By Jackson Bartlett, Executive Director

I hope that you’re enjoying these last days of summer. I’m honored to be writing you as the new Executive Director of Friends of the Lower Appomattox River. There’s no warmer welcome than that which I’ve received from the Board of Trustees, and from the staff, our volunteers, and our community partners. It’s a humbling responsibility built on the tremendous work of our previous Executive Director, Wendy Austin, to lead us into our next chapter of conservation, restoration, and enjoyment of the Appomattox River.

My path to FOLAR started as a working-class kid living in the rural Michigan countryside. We didn’t have much, but we had a close relationship to the land. We chopped wood for heat, and hunted in the farmer’s woods surrounding our home. We fished on the Blackhawk River. Unlike the Appomattox, the Blackhawk wound slowly through flat fields and forests. It was small, shallow, and muddy. Like the Appomattox, it gave life to turtles, fish, geese, and birds of prey. Even as a small child, I felt the power of the river as an ancient ecosystem with a complicated relationship to human activity. It was sensitive to pollution and development. It sometimes asserted its will, spilling over the dam and its banks to flood homes and farmer’s fields.

Rivers have something to teach us about how to live sustainably. The Appomattox, with its mighty rapids, dynamic estuary, and wildlife rich surroundings reminds me every day that our connection to the natural world is not something we choose – it’s predetermined. What we get to choose is our relationship to it.

And so, as I assume this role at FOLAR, I’m guided by two questions: where have we been, and where are we going? When I think about where we’ve been, I think about the original stewards of the river, the Appamattuck and others who were violently displaced from what we now call the Tri-Cities Region. I think about some of the lowest points in the river’s history, when it was seen as inaccessible, or even dangerous. And then I think about the work that FOLAR has done since 2001 to get into right relationship with the river. This is work that YOU have done. You’ve gotten more than twenty percent of the riparian buffer (river banks) conserved or restored. You’ve built beautiful stretches of trail in each of our six jurisdictions, and you got us into 235 Market Street, where we’re better able to engage with the community and bring more people into this work.

Now, where are we going? Well, we’re going to finish the Appomattox River Trail. We’re going to surpass our goal of 30% conservation and restoration of the riparian buffer. And we’re going to expand the reach of the river’s benefits through more and better partnerships that enhance education and wellness across all our stakeholder communities. Lastly, we’re going to strengthen our organization and sustain the work with renewed attention to philanthropic partnerships and community engagement.

We can do all of this and more with your support. Thank you for your trust as we work together to conserve, protect, and better enjoy all that the Appomattox River has to offer.

COMING UP:

FOLAR Social: Join us to celebrate this month’s fundraiser at Sedona Taphouse in Colonial Heights, where a portion of the proceeds go to FOLAR. FOLAR staff will be there from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. on Monday, August 25, and we hope you will join us! Check out more details about the fundraiser through our recent Facebook post.

Paddle Battle: On September 27, come together with folks from all across the region as we celebrate the river on the river! We welcome kayak paddlers of all levels with a choice of a 10-mile race or a 10-mile Leisure Paddle. You can register today through our webpage.

As always, there are many ways to support. Become a member, support our mission through a general donation, or find more ways to give on our website.