April Newsletter and Events

• Upcoming Events
• 4/8 - Saturday - Second Saturday Hike (Cancelled)
• 4/15 - Saturday - Plymouth Park Cleanup
• 4/22 - Saturday - Mulching at Bridge Landscaping (New)
• Other News
• River Star Homes
• Indian River High School Scholarship
• March Re-cap
• Volunteer Needs

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Upcoming Events

Second Saturday Hike at Indian River Park

Date: Saturday, April 8 - Cancelled due to forecast inclement weather.  

Plymouth Park Cleanup

Date: Saturday, April 15, 9 am to Noon

Location: Meet at the Plymouth Community Park at 605 Pond Lane in the Plymouth Park neighborhood.  

We'll be doing some cleanup, tending to the trees and shrubs we've planted at the park, and light pruning. 

Please wear closed-toe shoes, a hat and bring work gloves. If you can, bring rakes, pruners, 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/VEZtB4UPSaq3MzfTA (suggested but not required)

Earth Day, Mulching Native Plant Landscaping at Bridge

Date: Saturday, April 22, 9AM to Noon

Location: Meet at Lilac Avenue and Indian River Road.  Park along Lilac Avenue by the Norfolk Highlands Primary School. 

Our main task will be mulching and doing some weeding around the native tree and shrub plantings along the side of Indian River Road at the Oaklette Bridge.  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/qJxq7nvi76VsiGLP9 (suggested but not required)

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Other News

River Star Homes

The Elizabeth River Project's River Star Home program brings together homeowners from across the watershed to make our community a healthier place for all of us to live.  More than 6,000 River Star Homes, including a couple of hundred in the Indian River area, takes simple steps around their homes to make our river and ecosystem cleaner and more beautiful. Many take advantage of River Star incentives to add landscaping in their yards, plant trees, and for those along the river, create living shorelines.   Learn how to sign on to help at https://elizabethriver.org/river-star-homes/

Indian River High School Scholarship

The Friends of Indian River are once again sponsoring a $500 scholarship for a current Indian River High School senior who will be a college freshman next year. The scholarship will recognize a senior who excels in leadership, citizenship, extracurricular activities and academics. The scholarship application can be found on the Chesapeake Public Schools internal ScholarshipVue database. All completed applications will be returned to the IRHS Scholarship Coordinator by April 7. For more information, visit http://www.friendsofindianriver.org/p/friends-of-indian-river-scholarship.html

March Re-cap

There was an excellent turnout for the Great American Cleanup at Indian River Park in late March.  Volunteers pulled out about 500 lbs. of trash from the stream bed and roadside ditches.   Much of it was bottles, cans, food wrappers, and plastic bags washed into the park from the surrounding streets through the storm drains.  But notable items recovered included a lawnmower, 4 ½ tires, a shopping cart, and a trash can.  Thank you to the Chesapeake Environmental Improvement Council for organizing the cleanup and all the volunteers who came out!   And to Southern Volkswagen - Greenbrier for coming out to help and set up a water tent.

Rescheduled due to the weather, we had a dedicated team that came out on Thursday the 23rd to weed the native plant garden at Indian River Park.  A few hours of steady work and we got the garden ready for spring. 

The speaker for our bi-monthly meeting in March was Bobby Nance from Bartlett Tree Experts. Perhaps the one thing that made a big impression is him seeing the role of an arborist to be a tree doctor, i.e. to be there to maintain the health and vitality of the tree.  When you need your trees cared for, make sure to always use a Certified Arborist - and make sure it is the person who is the Certified Arborist who is coming over to look at your trees!  https://dof.virginia.gov/urban-community-forestry/urban-forestry-homeowner-assistance/hire-a-certified-arborist/

Congratulations to our own Rogard Ross for winning the prestigious Pioneer Award at the 39th Chesapeake Environmental Awards Luncheon for his work with the Friends of Indian River, the Chesapeake Environmental Improvement Council, and other local conservation efforts.

