Tuesday, December 30, 2008

Start Off Your New Year on the Right Foot

Now that winter is here, it's no time to hibernate! Get out and get active with Tuesday Morning Strolls.

On the first Tuesday of each month, walk leaders will guide participants on an easy paced walk at various destinations around Martinsville and Henry County.

Participants will receive a punch card to register for a drawing upon the completion of 4 walks by June 2nd and 5 walks by December 1st. Two drawings will be held each time: one for adults and one for seniors.

All walks begin at 9am and last for approximately 45 minutes. There is no charge. Walkers are asked to dress appropriately for the weather and wear comfortable walking shoes. Bringing a bottle of water is also recommended.



Why should you walk?
Studies show that taking a 60 minute walk can burn over 200 calories.
Walking with a group is a great way to network & make new friends.
Walking outdoors is an excellent form of stress relief.

2009 Schedule
January 6th- Liberty Fair Mall (meet inside beside Goody's)
February 3rd- Martinsville YMCA (meet at the front lobby)
March 3rd- Fieldale Trail: Phase I (3521 S. River Rd., Fieldale)
April 7th- Fieldale Trail: Phase II (same as above)
May 5th- Uptown Spur Trail (meet at the Gazebo on Lester St.)
June 2nd- Doe Run Park (270 Dupont Rd., Martinsville)- 1st Drawing
July 7th- Gravely Nature Preserve (2525 Eggleston Falls Rd., Ridgeway)
August 4th- Jack Dalton Park (3300 Kings Mountain Rd., Collinsville)
September 1st- Fieldale Trail: Phase I
October 6th- Fieldale Trail: Phase II
November 3rd- Uptown Spur Trail
December 1st- Liberty Fair Mall- 2nd Drawing

For more information or to pre-register, please contact:
Dan River Basin Association 276-634-2545 or
Henry County Parks & Recreation 276-634-4643

Event Sponsors:
Dan River Basin Association
Henry County Parks & Recreation
Martinsville YMCA
Activate Martinsville-Henry County

Saturday, December 27, 2008

Bikes Assembled for Christmas Morning

Boxes were ripped open, packaging moved aside and wrenches did their work at the Martinsville City Fire Department as firefighters assembled bikes to be given away for Christmas. This was no small task, but firefighters found much joy in helping children, and they were not alone. Several organizations helped to raise funds to purchase bikes for the Salvation Army’s Bikes for Tykes drive.

Even in tough economic times when consumers cut back on spending, individuals, organizations, and businesses demonstrated their generosity through both big and small donations that provided assistance to the growing number of children in need. Rallying together, they supplied over 650 bikes to children in Martinsville and Henry County.

Activate joined in the efforts to make the children’s Christmas memorable and safe. Each child received a coupon for a free helmet along with bike and helmet safety tips and rules of the road.




Tuesday, December 23, 2008

DRBA Volunteers Honored


After a year full of projects including the Richard P. Gravely, Jr. Nature Preserve, expansion of the Fieldale Trail, stewardship activities, educational programs, and numerous festivals, The Dan River Basin Association's (DRBA) crew of volunteers have been very busy!

DRBA is very appreciative of the in-kind donations of labor and expertise provided by these volunteers. The labor, materials, and skills provided served as matching funds for grants and benefited the community as a whole through the development of new recreational opportunities in Martinsville and Henry County.
DRBA staff decided to give back and say thank you to these hard workers by hosting a volunteer appreciation dinner. Approximately 50 volunteers attended a reception at the Reynolds Homestead in Critz. They enjoyed a BBQ dinner while watching a photo slideshow of the year in review. After dinner everyone enjoyed yummy deserts donated by Subway, Arts Etc. and Cafe', and Binding Time Cafe'.

Several lucky individuals won door prizes too! Many thanks to the following sponsors who contributed items for the event:

Bass, Bucks, & More
Crouch's Nursery
Freedom Prints
JR's Outdoor Gear of Danville
R.E.I of Greensboro
Yamato Restaurant

Jim & Linda Drage with Paul May

T Butler & Barbara Thompson

Jennifer Frith, C.D. Prillaman, and Dr. David Jones

Team DRBA has many exciting projects planned for 2009 and will need volunteers to help with trail building/maintenance, trip guides, festival booths, and educational programs. If you are interested in volunteering, please contact: Brian Williams 276-634-2592 or Jennifer Doss 276-634-2545.
Article by: Jennifer Doss
Photos by: Brian Williams

