Photos (left to right): weirdvegetables.blogspot.com; independent.co.uk; accuweather.com | Happy autumn, everyone! Reminder: when you take your pumpkin boat out on Middle River be sure to snap some pics for us! (Yes, apparently pumpkin boats are a thing.) | | High School Students: Get on Board!
Friends of the Middle River (FOMR) is seeking a high school student from Augusta County to sit on our board of directors starting in January, 2023. Students interested in their local environment, (especially Middle River!) are encouraged to apply now for this student board member position. Rising juniors or seniors (age 16+) can apply HERE! More details and info HERE. | |
A local environmental volunteer service organization-- Virginia Master Naturalists' Headwaters Chapter-- is hosting a tour of the Black Bear Composting facility in Crimora on Tuesday, October 25 at 5pm and you are invited!
Black Bear Composting owner/ operator Eric Walter will lead a tour of his commercial-scale composting facility, demonstrating the different steps taken to turn organic waste into rich, sweet-smelling, nourishing compost. The organic waste received includes residential and commercial food waste, paper and wood products, compostable "plastics," and yard waste. Not only will you see the processes he uses, you will have the opportunity to stick your hand into the piles and feel the heat.
The address is: 152 McGuslin Lane (Route 628), Crimora. (Do not take Haywood Drive). Please see directions at:
This is an all-outdoor facility. Please wear sturdy shoes and dress for the weather. Bring some water and a hat if it is sunny. Tour will last about 1 hour. The hosts for this event are two FOMR members, Art Fovargue and Adrie Voors.
The rain date: Thursday, October 27, 5pm. Sign up HERE so you can be notified by email if the rain date is enacted. | | 2022 River Cleanup in Review | | |
A toast to the many who volunteered for another successful year of cleaning trash out of the Middle River! What were the stats? What did we achieve?
106 volunteers (13 teams on 13 different stretches of river) cleaned 21.9 miles of streams (21.4 miles of the Middle River and 0.5 miles of Lewis Creek) pulled out 153 tires, including 141 car/SUV/small truck tires, 8 large truck tires, and 4 tractor tires amassed 1.37 tons of an assortment of trash (that's 2740 lbs.) in one 20 cubic yard dumpster, including: a boat (yeah, you read that right), a stove, a space heater, plastic silage wrap, misc. furniture and car parts, pipe, misc. farm supplies, a boat anchor, a hunting blind and other miscellaneous items
FOMR volunteers are a hardy, dedicated bunch! Look at all the team photos HERE. | | | | | After cancelling our original date for FOMR's Friends Fest Picnic due to weather, we gathered for our first in-person picnic in 2 years, at the Websters’ Middle River property, on September 18th—a beautiful afternoon. Despite the reschedule,115 people joined us for the picnic, receiving door prizes of a Ball Corporation aluminum reuseable/recyclable cup and Flow Alkaline Spring Water. The event began with a Gear Swap, where members were able to sell/swap their boating/river/recreational equipment, and a silent auction. Folks then enjoyed delicious BBQ and cole slaw catered by 1 Tribe Farm, to supplement their picnic, while sitting on blankets and chairs along the river. After acknowledging our amazing volunteers and sponsors, Board Chair Nancy Owens drew the winning raffle tickets for various wonderful prizes, including an inflatable standup paddle board and kayak. Thanks to all who made this long-overdue fun event happen both by volunteering or attending! Check out more of the party's photos HERE!
| | | Behind the Scenes at FOMR
Let us introduce to you our new FOMR work-study student employee!
"Hello FOMR Members! My name is Iman Abuel Hawa and I will be working with FOMR as an assistant this semester through the Community-Service Learning Center at James Madison University (JMU). I am currently a sophomore Business Management major from Falls Church in northern Virginia. I am on the executive board for a student organization at JMU called Give Volunteers and I am excited to use my skills, experience, and passion to help out with FOMR! I also have experience as an intern with three non-profits and have served as an active volunteer with another non-profit, so I am thrilled to continue working in this non-profit realm with FOMR!!" | | | Clean Water Act Turns 50!
October 18, 2022, is the 50th anniversary of the Clean Water Act. Bobby Whitescarver tells us the story of the tense, tenuous days around the transition from bill to federal law and the subsequent two years of political feet-dragging in his blog HERE.
Had we not achieved the Clean Water Act, we likely would not ever have heard of the Chesapeake Bay Clean Water Blueprint, Waters of the United States (WOTUS) or Total Maximum Daily Loads (TMDLs) | | September E. coli Monitoring Results
The September results are consistent with what we’ve been seeing for the last year in our lower Middle River E. coli study. E. coli levels remain in the healthy range for recreational use. You can take a deep dive into the full data set for September and earlier HERE! | | Opportunity to Practice Identifying Aquatic Macroinvertebrates Rockman et al Cooperative is looking for individuals who are interested in receiving tools to practice identifying aquatic macroinvertebrates to improve their skills. They are looking for a range of experience levels - You can be new to ID or someone who has prior knowledge or training. To see if you are eligible for the Macro ID Tools study, please follow this link to take their survey. This survey asks about your prior experiences and knowledge of aquatic macroinvertebrates, and includes a photo-based ID quiz. You’ll have up to 90 minutes to complete the survey, and will be entered into a drawing for one of thirty $20 online gift cards. If you are selected to participate in the study, you will: ● Watch a six-minute video on aquatic macroinvertebrate ID ● Receive ID tools by mail or email ● Practice doing ID for at least 90-minutes using the tools provided ● Take another survey that includes a photo-based ID quiz using the tools provided ● Participate in a follow-up phone interview (optional) You’ll receive a $30 online gift card as well as a voucher to take the Society for Freshwater Science Certification Program Exam ($20 value) after you complete the second survey. If you are selected for a follow-up phone interview, you will receive an additional $20 online gift card. This study is being conducted by Rockman et al Cooperative, an educational research and evaluation group, on behalf of Carnegie Mellon University’s Human-Computer Interaction Institute. Participation is completely voluntary. If you have any questions about the study, please email Camellia Sanford-Dolly at camellia@rockman.com. | | | Chesapeake Bay Health Score Held Steady in 2021The quality of our Middle River water contributes to the overall health of the Chesapeake Bay. Pan out to a larger regional view and read the latest bay assessment by the University of Maryland Center for Environmental Science (UMCES) HERE.
"UMCES gives the overall Chesapeake watershed a grade of C+ for 2021. Overall, Bay health showed a slightly improving trend from 1986−2021." You can read the full report card HERE. | | Current RAP Booklet Version 6.29.22 | October
20 Paddle Program Evaluation Meeting, 6pm 25 Board Meeting, 6:30pm | Friends of the Middle River Web: www.friendsofthemiddleriver.org Email: info@friendsofthemiddleriver.org |
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