Volunteers Needs

We need volunteers to help with weeding at the new landscaping at the Indian River Oaklette Bridge and at the native plant garden at Indian River Park. We also need volunteers to help with removing invasive plants at the Park. There are also other volunteer opportunities listed on our website at http://www.friendsofindianriver.org/p/volunteer.html.  If you can help out on any of these, please contact us at info@friendsofindianriver.org

March Newsletter and Events

Due to inclement weather, we are rescheduling our Adopt-A-Park gardening event to Thursday, 3/23, at 1:30 pm

• Upcoming Events
• 3/11 - Saturday - Second Saturday Hike at Indian River Park
• 3/16 - Thursday - Bi-Monthly - Trees in Our Community
• 3/23 - Saturday - Adopt-A-Park @ Indian River Park
• 3/25 - Saturday - Great American Cleanup @ Indian River Park
• Other News
• Indian River High School Scholarship
• February Re-cap
• Spring Membership Drive
• Volunteer Needs

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Upcoming Events

Second Saturday Hike at Indian River Park

Date: Saturday, March 11, 8:30 am to 10:30 am

Location: Meet at the Indian River 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.

Time to start up our Second Saturday hikes again.  Come out to the park to 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/2GHEESxYvZvKhfaZ7 (suggested but not required)

Bi-Monthly Meeting - Trees in Our Community

Date: Thursday, March 16, 7 pm

Location: Oaklette United Methodist Church, 520 Oaklette Drive

Our guest speaker will be Bobby Nance, with Bartlett Tree Experts.  Bobby is an ISA Board Certified Master Arborist, Tree Risk Assessment Qualified, and is passionate about all aspects of trees.  His goal is to challenge the status quo of tree care by providing science-based recommendations to sustain long-term tree health.

We will also have a short business meeting to review the organization budget for 2023-2024 and have the latest community news and updates!

Adopt-A-Park at Indian River Park

Date: Saturday, March 23, 1:30 pm to 4 pm

Location: Meet at the Indian River 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 tending to the native plant garden at the park entrance, including weeding and mulching. We may also do some trail work, pruning, weeding, and cleanup. 

Please wear closed-toe shoes, a hat and bring work gloves. 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/4veXLqUXj242Js886 (suggested but not required)

Great American Cleanup at Indian River Park

Date: Saturday, March 25, 9:45 to Noon

Location: Meet at the Indian River 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.

The CEIC is hosting the Great American Cleanup at Indian River Park this year.  

Please dress in appropriate clothing and shoes for the weather. We recommend that you wear long sleeves and pants. Waterproof shoes or boots will be helpful as well, since we’ll be working along the streambed. Be sure to bring your own reusable water bottle. We'll provide bags, gloves, and trash grabbers.

This event is open to the public and family-friendly! Please invite your friends and family members!

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Other News

Indian River High School Scholarship

The Friends of Indian River are once again sponsoring a $500 scholarship for a current Indian River High School senior who will be a college freshman next year. The scholarship will recognize a senior who excels in leadership, citizenship, extracurricular activities and academics. The scholarship application can be found on the Chesapeake Public Schools internal ScholarshipVue database. All completed applications will be returned to the IRHS Scholarship Coordinator by April 7. For more information, visit http://www.friendsofindianriver.org/p/friends-of-indian-river-scholarship.html

February Re-cap

Thank you to the four volunteers who came out for our February Adopt-A-Road.   They collected about 80 lbs of litter and debris along Indian River Road and around the bridge.  

On the 18th, we had one of our best Great Backyard Bird Count bird walks ever around the lake between the Indian River Community Center and the High School.  Right at the start, we spotted two Bald Eagles and two Osprey wheeling across the sky above the lake.  The Osprey are starting to prepare their nest in one of the nesting platforms installed above the ballfields - that's really early, this being only mid-February.  Then we had a real treat with a flock of 18 Ring-necked Ducks on the lake; this is a first for us and the flock may have been blown here by the previous day's storm.  They were joined by 5 Northern Shoveler ducks, 3 Pied-billed Grebes, a couple of Double-Crested Cormorants, some Mallards, and lots of Canada Geese.  We also saw Great Blue Herons, Hooded Merganser, 3 kinds of woodpeckers, various sparrows, an Eastern Towhee, and more.   All told, we identified 26 species!  See some pics at here.