A Brand New Year For TIC


As students are home enjoying their holiday breaks, amazing things are happening in schools throughout the City of Martinsville, and the counites of Henry, Franklin, Patrick, and Pittsylvania. Trout eggs are hatching! Each of these tiny opaque eggs (shown above) contains a brown trout. The tiny trout eggs were delivered to the classrooms between Dec 5 – 8 and placed in breeder nets hanging from the side of the tank.
The fertilized eggs were picked up from the State Hatchery at Wytheville in a state of development where the eyes were just beginning to show as dark spots inside the egg. According to Butch Bates, assistant manager at the hatchery, the eggs were expected to hatch in 12 to 14 days. In some tanks, a few little guys were in a hurry to get here and popped out early. Some are still hatching as of this writing. The tiny alevin are totally dependent on their yolk sacs for nourishment the first few weeks of life as they are developing mouth parts.
Sometime in late January they will be ready to be released from the baskets into the tank and then ready for students to give them their first meal. Students will spend spring semster learning about the trout as part of the Trout-in-the-Classroom (TIC) program. TIC is sponsored locally by Dr. David Jones, a Martinsville Orthodotist. Brian Williams of the Dan River Basin Association (DRBA), with support from the Harvest Foundation, is the coordinator for the 26 tanks in a 4 county region this year. Last season over 2,000 area youth were served by the program. This year that number is expected to increase. Over the next few months, the students will learn many lessons from these small creatures. After being raised to fingerling size, the students will release them into the Smith River at the end of the school year. Check back soon to see more progress!


Photo by: Brian Williams
Article by: Jennifer Doss & Brian Williams

Trash to Treasure

Danville, Virginia Girl Scouts create “bottle blooms” from discarded plastic bottles. The blooms are on display at the Danville Science Museum through February 2009.


The Dan River Basin Association (DRBA) has a new program combining trash, art and an environmental message. “iIMPACT: Speaking Out For Rivers Through Art & Action” is a basin-wide project to raise awareness of the impact of consumer waste on watersheds and wildlife. Since plastic is among the most detrimental of all consumer waste, iIMPACT puts a special emphasis on it. Participants pick up discarded materials—okay, trash—from sidewalks, parking lots, river banks, and then turn the material into “objet d’art”.

The participants-turned-artists fashion sculptures and paintings that range from the silly to surprisingly delightful. But what is really important is this: as a part of the creative process, they learn about the prolific and stubborn nature of plastic. These simple polymers simply refuse to biodegrade. That means that nearly all the plastic ever made still exists in some form, with dire consequences for both water and wildlife. (For an eye-popping interactive article about plastic and the environment, check out http://www.flypmedia.com/issues/03/#5/1). iIMPACT also explores the small, but growing, market for alternatives to oil-based plastic.

The art is then displayed in local venues along with educational panels that the artists help write. A youth 4H group in Stuart, Virginia serves in an advisory role to iIMPACT by testing out each art project idea (such as the “bottle blooms”). If the 4H students give it a pass, then that particular art form can be replicated with other groups the basin. Funding from the Virginia Environmental Endowment allows DRBA to offer iIMPACT for free. DRBA hopes to build quite a collection of trash art, enough to ultimately become part of a larger exhibition in 2009. Anyone who would like to help with the project is encouraged to call or email Jenny Edwards, DRBA staff at (276) 340-2462 or jedwards@danriver.org

Article and Photo by: Jenny Edwards

Tuesday, December 16, 2008

First Hike of 2009!

JANUARY 3, 2009

DRBA TO HIKE ALONG CREEK TO
SEE GEOLOGIC WONDERS

DRBA's January 3 outing will be an easy 2-mile hike along Tanyard Creek on a farm near Ruffin, NC to explore unusual geologic formations on a North Carolina Natural Heritage site. Meeting at 10:00 at Happy Home Congregational Christian Church, we will carpool to the farm.

Coordinated by DRBA president Will Truslow, the hike will follow a woodland farm road to the creek, which cuts a gorge through Triassic conglomerate rock on its way to nearby Dan River. Some 200 million years ago, this section of northern North Carolina and southern Virginia was a deep lake. As rivers flowed into the lake, the slowing water dropped its load of sediment--first the large rocks, then smaller pebbles, then sand and silt. Over the eons, geologic pressures fused the surrounding clay particles, enclosing the rounded rocks and pebbles in a concrete-like mass. In addition, some buried logs became petrified wood.

