October Newsletter and Events

• Upcoming Events
• Saturday, October 18: Adopt-A-Park at Indian River Park - Native Plant Garden
• Saturday, October 25: Field Trip to the Brock Environmental Center, located at Pleasure House Point, Virginia Beach
• News
• Indian River Facade Improvement Grants
• September Recap
• Upcoming Volunteer Schedule
  
  

Upcoming Events

Saturday, October 18, 2025: Adopt-A-Park at Indian River Park - Native Plant Garden

• 
  9 am to Noon
• Location: Indian River Park 2003 Rokeby Ave. 
• It is time for our fall gardening at Indian River Park.  We'll be tending to the native plant garden at the park entrance, including weeding, mulching and preparing the garden for the winter.  We may also do some trail work, pruning, weeding, and cleanup.
• Please wear closed-toe shoes, a hat and bring work gloves.  Long pants are recommended.  If you can, bring shovels, rakes, pruners, saws and other gardening tools.  We'll have water and snacks available.  We also always encourage folks to bring their own water in reusable bottles to minimize use of plastic bottles and cans. 
• Participants under 18 years of age must have adult supervision.
• Please pre-register at https://forms.gle/UngHnV3Q9Jvk2fnR6 (suggested but not required)

Saturday, October 25, 2025: Field Trip to the Brock Environmental Center, located at Pleasure House Point, Virginia Beach

• 
  12:45 pm at Brock Environmental Center located at Pleasure House Point, Virginia Beach. 
• Our annual field trip will be a tour of the Brock Environmental Center, local headquarters for the Chesapeake Bay Foundation and Lynnhaven River Now.  The building has  achieved one of the toughest building standards in the world—a Living Building Challenge™ certification, which looks at construction techniques, material standards, energy and water self-sufficiency, and more.  Come discover what makes this one of the greenest building in the nation.
• Afterwards, those who are interested can join us at Bubba's Seafood Restaurant and Crabhouse for an optional late lunch (“going Dutch”).  
• The tour is limited to 15 persons,  Please pre-register at https://forms.gle/yCQpkCtcUCCDBaCKA and we will coordinate meeting times, transportation, etc.  

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News

Elections

Have you made your plan to vote?  On the ballot are the Governor, Lt. Governor, Attorney General, Delegate, Commonwealth Attorney, Sheriff (a major party write-in candidate is also running), Commissioner of Revenue, Treasurer, and a Special Election for one School Board position. 

Early Voting is currently underway in Chesapeake at the Voter Registrar's Office at 411 Cedar Rd.  Early Voting at satellite locations at including the Indian River Library and Dr. Clarence V. Cuffee Community Center begins on October 20.  The last day for early voting is November 1st.  October 24 is the last day to register to vote, update your address, or request that an absentee ballot be mailed to you.  The last day to vote is Election Day, Tuesday, November 4, and would be at your regular polling place from 6 am to 7 pm that day.  Get all the official election information, including How to Vote (including Early Voting, Absentee Voting, and Where to Vote), Election Information (including Sample Ballots), and how to Register to Vote at Voter Registrar | Chesapeake, VA.

Ballotpedia - Virginia election, 2025 is a source for candidate information and profiles.

Indian River Façade Improvement Grant

The City is now taking applications for funding through the Indian River Façade Improvement Grant program.  The Indian River Façade Improvement Grant is a competitive program that aims to support impactful exterior improvements to privately owned, non-residential properties within the Indian River Road Character Corridor.   Improvements may include, but are not limited to, the following: façade improvements, landscaping and hardscape improvements, signage improvements, outdoor eating areas, and pedestrian enhancements.  Businesses can apply and get more info at https://www.cityofchesapeake.net/3694/Indian-River-Faade-Improvement-Grant

September Recap

We had 14 volunteers out for our Clean Virginia Waterways/International Coastal Cleanup in September around the Oaklette Bridge, Blue Heron Landing Park, and Indian River Road.  Our volunteers collected about 150 lbs of litter and debris, including over 250 bottles and cans and hundreds of food wrappers, cup lids, straws, and one complete toilet.   A big thank you to everyone who helped out.

