Paddlers Enjoy a Day on the Mayo

DRBA's 1st Saturday outing for the month of July was a huge success as over 50 paddlers showed up to enjoy a float on the Mayo River in Rockingham County, NC. The group paddled six miles from Anglin Mill to the 770 bridge below Stoneville. Along the way, trip coordinators T & Lindley Butler pointed out historic Native American fish wiers dating back over 1,000 years.


Everyone enjoyed lunch on a rocky island in the Mayo before finishing their journey.


DRBA 1st Saturday outings are free and open to the public, additional 3rd Saturday outings are available exclusively for members. For more information on outings and about becoming a DRBA member, visit www.danriver.org.

Hikers Visit Rhododendron Trail

The new Richard P. Gravely, Jr. Nature Preserve in Ridgeway has been open since April and getting quite a bit of use too! Now hikers have another reason to enjoy the preserve. Rhododendron Trail offers a challenging one mile hike down switchbacks and along the Smith River. The narrow path leads visitors through a wide variety of lush ferns and then through a tunnel of Rhododendrons.


Eileen Bourne (below) of the Martinsville-Henry County Master Gardeners shows Rhododendron blooms to a group of hikers.


One of the highlights of the hike is a bench overlooking the Smith River where visitors can relax and listen to the sounds of birds, leaves blowing in the breeze, and flowing water.

The Richard P. Gravely, Jr. Nature Preserve is located on Eggleston Falls Road in Ridgeway Virginia. The preserve, funded partially by a grant from the Harvest Foundation, is open year round and admission is free. For more information on the preserve and other natural areas in Martinsville and Henry County, call Jennifer Doss at 276-634-2545.

Volunteers Needed at Jamison's Mill

Friends of Philpott will host a volunteer workday on July 12th at Jamison's Mill Park in Henry, VA. The group will meet at 9 am.

Work will entail corridor clearing like blowing leaves, cutting saplings, moving fallen trees to make way for the Ditch Witch and then hand finishing work.

Please Wear: work boots, gloves, long pants, and helmet or hard hat (if you have one)

Tools needed include gas powered blowers and loppers. Bring a snack and water too please.

If a large number of volunteers signs up for this workday, Linda Drage will provide hot dogs and drinks for everyone. Please RSVP to Linda Drage at ldrage@comcast.net.

Bike Tour for Great Expectations

Help teenagers in the foster care system move from
the margins to the mainstream!

Join us in welcoming Dr. Glenn DuBois,
Chancellor of the Virginia Community College System,
when he stops at Patrick Henry COmmunity College

during his Great Expectations Summer Bike Tour.

Thursday, July 3, 2 p.m.
Walker Fine Arts/Student Center

Great Expectations is a new transitional
education program for foster care youth.
Learn more at http://www.greatexpectations.vccs.edu/