Participants in the outing are asked to supply lunch and water, to wear hiking boots and layers of artificial (quick-drying) fabric or wool, to be ready for rain or wind, and to sign a waiver. Hiking poles are advisable because of the uneven streambed and a short steep ascent out of the gorge.

DIRECTIONS: Happy Home Congregational Christian Church is located at 6941 NC 700, Ruffin, NC.

From Danville- Travel south on US 29 into North Carolina. Exit onto NC 700 at the North Carolina Welcome Center and travel west toward Eden for 10 miles. The church is on the right.

From Eden- Travel east on NC 700, crossing the Dan River. The church is on the left, about 4 miles from the river.

From the south- Travel north on US 29. About 1.5 miles south of the Virginia line, exit onto NC 700. Turn west toward the NC Welcome Center and travel west toward Eden for 10 miles. The church is on the right.

FURTHER INFORMATION: Will Truslow, 336-547-1903, willtruslow@hotmail.com.

Article by T Butler
Posted by Vicky Thomas
Clip Art by http://www.fotosearch.com/clip-art/hiking

Monday, December 15, 2008

2008-2009 Trail Building Workdays


Dark Hollow & Jamison Mill

Please, come out and volunteer some time to help with a worthy cause.

Jamison Mill (at Philpott Lake):
1st Saturday of each month
(Rain date – the following Saturday)
9 a.m. until 1 p.m.

Dark Hollow (at Chatmoss):
3rd Saturday of each month
(Rain date – the following Saturday)
9 a.m. until 1 p.m.

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

Bring: Work boots, gloves, long pants, and helmet or hard hat (if you have one), extra loppers, leaf blower and rakes.

For more information: Please contact Jim Frith at jim.frith@comcast.net.
Picture submitted by Linda Drage
Article by Vicky Thomas & Jennifer Doss

Sunday, December 14, 2008

Dan River Basin Fly-over Part 2: Kibler Valley and the Smith River

Wow!..…what a view!






That was really the best description I could manage at the time.
The view is just stunning up here looking down on Kibler Valley, the “Crown Jewel” of the Dan River Basin.


Just past Hanging Rock and heading northwest, we were hypnotized by our first view of the gorge. The rugged mountains in this range may not be the birthplace of the Dan River, but it sure is the place where it learns how to play!


Kibler Valley is a little gem hidden away in the mountains of Patrick County. The river valley has it all; great trout fishing, excellent whitewater boating (when the powerhouse is generating) and beautiful mountain scenery. It’s a beautiful site viewed at ground level and even more spectacular from the air. The most noticeable sign of civilization was the Primland Resort perched on top of one of the flatter mountains surrounding the valley.



Leaving Kibler Valley and heading west, we flew past Lovers Leap on Hwy 58 and tracked east till we spotted the impounded waters of Philpott Lake, its long blue fingers stretching out across the landscape and cutting watery swaths through the canopy of fall trees. As we approached the lake, our pilot Susan, swung the plane around so I could get a good photo of the dam. You could clearly see the white "bathtub ring" delineating the edge of the lake, indicative of the low water levels over the summer. I had her circle a couple of times to get the right angle. (In retrospect, this may have been a mistake for the backseat passengers)


After a couple of swings around the dam, we turned southeast and began heading downstream through the Smith River Basin, following the rivers course as we made our way to the confluence with the Dan . I was so excited getting to see the river from this angle. Having canoed or fished most of its length, I could now see it from a drastically different perspective. I asked Susan to circle around each time I wanted to get a closer look or had missed a photo opportunity. These tight turns and dips probably exacerbated the situation in the back seat and Jeff decided it was time to stop simultaneously trying to mark sites with the GPS, look at the maps and take photos. Later down the river we realized that a few more turns and Jeff may have been turning to the airsickness bags. Oops, sorry.


Taking a detour from the river we headed up the Towne Creek watershed to check out the riparian areas along this tributary of our river basin.

Towne is the first major tributary that enters the Smith River, and the confluence is just below the Philpott Bridge and the Henry County Water pumping station. This is the beginning of the "Special Regulations" trout waters of the Smith. Perhaps you have even fished the river here or at least seen it after a heavy rainfall event.

At times, the Smith can turn into a mean and muddy river.
Have you ever wondered where all that mud comes from? Towne creek is just one of the tributaries that dump its muddy load into the Smith, bringing sediment from the far reaches of its watershed. One only has to stand on the Philpott bridge after heavy rains and observe the clear water upstream, then look down to the mouth of Towne Creek and see the dramatic red ribbon of mud as the sediment load begins the journey down the Smith as seen in the below photo.