Christina Trapani, Executive Director for Clean Virginia Waterways, was the guest speaker at our September meeting.  We discussed efforts to reduce plastic pollution in Virginia, including collecting statistics at cleanups, the Clean Swell App, and getting rid of plastic bags.  We also got in some EcoManiac shopping!

The City Council approved the start of construction for the new indoor swimming pool at Dr. Clarence V. Cuffee Community Center in South Norfolk.  Construction is expected to start as soon as this month.

Upcoming Volunteer Schedule

Please mark your calendar for our winter, early spring volunteer events:

• Saturday, Nov 15, 9 am - 11:30 am: Adopt-A-Park- Invasive Species Workshop @ Indian River Park
  
  
• Saturday, Dec 6, 9 am - 11:30 am, Adopt-A-Road Cleanup along Indian River Road and Blue Heron Landing Park
  
  
• Saturday, Jan 17, 9 am - 11:30 am, Adopt-A-Park- Invasive Species Workshop @ Indian River Park
  
  
• Weed Warrior Wednesdays, Feb 4, Feb 11, and Feb 25, 1pm - 3 pm @ Indian River Park in conjunction with Parks, Recreation and Tourism
  
  
• Saturday, Mar 21, 9 am - 11:30 am, Adopt-A-Road Cleanup along Indian River Road and Blue Heron Landing Park
  
  
• Saturday, Apr 18, 9 am – 11:30 am, Adopt-a-Park – Native Plant Garden @ Indian River Park

Have an idea for an article for our newsletter?  Send your submission, max 250 words, to us at info@friendsofindianriver.org along with a photo and we'll consider it for our next edition.

September Newsletter and Events

• Upcoming Events
• Saturday, September 13: Second Saturday Hike
• Thursday, September 18: Monthly Meeting - Clean Virginia Waterways
• Saturday, September 20: International Coastal Cleanup 
• News
• Indian River Shopping Center
• Indian River Road
• Indian River Park Signage
• Planning Department Updates
• Summer Recap

Upcoming Events

Saturday, September 13, 2025: Second Saturday Hike @ Indian River Park

• 
  8:30 am to 10:30 am
• Location: Indian River Park entrance
  at Rokeby Ave. and Main St. (2003 Rokeby Ave.) which is located just south of Military Highway, i.e. across Military Highway from the Fire Station.
• Join us for a hike along the nature trail and through the park. Learn about the history of the park, the native trees and plants in this century old forest on the Indian River flood plain, and its value to maintaining the health of local butterfly, bird, and wildlife populations. Note: the forest trail has uneven surfaces and minor elevation changes.
• Please pre-register at https://forms.gle/PXjRyeGSYLydZJgp6 (suggested but not required)

Thursday, September 18, 2025: Monthly Meeting - Clean Virginia Waterways

• 
  7 pm to 8:30 pm
• Location: Oaklette United Methodist Church, 520 Oaklette Drive
• Our guest speaker will be Christina Trapani, Program Director for Clean Virginia Waterways about pollution prevention, education, and stewardship activities.  Christina is also the founder and owner of Eco Maniac, a retail store for eco-friendly items including alternatives to single-use plastics, waste-free and plastic-free and Fair Trade goods. 
• All are welcome.  We'll also have the latest community news and updates!  There will be light refreshments for the meeting. 

Saturday, September 20, 2025: International Coastal Cleanup  

• 
  From 9 AM to 11:30 am  
• Meet at Lilac Avenue and Indian River Road. Park along Lilac Avenue by the Norfolk Highlands Primary School.
• We need your help for our fall cleanup at Blue Heron Landing Park and around Oaklette Bridge.   Join us for a few hours to clean the shoreline and along Indian River Road.
• We are also asking all business owners along Indian River Road - and everywhere really - to make sure they sweep up in front of their storefronts as part of the effort.   And if you can't make it out for our organized cleanup please take 15 minutes and cleanup the street and ditches in front of your home; pass the word to your neighbors!
• For our main cleanup on Indian River Road, the city will provide garbage bags and orange safety vests.  Please wear closed-toe shoes, a hat and bring work gloves and other items that may be useful.  We will have water and snacks but we also always encourage folks to bring their own water in reusable bottles to minimize use of plastic bottles.  Participants under 18 years of age must have adult supervision.
• Please pre-register at https://forms.gle/FELP36mtMesJaiiF8 (suggested but not required)

