After a hard winter, spring is finally in sight. And, that means Middle River Float Trips are back! Our floats in 2024 were a great success, thanks to our RAP property owners and all who volunteered to help with trips. We are excited about getting back on the river this year!
Our FOMR float trip co-chairs, Mason Kilbourn and Don Kain, are seeking volunteers for the 2025 Float Trip Committee. We need help with planning trips, finding volunteers, and identifying team leaders. And, of course, we’ll also be inviting you and your friends to participate in these trips. Float trips will be monthly beginning in May and will generally be on the 2nd Saturday of the Month. As in the past, we are looking at some themed trips (birding, wildflowers, fishing, families with kids, etc.) and are open to other ideas for interesting and creative time on the river.
Please mark your calendars now for the first 2025 float trip on the morning of May 10. There is no better way to see and enjoy Middle River’s beauty than a float down the river.
Stay tuned for more details on other upcoming trips. In the meantime, please contact Mason or Don if you have interest in helping with trips or being a member of the 2025 FOMR Float Trip Committee. The committee only meets once or twice per year for about an hour. Our first meeting will be on a weeknight, probably in Verona. Thanks, and See You on the River!
Chelsea Thomas is a benthic volunteer and new board member at Friends of the Middle River!
Chelsea is originally from Albermarle County and attended Old Dominion University. Towards the end of her college career, Chelsea's mother encouraged her to volunteer locally, and she joined the Rivanna Master Naturalists chapter. While a member of Rivanna Master Naturalists, Chelsea participated in a program that took groups of 3rd and 4th graders to do benthic monitoring on the Rivanna River. Chelsea says that the city kids would act like they didn't want to get in the water. However, after just a thirty-minute benthic session, it was impossible to get those same kids out of the river! Witnessing that transformation in such a short time was life changing for Chelsea. Several years later, she moved to Harrisonburg and joined the Headwaters Master Naturalist cohort. It wasn't too much longer before she also joined Friends of the Middle River after connecting with experienced benthic volunteer Phil Davis. Chelsea currently works at James Madison University as a campus Stormwater Specialist.
Catch us at Earth Day Staunton!
Friends of the Middle River will be one of many local organizations tabling at Earth Day Staunton at the Gypsy Hill Park Bandstand on Saturday, April 26th from 11 AM to 3 PM. This year's theme is focused on renewable energy - "We've got the Power to Protect the Planet." We hope to see you there!
March 18, 2025 at 7 PM: Experiencing Caves and Communities while Exploring Humanity
In this public talk, Dr. Ángel A. García Jr., Assistant Professor of Geosciences at James Madison University, will introduce the relevance of cave and karst science to society. In addition, he will be discussing why caves are excellent places to explore the intersection between geology and community using examples from his own research around the world.
FOMR Upcoming Events
March
25 Board Meeting, 6:30 PM
April
5 Student Sustainability Summit at Bridgewater College
22 Board Meeting, 6:30 PM
26 Earth Day Staunton, 11 AM to 3 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 in 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.