Continuing up Towne creek we spot some clear cut logging areas that could be a source of some of the sediment loads. Not all forestry operations follow "best management practices" and these clearcut areas can contribute to sedimentation in streams when the logging roads become "erosional highways" during rainfall events. Even the edge of the green fields can have erosion issues if the pasture is devoid of a tree buffer along the banks.



Though some logging areas have left a buffer strip of trees along a major trib, its the cumulative effect of the sediment loads finding their way down all perennial and intermittent streams, eventually reaching the main tributary that provides the real problems.
In addition, once these areas are cut, the logging roads often see continual heavy use by off-road vehicles. This in turn contributes to the erosion problems that are associated with these areas. A watershed is defined by its uppermost elevations and all the water within these boundaries heading for the lowest point. For most of Henry County, that means that its heading to the Smith. You can clearly see the logging roads that become "sediment highways" during periods of heavy rainfall.

Banking to the right, we turn south and head down the Smith, coming in low over the town of Bassett. Here is where the landscape once again changes dramatically. We leave the fields and forest of the upper Smith in Henry and head down into the heavily industrialized sections of Bassett and Stanleytown.
We are now flying over what was once the heart of Southwest Virgina's economy. The furniture and textile factories have moved overseas now taking with them many local jobs. Scarce now are the jobs that once employed thousands while the abandoned buildings stand testament to a once thriving industrial complex that flourished along this river corridor.

You get a better sense of just how big these plant sites are when you see them from the air. We note the stark contrast between surface areas; the heavily forested western side of
"the horseshoe," compared to the massive area of impervious concrete and asphalt of the industrial complex of the JD Bassett plant site between the Trent Hill Bridges. Special thanks to Dr. David Jones for preserving the heavily forested ridge in the above photo, now known as "Lauren Mountain."




Further downstream we see massive areas of asphalt, concrete, and rooftops. These surface areas are impervious to water and the run-off has no chance for filtration or flow reduction before entering the river. This dramatically shows why it is so important to have forested riparian areas that help slow water, filter out sediment and pollution before it enters the river.


This next 1o-mile section contains the highest concentration of industrialized areas along the Smith. Traveling through Bassett, Stanleytown, Fieldale and Martinsville, you see the connection between river and industry graphically represented. The neat thing about this section is even though it has its share of industrialization, it also contains some very scenic areas as well.



We are now approaching the southeastern end of Martinsville and the next major dam on the river. The impoundment created by the Martinsville dam backs up the water for a couple of miles, slowing the flow to a crawl way back almost to Koehler. This historic dam was once home to the Irvine Mill and in fact, The Irvine River was the name this river was first known by. In the late 1800's, it became Smith's River, and today the possessive has been dropped and it's known as just The Smith River.





What is that big brown stain near the dam? We drop lower for a closer look. Its just the usual load of floating debris that backs up behind the dam. If you spend much time on the river, you see trash and debris floating downstream, but here is where you really get an idea of the load as it all washes up and forms a virtual island behind the dam.

Further downstream now we cross the bypass (Hwy 58). Just to the south is the new Smith River Sports Complex still under construction. They did a good job here of keeping the silt out of the river during construction and the riparian area along the Smith is still intact.


The next big landmark was an obvious one, and it was really cool to see this from 1000 ft.
I've included several pictures here taken of the Eggleston Falls Section. This is really our only full time class III rapid on the Smith and a favorite place for play-boaters and sightseers. The beauty of this section can not be overstated, but alas...there is trouble in paradise.

The disturbing feature here is the obvious destruction caused by off-road vehicles in the area of the Smith River and the confluence of Marrowbone creek. "X" marks the spot in the below photo showing the paths created by ATVs and 4-wheel drive trucks. We hope to be able to repair this area in the future and have been working with the landowner to that end. The amount of trash dumped here coupled with the erosion caused by vehicles on land and even some "inconsiderates" driving in the river, is a destruction that has to stop if this place is to be repaired.



More shots from the Eggleston Falls area.




Perhaps one of the best river trips for fun and scenery on the Smith is the Marrowbone to Mitchell Bridge Run. This has a little bit of everything and is a good stretch to take the beginner to intermediate paddler on to learn some basic whitewater skills. Once again though, we are confronted with an unpleasant view-scape of clear-cut logging and erosion paths. This huge area is located along the banks of Leatherwood Creek, about 2 miles upstream from Mitchell Bridge.


