4/11/2023 Dr. Richard Groover presented The Amazing Coyotes are Everywhere. The Eastern Coyote has now settled in all of North America and is present in every county and city in Virginia. This presentation provided information about their behavior, especially in the urban environment. Also included were strategies to mitigate their presence. Dr. Richard Groover is a Fellow of the Virginia Academy of Science. He teaches ecology at Randolph Macon College and graduate seminars at George Mason University. Dr. Groover is the author of The Environmental Almanac of Virginia, 2nd edition and Environmental Cartoons for Teachers, and a co-author of Cicada Olympics. He has a PhD in Environmental Science & Public Policy from George Mason University. His current research is on dragonflies and coyotes of Hanover County, VA. Click HERE to watch the recording.
3/14/2023: Courtney Hayes, the Habitat Connectivity Program Director at Wild Virginia presented The Importance of Habitat Connectivity and Protecting VA's Wildlife Corridors. Preserving habitat connectivity helps keep ecosystems healthy and intact. Specifically, preserving wildlife corridors, or connections between patches of important habitat, protects public health, reduces wildlife-vehicle collisions, allows wildlife to move to more suitable habitats, and makes our state more resilient in the face of a changing climate. Courtney discussed the importance of wildlife corridors, what work is being done to protect them in Virginia, and what work still needs to be done. Click HERE to watch the recording.
2/8/2023: University of Richmond students Will Heinle, Elizabeth Halasz, Indya Woodfolk, and McKenna Dunbar presented University of Richmond Student Environmental Presentations moderated by Dr. Todd Lookingbill. McKenna Dunbar (our VA Chapter Community Engagement Coordinator) and Indy Woodfolk spoke about Promoting Clean Energy Education, which was a project that inspired action against and mitigated instances of environmental injustices throughout Virginia. Elizabeth Halasz discussed her field research internship in Acadia National Park, where she worked on projects such as intertidal crab surveying, mountain vegetation restoration, and intertidal-terrestrial energy subsidies. Will Heinle talked about his summer experience working in southern West Virginia as an environmental educator for Appalachian youth. The organization he worked for strives to foster environmental ethics in the next generation of Appalachians while restoring local biodiversity in degraded former mine sites. Click HERE to watch.
1/15/2023: Lydia Pittman and Lisa Thompson presented Urban Gardening: Backyard and Community Growing Our Health and Ecology. FOJG member Lydia Pittman discussed how to start your own backyard garden: it's cheap and easy. She talked about seed starting and preparing the land to help you on your journey to food that's less expensive and often more nutritious. This is the perfect way to pinch a few pennies and enjoy some delicious dinners! Lydia has been gardening for 14 years in urban and rural settings with a goal of eating healthy and locally.
FOJG member Lisa Thompson has been tending the same 1/8-acre backyard vegetable garden for 24 years. Key to keeping the soil fertile and productive is the use of compost and organic additives. Lisa talked about how to make your own compost to save money and reduce what you send to the landfill. She also discussed biological insect and disease control. As a regular volunteer at community gardens such as Shalom Farms and Bellemeade Park, Lisa presented information on opportunities to work in gardens that produce food for the community. Click HERE to watch.
2022
12/13/2022: FOJG Virtual Program: Hiking the Lycean Way in Turkey with Ralph Grove, Traveling in the Harz Mountains and the Romanesque Road of Germany with Lydia Pittman, and Camping and Paddling the Natural Wonders of Newfoundland Canada with Glen Besa. Hiking the Lycean Way in Turkey with Ralph Grove: The Lycean Way follows old trade routes, village paths, and trails along the Aegean coast in southwestern Turkey. Hikers encounter a combination of challenging trails, magnificent views of the sea, and the friendly hospitality of mountain villages. Ralph Grove is the Sierra Club VA Chapter Executive Committee Chair, Chapter Outings Leader Chair, and is a member of FOJG. Traveling in the Harz Mountains and The Romanesque Road by Lydia Pittman: Wander through the medieval towns in the Harz Mountains in Germany from Goslar to Quedlinburg with sites from ancient tribes' mythologies to Cold War listening machines. The Harz Mountains have long been a center of civilization in central Europe. Lydia Pittman is an FOJG member and member of the FOJG Membership Engagement Committee. Camping and Paddling in the Natural Wonders of Newfoundland by Glen Besa: Glen spent much of this past July camping and paddling in Newfoundland, Canada. Camping and hiking in two of Newfoundland's National Parks (Gros Morne and Terra Nova) and paddling in the Witless Bay Ecological Preserve provided numerous views of breathtaking scenery and wildlife- Fjords, puffins, whales, seals and otters-- which Glen will share. Glen Besa is an FOJG Executive Committee Member, FOJG Political Chair and Outings Leader, an environmental activist, and formerly served as Director of the Sierra Club Virginia Chapter. Click HERE to watch.
