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(A Belated) Happy Earth Day!
Though events were cancelled, many of us have found our own private and on-line ways to commemorate the 50th anniversary of environmental consciousness in community.
HERE you can join in a list of activities to do from home to celebrate in spirit with Shenandoah Green and Earth Day Staunton.
And HERE you can read an uplifting blog by Bobby Whitescarver who reminds us of 7 very positive environmental improvements that have happened in Virginia in the past 50 years. Take heart.
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Daughter, Daughter of the Stars
FOMR member John Bauman has taken some of his quarantine time to write a gorgeous song about Middle River which he has titled Daughter, Daughter of the Stars.
Treat yourself to a listen HERE!
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How to Report Water Pollution
While you are getting out and about in nature, you may be the "eyes" that see a water pollution problem. Our Virginia Department of Environmental Quality (VDEQ) has an online reporting form so you can report what you see or what concerns you.
From their website HERE, VDEQ writes that "... "If you need to report an environmental emergency, do not use the online pollution reporting form. Instead, contact the Virginia Emergency Operations Center (open 24/7) at 800-468-8892.
When reporting a non-emergency concern using the Reporting Form:- Required fields are marked with a red asterisk.
- Describe the incident in as much detail as possible. Provide the
location of the pollution incident, including any notable landmarks.
- If known, include the materials involved.
- To remain anonymous, leave contact fields blank.
NOTE: If you do not provide contact information, VDEQ may be unable
to fully investigate the incident and won't have a way to contact you
for additional information. Contact information, including personally
identifiable information, may be subject to disclosure under Freedom of
Information Act requests."
You can find the Reporting Form HERE at https://portal.deq.virginia.gov/prep/Report/Create |
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Dolphins in the
Potomac River
What we do with our rivers in Augusta County matters to all downstream. Here is some uplifting news from the Potomac Conservancy about the recently returned bottlenose dolphins in the Potomac River:
"Now, the population is generating a more scientifically significant headline: In August 2019, one of them gave birth in the Potomac River. Why is this discovery 'beyond exciting' to the team? It’s only the second ever wild birth of a bottlenose dolphin in the scientific literature."
Read the full blog post by Willis Kliefoth, Potomac Conservancy Communications Manager HERE. |
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Member Spotlight
FOMR member and Staunton resident Steve Tally and his neighbors made the local news with their nightly wild enactment of community howling to chase away the neighborhood's COVID-19 blues. Read or listen about their nightly howls covered by WMRA HERE! Photo by Mike Tripp.
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An educational webinar series from the Izaak Walton League of America:
"Every week from 12-1 pm Eastern time, the Clean Water Team will be
bringing you presentations on all things clean water. From policy to
landscaping and everything between, join us for an opportunity to learn
about clean water issues and what you can do to protect America’s
waterways."
The April 29th webinar is titled "Meet Our Macros"! On May 6, the webinar will be "Making a Local Difference with Save Our Streams." (FOMR provides our benthic data to the Save Our Streams database.)
Read more and register HERE.
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Read more about Friends of the Middle River at our website HERE.
And follow us on Facebook!
P.O. Box 131, Verona VA 24482 540-609-8267
FOMR is a 501(c)(3) organization.
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