It's not too hard to see the relationship between logging areas and erosion in this view and one of the reasons Leatherwood Creek becomes so full of sediment during rainfall events.




In the above photo, "Lunch Rock" is visible as it stretches nearly halfway across the river. This is a popular place to stop during river trips on this section. You can see the landscape; upstream to the right is a huge clear cut section of forest. It's not hard to imagine what happens during heavy rainfalls, infact, even satellite photos show the muddy waters of Leatherwood as it enters the clear waters of the Smith. Some of this sediment load is naturally occurring as Leatherwood is a dynamic Piedmont stream, almost a river itself, and it drains an enormous area. However, much of it does pass through lands comprised of logging areas, farmland, residential and commercial operations. Perhaps as we continue to educate streamside property owners on the importance of riparian buffers, we will eventually start to see a change in the land use on properties adjoining these important tributaries.

We pass over the Morgan Ford bridge at Sandy Level and before you can say barf-bag...we are in North Carolina again..."How ya doing back there Jeff?"
I have to say, as many twist and turns as I requested from our pilot Susan, the passengers in the back seat held it all together quite well. I'm not sure I would have had the stomach for it, so I was happy to be in the front!

Now it was time to head back to Danville, and we once again joined up with the Dan River and this time Katherine was afforded a view out her window..finally! It was a great view too...that is right up until we noticed the effluent coming from the city wastewater treatment plant and a giant stain of purple entering the river. The Hanes factory was obviously sending water to the treatment facility at the time...Purple underwear day I guess!

In the below photo, you can see the waste-water treatment plant and the stain entering the river at the bend.

So our happy, and somewhat pale group, had made it back to Danville. Man that flight was short..."how long have we been up?" Susan informs us that it is over two hours now. Wow, set down on the runway, grab some barf bags and lets get back up there! Ya ready Jeff?




Touch down...safe on terra fermma once again.

We took the requisite "triumphant return of the conquering heros" photo then thanked Susan profusely for a fabulous flight.


We hope to get airborne again and this time check out the lower sections of the mighty Dan from Danville down to Kerr Reservoir. Thanks once again to our outstanding pilot, Susan Lapis, and Southwings for their dedication in helping nonprofit organizations better understand our river basins. We have seen the ecology of the present and now can plan the resource protection for the future.

http://www.southwings.org/




Thursday, December 4, 2008

Thanks for Your Help!

Boaters using the un-official Mitchell Road Bridge
as a river access in Summer 2008.
Check back in 2009 for more parking, easy access,
picnic facilities, and a scenic walking path!

In October, over the course of a three-week period you were all invited to participate in a survey about paddling the Smith River in Henry County, Virginia. Over 80 participants took the survey and the results have now been calculated! The findings of this survey will assist DRBA in the planning of future projects, such as the access at Mitchell Road Bridge that is coming in 2009. The survey results will also aid us in acquiring funding and support for other future river access areas and improvements to existing access points. Thank you for taking the time to participate!

Of the 83 survey participants, 98.8% have paddled the Smith River in Henry County, VA.

Of those that have paddled the Smith River:

73.5% paddle kayaks; while 33.7% paddle canoes

The most commonly used river access point is at Philpott Dam on the Henry County side of the river, 67.9% of paddlers prefer that location.

Out of a total of 10 public, unofficial, and outfitter access sites, Mitchell Road Bridge (unofficial access) ranks as the 4th most commonly used access point with 43.2% of paddlers preferring it. [Note: This access is the next to become an official access point on the Smith River.]

The “favorite” stretch of river to paddle was voted as Philpott to North Bassett with 60.5% of paddlers preferring this segment. Marrowbone Creek to Mitchell Road Bridge was voted as the 2nd most “favorite” segment of the river with 26.3% of paddlers voting for it.

Paddlers were asked how many times in the past year they had used the Mitchell Road Bridge to access the Smith River:
37.2% used the access 1-5 times
10.3% used the access 6-10 times
7.7% used the access 11-15 times
1.3% used the access 16-20 times
2 other paddlers indicated that they used this location to access the river in excess of 20 times per year.