11/15/22: Devin Jefferson presented BioBlitzes and Community Science at the Science Museum. Devin Jefferson, Community Science Catalyst at the Science Museum of Virginia, talked about biodiversity observations during community science events such as BioBlitzes and City Nature Challenges. He also talked about ways to get involved in the Richmond area and how that data can be used to support community-driven learning and priorities. Click HERE to watch.
10/11/2022: Charlotte Brody presented Our Air, Food and Water: How Toxic Chemicals are Harming Everyone and Harming People of Color More. Charlotte Brody is Vice-President of Health Initiatives with the Blue/Green Alliance. Even before COVID took its toll, Americans were sicker than they used to be. More asthma, more cancer for everyone but especially for People of Color. Autism has also increased for all populations. Chemicals are one cause of our chronic disease problem. And they’re a part of the problem we can solve – often at the same time that we’re addressing climate change. Click HERE to see Charlotte’s slide presentation.
9/13/2022: Sheri Shannon presented Greening Southside Richmond. Sheri Shannon, Co-Founder of Southside ReLeaf. In Richmond, the history of redlining and urban renewal has shaped the identity of its neighborhoods. For Richmond’s Southside, one enduring legacy is extreme urban heat due to fewer trees and more heat-absorbing surfaces. As climate extremes worsen, an increase in heat waves will exacerbate the social vulnerabilities of residents. Sheri reviewed Southside ReLeaf’s efforts to improve the quality of life and health outcomes for Richmond’s Southside residents through tree plantings, hands-on learning, community outreach, and civic engagement. Click HERE to watch.
4/12/22: Dr. Scott Neubauer presented Wetlands, What Are They and What Value do They Contain? Dr. Neubauer is an Associate Professor of Biology at VCU and wetlands specialist who spoke about wetlands and their value and importance. We’ve all heard of the term, but do we really know what wetlands are? Do they serve a purpose? How do they fit into the larger ecological picture? Is it okay to build on a wetland and create another somewhere else? Is it fine to use them for recreational purposes? Dr. Scott C. Neubauer is an Associate Professor whose research focuses on coastal wetland biogeochemistry and microbial ecology, with an emphasis on ecosystem responses to environmental change. Click HERE to watch.
3/8/22: Duron Chavis made a presentation on Urban Farms. Duron spoke about his work as an urban farmer and community activist here in Richmond. He is the recipient of one of our Green Giant awards in 2021. Duron's career began at the Black History Museum and Cultural Center of Virginia, and while there in 2003 he founded the acclaimed Happily Natural Day Festival. In the past decade, Duron has initiated social justice-minded farmer’s markets and transformed green spaces throughout the metro Region into urban gardens, farms, orchards, and vineyards. He was a member of the inaugural Citizen’s Advisory Board for the Office of Community Wealth Building and was also manager of community engagement for the city’s Lewis Ginter botanical garden. One of his latest projects, Sankofa Community Orchard was dedicated in October 2021. It is a one-acre orchard on Reedy Creek in South Richmond which addresses the need for public greenspace and food access through the installation of over 100 fruit trees and fruiting shrubs. Tragedy struck in November when the orchard’s new tractor was stolen. Hear how the community has rallied by donating the full cost of the tractor in just a few weeks with private donations. Click HERE to watch.
2/8/22: University of Richmond students Will Heinle, Elizabeth Halasz, Indya Woodfolk, and McKenna Dunbar presented University of Richmond Student Environmental Presentations moderated by Dr. Todd Lookingbill. McKenna Dunbar (our VA Chapter Community Engagement Coordinator) and Indy Woodfolk spoke about Promoting Clean Energy Education, which was a project that inspired action against and mitigated instances of environmental injustices throughout Virginia. Elizabeth Halasz discussed her field research internship in Acadia National Park, where she worked on projects such as intertidal crab surveying, mountain vegetation restoration, and intertidal-terrestrial energy subsidies. Will Heinle talked about his summer experience working in southern West Virginia as an environmental educator for Appalachian youth. The organization he worked for strives to foster environmental ethics in the next generation of Appalachians while restoring local biodiversity in degraded former mine sites. Click HERE to watch.
