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FOMR is bouncing back from the curve ball mother nature threw us with the Covid-19 virus. We took our time and have applied our human intelligence to figure out how to safely offer a float trip, social-distance style!
FOMR offered this same float trip last year, and it is a pretty stretch of river that travels through the very end of Middle River, onto North River and ends on the South Fork of the Shenandoah River at the public Port Republic Boat Launch. It flows through some pretty countryside and ends with a series of minor "steps" down to the take-out.
Date: June 27
Time: 9am
Length: approximately 4.3 miles, 2-3 hours on the water
Cost:$10 per person which covers insurance through the American Canoe Association.
Register and more info HERE. First come, first served. |
| Critters Don’t Need Litter
Friends of the Middle River is pleased to be cameo
guests in an episode of the televised series Untamed: Life is Wild, a
13-episode television series that offers a behind-the-scenes look at the
work a large wildlife hospital, the Wildlife Center of Virginia. Each 30-minute
episode focuses on a different species treated at the Center and features
stories, videos, and interviews with Center staff.
The episode with FOMR staff, Critters Don't Need Litter, will air Thursday, June 25 at 8pm on
Virginia Public Media public television stations in Charlottesville,
Harrisonburg, and Richmond. The new episodes will also be streamed via Facebook
Live on Wildlife
Center of Virginia, VPM, and Science
Matters Facebook pages. Read the synopsis of our episode HERE.
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| | | Pulling Garlic Mustard in Verona
Charlie Huppuch helps us keep an eye on our leased property in Verona which is an access site in our River Access Program. On May 15th, a few folks did a socially-distanced garlic mustard clearing of the property along the river. Here's Charlie's truck--filled with the invasive, non-native weed--and here's Charlie, posing with the plant. And speaking of ecologically damaging plants...read on to the next section! |
| | Dame's Rocket: Feedback from Readers
Kate is grateful to readers who took the time to give feedback and raise concern about the Dame's Rocket wildflowers written about in the previous FOMR newsletter. Robert Jennings wrote: "Dame’s rocket (Hesperis matronalis) [is]a
known invasive exotic plant from Europe. Although pretty, and resembling
our native phlox wildflower, Dame’s rocket has 4 petals on each flower (D-A-M-E
= 4) while phlox has 5 petals (P-H-L-O-X=5)."
And FOMR member Henri Bowman also wrote: "Dames
Rocket is beautiful, but not good for the environment. We actually should pull
over the kayaks and rip it up but it in plastic bags and then burn it...just
like the [garlic] mustard."
To learn more about the invasive, negative consequences this pretty flower has on our ecosystem read HERE and HERE.
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| Online Film: Wild Streams
While in-person film festivals are on hold, Wild Virginia is offering
you an online, showing of Wild Streams and a night of inspiring music,
film, and entertainment.
Friday, June 5, 2020 from 6-7pm. You do need to register in advance (suggested $10 donation).
Register HERE!
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| | 3-Question Survey
Community Foundation of the Central Blue Ridge
According to their website, since its founding in 1992, the Community Foundation of the Central Blue Ridge has "partnered with hundreds of local
donors to invest over ten million dollars in charitable giving into the
cities of Staunton, Waynesboro, and the counties of Augusta, Nelson and
Highland. They "want to know what matters most to YOU, particularly during these difficult
times. One way your Community Foundation serves you is by getting
financial resources to the organizations that can help you. We hear from
them regularly, but it is important that they also hear directly from
YOU" about your needs.
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| Webinar Library: Chesapeake Bay Foundation
A library of live and pre-recorded science-based virtual events of varying lengths for you to watch at your convenience on a variety of educational topics:
- Blue Crabs: Claw and Order
- Clean Water Grows on Trees
- Discover the Secrets of Freshwater Mussels
- Forests on the Water
- Oyster Farming on the Bay
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| Middle River May E. coli Report
FOMR volunteers are managing to keep our E. coli monitoring program safely up and running despite the COVID-19 interference. Take a look at the May 2020 data HERE!
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| Upcoming
June 2020
5-7 Free Fishing Days, no fishing license
required
15 E. coli
monitoring
23 FOMR Board Meeting
25 Premier of Critters Don’t Need
Litter, televised and online, 8pm 27 End of River Float Trip, FOMR
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FOMR is a Paddle America Club member
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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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