   One resource to learn more and find plants that work best in our area is https://www.audubon.org/plantsforbirds.

Plants for Birds from Audubon.org on Vimeo.

April Re-cap

We supported several excellent volunteer events in April.  On Saturday, April 15, we were at Plymouth Community Park doing some litter pickup and pruning (5 volunteers, 60 lbs of litter).  On Friday, April 21, a team from Dollar Tree came to Indian River Park for Earth Day (6 volunteers, 40 lbs of trash removed); we did a guided hike of the park and some trash cleanup along the way.  And on Saturday, April 22, a dozen volunteers came out to mulch the trees and shrubs at the Indian River Oaklette Bridge landscaping.  Thank you to everyone who came out to support these efforts!

Volunteers Needs

We need volunteers to help with weeding at the new landscaping at the Indian River Oaklette Bridge and at the native plant garden at Indian River Park. We also need volunteers to help with removing invasive plants at the Park. There are also other volunteer opportunities listed on our website at http://www.friendsofindianriver.org/p/volunteer.html.  If you can help out on any of these, please contact us at info@friendsofindianriver.org

Oyster Gardening

The Chesapeake Bay Foundation is looking for Oyster Gardeners to help restore our oyster population.  As an Oyster Gardener, you become a "foster parent" for hundreds baby oysters.   It's fun and pretty easy.  You do need access to water with a salinity of at least three parts-per-thousand year-round for your oysters to thrive, which includes most of the Indian River.  Oyster Gardeners usually tie their oyster cages to a dock, pier, bulkhead or pilings.    To learn more and register for the new gardener seminars, visit https://www.cbf.org/how-we-save-the-bay/programs-initiatives/virginia/oyster-restoration/oyster-gardening