- Seventeen species of fish are coming back and bald eagles have twice
been spotted at the seven-acre site of restoring the river bottom and
creating new wetlands habitat at Money Point in Chesapeake.
- A special plan to make the Lafayette branch of the river safe for
swimming by 2014 is in final draft and will be announced to the public
shortly. So many partners and projects are already involved that a
challenge has been keeping the plan short enough to publish.
- The Learning Barge was launched a year ago as the largest
environmental education vessel on the bay and now hosts up to120
students a day for hands-on educaiton among its six stations and live
wetland nursery.
- River Star Homes, a new program for citizen stewardship, has been
piloted on the Lafayette to launch watershed-wide next spring. It builds
on the success of River Star Businesses, in which 74 businesses have
voluntarily reduced pollution by 215 million pounds and restored or
conserved 1,043 acres of habitat since 1997; and River Star Schools,
with 126 schools participating in hands-on river projects.
- We are within $150,000 of being able to open a $10 million new park,
Paradise Creek Nature Park, in 2012 as the place where generations will
be able to see, touch and appreciate the return of the Elizabeth River
to full health.
"It's a rewarding thing to be able to help restore your
home river to health, especially a river that has needed you so badly,"
Jackson said.
Bruce Bradley, Fundraising Chairman, presided at the affair. Mike Unger
of the Virginia Institute of Marine Science described the mummichog fish
as the perfect indicator of river health, since it migrates only a short
distance and reflects conditions where it lives. Bob Zentz donated live
river music.
Become a member of
this exciting group today! Download the Society's flier and
Pledge form at right and make a real
difference in the restoration of your river.
