Tuesday, October 25, 2016

November Newsletter


It is finally starting to feel like fall. This Saturday, October 29th we will have a guided hike at Indian River Park, which is spruced up after our Adopt-A-Park event last week. There is also still room to join our tour of New Earth Farm on Saturday, November 5th. Free for our members, this tour will visit this sustainable and educational farm in Pungo; we’ll visit their educational gardens to talk about sustainable agriculture, see their sustainable building and energy use techniques, learn about their farm animals, and visit other areas of the 21 acre working farm. RSVP now by emailing info@friendsofindianriver.org.

Vice-Mayor Rick West will be the guest speaker at our next meeting on Thursday, November 17th, to address questions relevant to our community. The following Saturday, November 19th, we'll hold an Adopt-A-Road Cleanup along Indian River Road.

And mark your calendars .... Thursday, December 15th is our, not to be missed, Annual Holiday Party. This is our end of year celebration to recognize volunteers and accomplishments, and socialize. Please bring a desert to share and join the festivities. We'll have a silent auction, so you can finish some Christmas shopping too.

Sincerely,

Rogard Ross
Volunteer & Outreach Coordinator


Indian River Park Nature Trail Guided Walk

Date: Saturday, October 29th, 8:30 am to 10:00 am
Location: Indian River Park, 2001 Rokeby Avenue

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.


Field Trip: Tour of New Earth Farm
Date: Saturday, November 5th
Duration: 9 am to about 2 pm including travel time.

Located at the Pungo end of Indian River Road, New Earth Farm is a working, sustainable and educational farm started by “Farmer John” Wilson in 1995 to grow and provide all-natural, chemical-free produce and products for the health of you and the environment!  The tour includes their educational gardens to talk about sustainable agriculture, viewing sustainable building and energy use techniques, learning about their farm animals, and visiting other areas of the 21 acre working farm.     We'll meet to carpool at 9 am; the tour is from 10 am to 12:30 pm and we should be back by around 2 pm.  There is an optional hands-on activity, so wear sturdy shoes and comfortable clothing.  Free for our members, this tour is limited to 30 persons.  Contact us at info@friendsofindianriver.org to RSVP.



Monthly Meeting: Guest Speaker Vice Mayor Rick West
Date: Thursday, November 17th, 7 pm
Location: Oaklette United Methodist Church, 520 Oaklette Dr.

Vice-Mayor Rick West will present at our next meeting and address questions relevant to our community. There will be light refreshments and door prizes afterwards. Please also consider bringing a donation of non-perishable food items for the Oaklette United Methodist Church food pantry to the meeting this evening.




Adopt-A-Road Cleanup along Indian River Road
Date: Saturday, November 19th, 9:30 am to Noon


Meet at side parking lot of Indian River Post Office, 3810 Indian River Road, Chesapeake, for our next quarterly cleanup along Indian River Road.   This will help to spruce up the area, collect trash that will otherwise get washed into the river and impact wildlife, and give us the opportunity to interact with residents and businesses along Indian River Road.  The city will provide garbage bags and orange safety vests. We'll have water and a few snacks available. Please wear closed-toe shoes, a hat and bring work gloves and other items that may be useful. Participants under 18 years of age must have adult supervision.



Adopt-A-Park Volunteer Work Day
Date: Saturday, December 10th, 9:30 am to Noon
Location: Indian River Park, 2001 Rokeby Avenue

Meet at the park entrance at Rokeby Ave. and Main St. (2001 Rokeby Ave.) which is located just south of Military Highway, i.e. across Military Highway from the Fire Station. We'll be focusing on removal of invasive species, primarily English Ivy. Please wear closed-toe shoes, a hat and bring work gloves. We will have water and lots of snacks. (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.



Annual Holiday Party
Date: Thursday, December 15th, 7 pm
Location: Oaklette United Methodist Church, 520 Oaklette Dr.

This will be our end of year celebration to recognize our many accomplishments, recognize our volunteers, and socialize. Please bring a desert to share and join the festivities. We'll have a silent auction, so you can finish some Christmas shopping too. Please also consider bringing a donation of non-perishable food items for the Oaklette United Methodist Church food pantry to the meeting this evening. Even if you have not been to a meeting in a while or if this would be your very first meeting, we encourage you to come out and partake in the merriment.





Other News
  • 2016 RiverFest is rescheduled for Sunday, November 20th at Paradise Creek Nature Park in Portsmouth.   Stop on by for a fun filled afternoon of family oriented, river friendly activites and also an organized walk across the Jordan Bridge.   See http://www.elizabethriverfest.org/ for all the details.
  • In a very brief hearing on October 18th, the City Council voted to DENY the Eastwyck Crossing Apartments proposal, located on 18 acres adjacent to Indian River Park, by an 8-0 vote. The existing zoning for condos, approved in 2008, is still in place but immediate development plans appear to be on hold. http://www.cityofchesapeake.net/Assets/supporting_docs/actions_council/2016/10-18-16/Marked+Agenda.pdf
  • We had a great turnout for the Adopt-A-Park volunteer day at Indian River Park in October. Between the Friends of Indian River, the Eastern Virginia Mountainbike Association, and the Tidewater Appalachian Trail Club, we had 27 volunteers come out. The ATC gave an excellent trail maintenance primer to the group. The EVMA crew focused on clearing the trails of storm debris, fixing some storm damaged bridges, and other trail work. The Friends focused on the Rokeby trail entrance, weeding the native plant garden, cleaning up storm debris and putting down mulch . A lot was accomplished and we give a big thank you to all the volunteers! See pictures at https://www.facebook.com/FriendsofIndianRiver/posts/1235640959834586
  • Congratulations to Wickers Crab Pot for receiving an Honorable Mention in the Chesapeake Business Beautification Award.