March Newsletter and Events

• Upcoming Events
• 3/9/2024 - Saturday - Second Saturday Hike at Indian River Park - Cancelled due to forecast of inclement weather
• 3/21/2024 - Thursday - Bi-Monthly Meeting: Chesapeake Comprehensive Planning 
• 3/23/2024 - Saturday - Great American Cleanup along Indian River Road  Cancelled due to forecast of inclement weather
• News
• Tree Pledge
• Tree Bills 
• January Recap
• Spring Membership Drive

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Upcoming Events

Thursday, March21: Bi-Monthly Meeting: Chesapeake Comprehensive Planning

• 
  Time: 7 pm to 8:30 pm 
• Location: Oaklette United Methodist Church, 520 Oaklette Drive
• Our guest speaker will be Kevin Finn with the Chesapeake Planning Department.  He will give us an update on the Comprehensive Planning efforts currently underway in the City including updates to the core "Comp Plan", the Greenbrier Area Planning Study, and the Trails and Connectivity Plan.  This is an opportunity to provide feedback to the City on their planning efforts. 
• We will also hold a brief Business Meeting to review and approve our 2024 budget.  
• All are welcome.  There will be light refreshments.

Saturday, March 23: Great American Cleanup along Indian River Road

• 
  Time: 9 AM to 11:30 am  
• Meet at side parking lot at Post Office, 3810 Indian River Road
• We need your help for our quarterly cleanup.   Join us for a few hours to clean up the mile of Indian River Road from the city limits at Wingfield Avenue all the way to MacDonald 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.  Participants under 18 years of age must have adult supervision.
• Please pre-register at https://forms.gle/vhudKYahWNLMwtCb8 (suggested but not required)

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Tree Pledge

Will you take our Tree Pledge to protect trees in our community?  

Click here to help protect trees: https://forms.gle/xNCG9XMuBWPExmWt6

There are an almost endless list of benefits of having trees in our community that include reducing flooding, mitigating urban heat during the summer, counteracting air and water pollution, improving human health factors, and making our community a more beautiful place to live.   Learn more at http://www.friendsofindianriver.org/p/trees.html

Benefit of Trees graphic from the Nature Conservancy

Tree Bills

March Tree of the Month -
Southern Magnolia at Rokeby Center

Some good news on trees - Several tree bills have been passed by the General Assembly in Richmond including HB529 and HB1100.  These two bills will enable localities to enact stronger tree protection ordinances and are now heading for the Governor's desk.  Stay tuned for any Action Alerts asking folks to contact the Governor to urge him to sign these bills. Learn more about these bills at http://www.greeningchesapeake.com/2024/02/support-tree-bills-in-general-assembly.html

February Recap

We had a blustery morning for our birding hike around the lake at the high school during the Great Backyard Bird Count.  We didn't see as much bird action as last year but still saw a dozen different species. There were a lot of Canada Geese on the lake and we also saw Ring-billed Gulls, Pied-billed Grebes, American Crows, Mallards, Kingfisher, Red-bellied Woodpecker, Brown Thrasher, Bluebird, Cardinal, and glimpses of a Blue Heron and a Bald Eagle.  

A big thank you to the 16 volunteers who came out for our invasive species management workshop at Indian River Park in February.  The volunteers learned about the different invasives plants in the park and then worked to free dozens of trees from the encroaching English Ivy and eliminate fresh outbreaks! 

Spring Membership Drive

It's time for our annual spring membership drive.  The Friends of Indian River are an all-volunteer, local, 501(c)(3) non-profit, and we depend on member contributions to advance our mission to improve the quality of life for all the residents of the Indian River neighborhoods.  Our fiscal year ends March 31 and our fundraising goal is $1600; we are currently at $1080.  Help us reach our goal.  You can become a member, renew your membership, or just make a contribution online at http://www.friendsofindianriver.org/p/membership.html