Friends of the Middle River invites volunteers to participate in our 2024 cleanup activities!
Due to very low water levels, we are initially targeting two sections of river for water and road cleanups. (If things go well, though, we may have additional dates and locations). As of now, our two initial targets are in the Bald Rock Rd. area near Verona and River Bend Road close to New Hope. We plan to wade, walk, and paddle where we can to clean up- and down-stream of the access points. This is not a float trip. While staying dry is an option for those cleaning the road area, we need volunteers willing to get wet as well. Come out and join us for a morning of cleanup and fellowship to protect and preserve our Middle River watershed. Details below:
Dates: August 24 (Bald Rock Rd near Verona) and September 7 (River Bend Rd. near New Hope)
Times: 9am -12 noon.
FOMR will provide gloves, trash bags and haul collected trash from the sites. Meeting and parking information will be provided upon signup.
An invite went out yesterday via email and it's official: you are invited to our annual Friends Fest! The celebration will happen on September 15th at 4 PM at 111 Mill Race Rd in Verona. (Our backup/rain location will be the American Legion at 357 Cedar Green Rd in Staunton.)
For those of you who may be new to Friends Fest, it is our annual celebration of the Middle River and you, the Friends of the Middle River! During the picnic, we will draw the winning raffle tickets. Two lucky folks will leave with a grand prize of either a new kayak, or stand-up inflatable paddle board. There will also be a silent auction** and many more raffle prizes drawn for those in attendance. Additionally, you will have an opportunity to hear about our stewardship efforts from the past year, and any new activities in the pipeline – new volunteer opportunities with FOMR are always available.
Additional Info: Please bring your own plates, cups, and utensils. FOMR will provide BBQ, buns, and sauces. We will have sister organizations in attendance that will also provide additional local conservation information you may find useful.
The celebration kicks off at 4 PM and goes until dark. It will be held outdoors at Shirley and Stuart Webster’s beautiful riverfront property, as we have done in the past at 111 Mill Race Road in Verona.
Please arrive in a party mood by car - or boat - if you like! Kids are always welcome, but please leave the dogs at home.
We hope you will join us for this fun evening of fellowship as we give thanks for our sponsors, volunteers, and our amazing resource…the Middle River!
Also, there's still plenty of time to enter our 2024 raffle -- be sure to get your raffle tickets (if you haven't already) at this link here!
** We are currently accepting donations for the silent auction. If you or anyone you know would like to contribute, let us know!
The 2024 FriendsFest Raffle Prizes: A Hyperlite Elevation 10'2" Inflatable Stand Up Paddle Board Package & a 10' Yellowfin Vibe Wildfire 100 Kayak with seat & paddle.
Ongoing Group Float Trips
Our monthly Paddle Trips Program will continue to be held on the second Saturday of each month until September. Participants need their own canoe or kayak and a personal floatation device. This season’s trips are all suitable for novice paddlers. Space is limited. Links for trip details and to register will be on the FOMR website homepage. (Registration for each trip should open at least 2 weeks before the trip.)
August 10 - Family Fun Trip. A few more spots left! Please email info@friendsofthemiddleriver.org with the subject line "August 10 Float Trip" to reserve your spot!
September 14 - Theme to be determined. Registration will open on 8/30/24.
All trips will have a rain date and are free of charge. If trips fill up quickly, there will be a waitlist.
Volunteer Appreciation: Education
Environmental education is arguably the FOMR activity that delivers the furthest-reaching impact, hopefully for generations to come. All our activities are educational in some way, but our programs designed for homeschools, public schools, campground guests and festivals like Earth Day Staunton and Riverfest have the sole focus of river ecosystem education and these events allow our message to reach thousands of citizens from our community. We are so lucky to have enthusiastic, fun, skilled volunteers to help lead and assist with our programs and we have a good number of professional educators who really know how to make the river come alive for participants. We are so grateful for all of you!
Upcoming Events
August
10 Family Fun Group Float Trip
24 FOMR CleanUp Day 1, 9 - Noon
27 Board Meeting, 6:30pm
September
7 FOMR CleanUp Day 2, 9 - Noon
15 FriendsFest 2024
24 Board Meeting, 6:30 PM
Current RAP Booklet Version 02/26/2024
New to receiving the FOMR newsletter?
Maybe we met you at a festival recently or you signed up after you saw us on the news, but you still wish you knew more about our organization... First of all, welcome! And just so you know, we do have a slightly more detailed sign-up form that tells us some more about you - like any potential volunteer interests you might have - and also gives you the chance to sign up for our River Access Program.