1/11/22: Chris Burnside and Karl Green made a presentation on Monarchs: Endangered but not Protected. As the Monarch Migration numbers continue to decline, there is new concern over their future. Monarchs east of the Rocky Mountains used to number in the hundreds of millions but the population has dropped by 80% and the Western Monarch edges closer to actual extinction. Is there anything we as citizens can do to help slow and reverse this trend? Karl Green and Chris Burnside discussed current research and strategies that they are implementing in their yard. Click HERE to watch.
2021
12/14/21: Green Giant Awards and Two Travel Programs: The Perseids Meteor Shower in Joshua Tree National Park by Tamara Smith and Gill Sigmon and A Canal Barge Holiday in England: Two Weeks on the Avon Ring by Shavon Peacock. Green Giant awards were presented to Bob Argabright, Duron Chavis and La'Veesha Rollins. Tamara Smith and Gill Sigmon described their adventures in Joshua Tree National Park and the inspiration for traveling there. Also covered were the location and landscape of the park, the dark sky designation, and Joshua Trees. Shavon Peacock gave a trip report on Andrew’s and her two weeks traveling on the Avon Ring in England on a 66-foot-long, 6-foot-wide barge. The 108-mile Avon Ring takes boaters along parts of the Stratford Canal, River Avon, River Severn, and Worcester & Birmingham Canal. Learn about the trials and tribulations of driving the barge, negotiating bridges, tunnels, aqueducts, and 130 locks, including flight locks. Click HERE to watch.
11/9/21: Katie Register, Executive Director of Clean Virginia Waterways of Longwood University, and co-founder of the Virginia Plastic Pollution Prevention Network made the presentation Plastic Pollution in Virginia: Trends, Sources, Solutions. Katie has spent years researching plastic waste in Virginia, its sources and how it got to be litter. In addition to sharing her data on plastic pollution gleaned from reports on beach and stream clean ups, Katie discussed possible solutions to plastic pollution as well as challenge solutions being promoted by the plastics industry. Click HERE to watch this program and FOJG announcements.
10/12/21: Richmond Councilmember Katherine Jordan: Richmond Climate and Ecological Emergency Resolution. Councilwoman Jordan, an FOJG Green Giant Awardee, discussed the origin of and urgent need for a declaration of climate emergency in Richmond. Our speaker was the architect of the resolution which just passed Richmond City Council unanimously. She discussed the provisions of the resolution and what we can do to implement them, including vehicle fleet electrification, winding down of Richmond Gasworks, and many more. Click HERE to watch this program and FOJG announcements.
6/8/21: Victoria Ronnau, Executive Director and Founder of VA Network for Democracy and Environmental Rights (VNDER), gave a presentation on The Rights of Nature. She discussed the Rights of Nature Movement and how VNDER can assist counties, cities, and towns to create new legal, civil, and environmental rights to protect them against projects harmful to their communities. Click HERE to watch.
5/11/21: Parker Agelasto, Director of the Capital Region Land Conservancy, presented his program 30x30 Campaign for Nature: How to Get There from Six Percent? Parker discussed how conservation efforts matter, from Mayor Levar Stoney’s commitment to providing parks and open space to all residents of Richmond, to President Joe Biden’s recent commitment to protecting 30% of the land and water of the United States by 2030. Parker also updated us on recent activities of the Capital Region Land Conservancy that protect our natural and historic resources, and create places for the public. Click HERE to watch.
4/13/2021: Lee Williams and Karen Campblin, co-chairs of The Green New Deal Virginia, talked about The Green New Deal Virginia, their coalition of labor, social justice and environmental organizations and their legislative efforts and successes. Click HERE to watch.
3/9/2021: Jay Epstein, builder and President of Health E Community Enterprises of Virginia Inc. presented The Zero Energy-Ready Home. Jay reviewed the Villas at Rockets Landing - Virginia’s First Single Family Solar Community of 45 homes and Walnut Farms Virginia First Zero Energy Ready Community. He also discussed his current planned community in Williamsburg VA, which will be powered by a solar micro grid owned by the Homeowner's Association (HOA) with one master Net Meter. Click HERE to watch.
2/9/2021: Dr. Jeremy Hoffman, Chief Scientists of the Science Museum of Virginia, talked about Urban Heat Islands and Their Effect on the Health of RVA. Jeremy presented new findings related to transportation, public health, and socioeconomics. Urban heat islands occur when cities experience much warmer temperatures than surrounding greener areas. This is caused by the proliferation of asphalt roads and concrete buildings and the removal of green spaces (grass, trees, etc.) that would otherwise help cool cities. Low-income neighborhoods that have been red-lined in the past tend to have less green cover. Click HERE to watch.
2020
9/8/2020: Bryce Wilk, Superintendent of the James River Park System, talks about the James River Park System's 10-Year Plan and Updates on the Plan.Click HERE to watch.