FOLAR Board Chair, Sam Hayes, and Wendy Austin at the 16TH annual Paddle Battle on the Appomattox River. Photo by Sidd Kumar. After a decade of service with the Friends of the Lower Appomattox River (FOLAR), Wendy Austin will step down as Executive Director in early 2025. When Wendy was hired in 2015; she was…
The community has spoken! Our “Treasured Views” Workshops gathered people from all around the region to identify and document their favorite views along the Appomattox River. Now, we’ve got a round-up of some of our top “Treasured Views!” Campbell’s Bridge, Petersburg – Just on the outskirts of VSU, this overlook offers passers-by scenes of people…
You are invited to quiet your mind and enjoy stories of nature during this special poetry reading night. Poets Gwyn R.C. Moses and Hollee Freeman will explore and evoke the Appomattox River’s beauty through spoken word. In partnership with Resist Booksellers, the Friends of the Lower Appomattox River (FOLAR) will showcase a selection of the…
What a day! What a paddle! Just like that, Paddle Battle 2024 is in the books. Over 150 attendees, paddlers, and volunteers from across the region gathered to help us celebrate the Appomattox River and all that it offers us. From the Guided Paddle to the Race, folks enjoyed their time on the water –…
Look at us, we’re going to be on TV! FOLAR is excited to be featured on PBS’ Virginia Home Grown on Tuesday, September 24! Our Environmental Stewardship Coordinator, Elise, was recently interviewed about managing invasive plants along the Appomattox River, and during the episode premiere, she’ll be present to ‘dig’ more into how you can…
Paddle Battle 2024 is Saturday, September 21! This annual event brings folks together from all across the region as we celebrate the Appomattox River and all its beauty. There’s something for every paddler – from beginner to advanced – whether you want to test your skills in the 10-mile Race, float along the shore in…
Summer is coming to a close, and with that, we want to thank our Summer Intern, Makayla, for being such a huge part of this season with us! Makayla helped us with various projects over the past few months, from creating epic blog posts on our website, to documenting her experience through photographs while she…
We’re excited to announce the 16th annual PADDLE BATTLE! Join us on Saturday, September 21 for this fun paddle downstream from Petersburg to Hopewell on the scenic Appomattox River. This annual event brings folks together from all across the region as we celebrate the river and all it has to offer by winding through beautiful…
One of the most special parts about being human is having the awareness and ability to appreciate beauty, especially in nature. FOLAR is working with Scenic Virginia on a project to capture the best, most beautiful scenic views along the Appomattox River from the dam at Lake Chesdin to where the Appomattox River meets the James River…
Nature and art collide in Writing the Land: Virginia, a poetry anthology that details the vast and exquisite beauty of Virginia through the collaboration of numerous environmental organizations and poets from around the Commonwealth. To honor these natural and historic areas and the poetry that highlights them, we invite you to join us on August…