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 $1500; we are currently at $865.  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

Volunteers Needs

We need volunteers to help with weeding at the new landscaping at the Indian River Oaklette Bridge and at the native plant garden at Indian River Park. We also need volunteers to help with removing invasive plants at the Park. There are also other volunteer opportunities listed on our website at http://www.friendsofindianriver.org/p/volunteer.html.  If you can help out on any of these, please contact us at info@friendsofindianriver.org

February Newsletter and Events

• Upcoming Events
• 2/11 - Saturday - Adopt-A-Road Cleanup along Indian River Road
• 2/18 - Saturday - Great Backyard Bird Count Hike @ Lake by Indian River Civic Campus
• Other News
• Annual Meeting Recap
• 2023 Calendar
• Volunteer Needs

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Upcoming Events

Adopt-A-Road Cleanup along Indian River Road

Date: Saturday, February 11, 9 am

Location: Meet at Lilac Avenue and Indian River Road. Park along Lilac Avenue by the Norfolk Highlands Primary School

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.

To save time and allow for better social distancing, please pre-register at https://forms.gle/GjBDAVuBdUJzecKs9

Great Backyard Bird Count Hike @ Lake by Indian River Civic Campus

Date: Saturday, February 18, 8:30 am to 10:30 am

Location: Meet at the Indian River Community Center, 2250 Old Greenbrier Rd.

It's the weekend of the Great Backyard Bird Count, a worldwide effort to identify the distribution of birds; as part of this we'll be leading a guided bird walk around the lake between the Indian River Community/Rec Center and the High School.

When scouting the site, a variety of birds were spotted including Cormorants, Mallards, Pied-Bill Grebe, Bluebirds, - Yellow-Rumped Warblers, Woodpeckers, and more.

We'll have some binoculars and a spotting scope, but do bring your own if you have some!

Please pre-register at https://forms.gle/8nLaBXvwvV7PpTyk7

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Other News

Annual Meeting Recap

Our Annual Meeting was a chance to get together with our members and discuss plans for the coming year and hold election for our officers and board members.   We had strong engagement from the attendees and had a great conversation.  

Two main goals were highlighted for 2023

• Build Volunteer Base and Membership to meet existing commitments and build our advocacy power,
• Engage with partners in the implementation of the Indian River Planning Area Study 

Regarding the Planning Area Study, we're expecting the City to kick off a Steering Committee in the coming month; this has been long delayed due to staffing shortages.  The City now has a Request for Bids out to get Commercial Design Guidelines drafted. One priority we want is establishing an Overlay District for the area to strengthen planning and zoning guidelines for the community.    

We also talked about progress, or lack of progress, in areas such as redesigning Indian River Road, improving connectivity within our neighborhoods with paths and greenways, improved signage, and other goals identified in the plan.  As part of the Great Bridge Village Plan, the City set aside funding to provide facade improvement grants in that part of the City; that's something that needs to be looked at for Indian River.   

Around parks, the City has a revised Request for Bids out for the new Blue Heron Landing Park on the Indian River.  And at Indian River Park, they are continuing improvements; new trail signage is a next step at the park.   Another area where there has been no action so far is in talking with Chesapeake Public School about ideas to create a "civic campus" around the lake by the Indian River Community Center/Middle School/High School/Library.  

One key goal will be to improve our outreach to engage more and new members and volunteers.  This will help us complete our many volunteer efforts and bring more people to the table to push forward improvements in the quality of life for all the residents of the Indian River neighborhoods.

2023 Calendar

Here is a first look at the Friends of Indian River planned calendar of events for 2023.   Dates are subject to change, so please visit http://www.friendsofindianriver.org/p/calendar.html for details on upcoming events.

Volunteers Needs

Thank you to the volunteers who came out in January to help manage English Ivy at Indian River Park.  This is an on-going effort.

We need volunteers to help with removing invasive plants at the Park. We also need volunteers to help with weeding at the new landscaping at the Oaklette Indian River Bridge and at the native plant garden at Indian River Park. There are also other volunteer opportunities listed on our website at http://www.friendsofindianriver.org/p/volunteer.html.  If you can help out on any of these, please contact us at info@friendsofindianriver.org