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News

Indian River Shopping Center

Everyone is starting to get excited about the progress on the renovations at the Indian River Shopping Center.  There is still no official confirmation on who is moving into the renovated section, but the leasing company Katsias is marketing "the newly renovated shopping center grocery anchor coming 2026".  

Indian River Road

The restoration work on the Indian River Road Oaklette Bridge is finally complete.  As part of our ongoing discussions with the Public Works Department, we understand that the City is finalizing their plans on resurfacing (repaving) and restriping all of Indian River Road from the Norfolk City Line to the Virginia Beach City Line.  Part of this will be installing a new crosswalk with flashing beacons to serve Blue Heron Landing Park.  We're also expecting the overall work to include upgrades to the existing crosswalks at Sparrow Road and Tatemstown Road.  We are still waiting to hear the schedule for the work to start. 

Planning Department Updates

The Planning Department has been keeping busy over the summer.   In August, the City Council approved the Greenbrier Area Plan that lays out the vision to develop Greenbrier into the future urban core of Chesapeake, focusing on human-scaled neighborhoods and commercial districts that are pedestrian and bicycle friendly, balancing the needs of people while accommodating vehicular traffic. 

Planning also held a series of Open Houses in August to review the Draft of the City-wide Comprehensive Plan, which would set the revised guidelines for the City Planning for the coming 20 years.  In our initial review, we saw a strong vision for creating a high-quality future for the City. The policies presented adopt the principles of Smart Growth, focus on moving people on Complete Streets that provide safe access to all, including pedestrians, bicyclists, motorists, and transit users, It includes good policies related to the environment and resilience. Something new for Chesapeake in the Plan is the description of Character Districts that describes a range of appropriate uses in different types of communities that exist across the City.   We see some areas that could be strengthened to address healthy landscapes and planning for energy infrastructure.  The City is accepting comments through September 26.  

The Planning Department also released proposed Ordinance changes for the Chesapeake Bay Preservation Area.  In 2020, the Virginia General Assembly amended the Chesapeake Bay Preservation Act to incorporate new guidelines for "coastal resilience and adaptation to sea-level rise and climate change".  Localities had until 2025 to adopt the changes and the revised guidelines are expected to be presented to the City Council in October.  

Summer Recap

Parks, Recreation and Tourism has started to install new trail maps and signage at Indian River Park.   Join us for our Second Saturday Hike on September 12 and we'll check them out in person.

A big thank you to the volunteers who braved the summer heat to continue the ongoing weeding at our gardens at the Oaklette Bridge and at Indian River Park.

Have an idea for an article for our newsletter?  Send your submission, max 250 words, to us at info@friendsofindianriver.org along with a photo and we'll consider it for our next edition.

Summer Newsletter

In this Edition

• Upcoming Events
• On-going - Volunteers Needed for Gardening
• News
• Chesapeake Healthy Landscapes Program
• Why Healthy Landscapes in Your Yard Matter
• June Recap
• Fall Preview

Upcoming Events

On-going Volunteer Activities

We have a continuing need for volunteers through the summer to help maintain our gardens and plantings at the Oaklette Bridge and the native plant garden at Indian River Park.   If you are interested in helping, please e-mail us at info@friendsofindianriver.org for more information.  

Tasks include regular weeding and other garden work. Some of the work involves small group events during the week. Once orientation is completed, some work might be on an individual schedule.

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News

Chesapeake Healthy Landscapes Program

We are encouraging folks to sign up for the Chesapeake Environmental Improvement Council and the City of Chesapeake's new Chesapeake Healthy Landscape Program.  This program recognizes and encourages residents to take steps to create healthy landscapes on their properties.  Participants who sign up can receive an information kit and a landscape flag as recognition for their efforts.  

To be recognized, they are looking for commitments to Protect Your Trees, put the Right Plant in the Right Place, Consider Wildlife, Reduce Lawn Maintenance, Reduce Runoff, Avoid or Remove Invasive Plants, and Limit Chemical Usage.  Learn more and sign up at Chesapeake Healthy Landscape Program | Chesapeake, VA 

We're hoping that the Indian River will be the top area for sign-ups in the Chesapeake.  

Why Healthy Landscapes in Your Yard Matter

Bird populations are down 30% since 1970.  Butterfly abundance is down 22% since 2000.  Half of all native bee species are in decline and a quarter are in danger of extinction.  Human-caused habitat loss and climate change are the primary causes of these declines.   People have transformed nearly all the land of the eastern US by cutting down trees and converting land to farms, cities, and suburbs.  We've replaced entire native ecosystems with cropland, lawns, ornamental plants, and asphalt that provide little value to wildlife, especially the insects that form the central layer of the food chain.

This is where you can make a difference.  There are nearly 44 million acres of lawns across the US.  The "well-kept" lawn sold by the lawn care industry is a burden on nature and homeowners' time and money.   Lawns provide practically no benefits to nature while needing constant mowing, watering, and application of herbicides and pesticides to keep out "weeds" and "pests".  

In contrast, a healthy home landscape incorporates native flowers, shrubs, and trees while minimizing lawns to those areas needed for play or access.  Native plants support the food chain and provide homes and nutrition for bees, butterflies and beneficial insects.  In turn, these insects provide food for baby birds, turtles, and a variety of small animals.   An established native plant garden also rarely needs the use of herbicides and pesticides.   Rather than a sterile yard, your garden now becomes a habitat that helps restore balance and resilience to nature.  More plants also mean less rain runoff, less flooding, cleaner air, cooler local temperatures, more CO2 removal, and a lot more peace of mind.   

This doesn't mean you need to run out and start tearing out your lawn tomorrow.  But every native plant added helps.   Start small, perhaps planting a few pollinator-friendly native plants.  Make a plan and add to your garden over time.   Think about steps you can take to make your yard more wildlife-friendly, like adding a water source for birds, setting aside a brush pile, or just leaving more leaves on the ground in the fall. (Leaves provide an important habitat for many overwintering insects including fireflies).  Set aside space where you can enjoy your garden and watch as it comes to life.  Plant SEVA Natives — Plant Virginia Natives is a great starting point for learning about native plants.  

Want more information and advice? The Chesapeake Healthy Landscape program has a ton of great tips and advice to share when you sign up at the link above. 

June Recap

Our big cleanup this month was Clean the Bay Day at Indian River Park. 28 volunteers including from the Friends of Indian River, Tidewater Master Naturalist, The Ohio State University Alumni Club of Hampton Roads, and Scouting America Virginia Beach Troop 16B came out to the park and removed 300 lbs. of litter and about 400 lbs. of construction debris. 

Later in the month, Five volunteers braved the late June heat to help with our Adopt-A-Road cleanup.  We collected about 120 lbs. of litter, including a large bag of aluminum cans that we'll take to the Chesapeake Animal Services aluminum collection bin. 

 A big thank you to everyone who came out to help!

Fall Preview

In September, we'll resume our regular event schedule with

• Saturday, Sept. 13, Second Saturday Hike at Indian River Park
• Thursday, Sept. 18, Bi-Monthly Meeting with Christina Trapani from Clean Virginia Waterways
• Saturday, Sept. 20, International Coastal Cleanup volunteer event.  

We're still finalizing the fall schedule, but it will include more hikes, cleanups, and gardening at the park.  For our November meeting, we invited Council Member Pat King to speak to our group.  And we'll plan a holiday get-together for December.  Stay tuned for more details in our September newsletter.  

Have an idea for an article for our newsletter?  Send your submission, max 250 words, to us at info@friendsofindianriver.org along with a photo and we'll consider it for our next edition.