Paddlers were asked to choose river access amenities that are of most importance to them. (Participants were allowed to choose more than one selection.) Ample parking was the most popular answer with 87% choosing it. Restroom/Changing Facilities came in second with 42.9%

Paddlers were asked how many miles they travel to visit the Smith River:
Average Miles Traveled= 40
Maximum Miles Traveled= 180
Paddlers traveling more than 30 miles= 22%
Paddlers traveling more than 50 miles= 31%

Paddlers who visited the Smith River in the past year supported the local economy by:
Purchasing gas- 89.5%
Visiting fast food restaurants- 69.7%
Visiting sit-down restaurants- 55.3%
Making purchases at local grocery stores- 31.6%
Visiting hiking & biking trails- 25%
Visiting area parks- 23.7%
Staying in local campgrounds- 7.9%
Enjoying river outfitter services- 7.9%
Visiting our local Visitor’s Center- 6.6%
Making purchases at area department stores- 5.3%
Staying in hotels or motels- 2.6%
Visiting area libraries and museums- 2.6%

85.4% of the survey participants are members of paddling clubs. The most popular club is the Creak Freaks of Franklin County (28%), followed by the Smith River Valley Canoe Club (20%). Other clubs included:
Float Fishermen of VA (Roanoke Chapter)= 12%
Coastal Canoeists= 10%
Carolina Canoe Club= 8%
Dan River Basin Association= 6%
Tarheel Paddlers= 6%
Triad River Runners= 6%
Paddlers of Virginia= 3%
Friends of the Staunton River= 1%

Of the paddlers surveyed, 71% are Virginia residents and 28% are North Carolina Residents. Two other paddlers traveled from Franklin, Tennessee and Monroe, West Virginia. Thanks for visiting folks!


Survey Organized By: Dan River Basin Association
Survey Administered By: SurveyMonkey.com
Photos by: Martha Smith & Darrin Doss

Monday, December 1, 2008

Mission Accomplished

Many thanks to the DRBA volunteers who participated in our "Thanksgiving Leaf-a-Thon"! Martha Smith of Martinsville and Darrin Doss of Henry are shown above wielding their leafblowers to clear the trail corridor along the new Fieldale Trail extension. Danny Smith of Martinsville, (not pictured) also helped with the workday.

Thursday, November 27, 2008

Encouragment from a Golden Sneaker

Students at Albert Harris Elementary were squirming in their seats anxiously waiting for the big surprise Activate had for them. Grinning ear to ear when Activate staff unveiled the first place 2008 golden sneaker award, the children squealed with joy when it was presented to principal, Natasha Rowell.

But that was only the beginning of the surprise as Jeannie Frisco, Activate Program Director presented a life-size check to the students and faculty for having the most participation of any school in the International Walk to School Day event.

Martinsville Middle School placed second in the event and students were already contemplating how to take first place in 2009. Patrick Henry Elementary placed third and is working on 100% participation for the next challenge.

Monday, November 24, 2008

Thanksgiving Leaf-a-thon

The Dan River Basin Association is pleased to announce that construction officially began on Phase II of the Fieldale Trail today! Workers from Frith Construction brought out leaf blowers to clear the path and used equipment to smooth the ground surface and remove bumps. The workers have made it about 1/3 of the way for this first stage of the trail building process. Other equipment will soon follow behind to complete the surface. We expect the entire 1.5 miles of trail to be completed by the end of December!

In order to save the contractors some time and conserve money in our budget, I am recruiting volunteers to finish blowing the leaves. This will save the contractors a time consuming step so that they can focus on driving the machinery. We will be blowing leaves on Wednesday & Friday, think of it as a "Thanksgiving Leaf-a-Thon"!

If you own or have access to a gas or battery powered leaf blower and want to spend some time out of your Thanksgiving Holiday giving to a good cause, please contact Jennifer Doss to sign up for a time slot. This is an excellent way to work off the turkey and stuffing! :-)

Happy Thanksgiving to all from Team DRBA!

To sign up:
office: 276-634-2545
cell: 276-340-3139

Saturday, November 22, 2008

Volunteers Restore Historic Cemetery


This morning, Team DRBA and a crew of volunteers braved bitter 24 degree weather to help protect and preserve a piece of Henry County history. Fourteen helpers total gathered at the historic cemetery of Uncle John and Jane Burgess, located on Old Mill Road near the Gravely Nature Preserve.


The volunteers worked to cut saplings and remove debris while DRBA staff located, marked, and inventoried grave sites. Vernon Hairston and Jennifer Doss are shown above cutting trees that had taken over the cemetery.

A total of 18 graves were located. The burial sites of four individuals were positively identified by family members and a list of eight others known to be buried somewhere in the cemetery was compiled. Myla Barnhardt of the News & Record came to cover the project and interview descendants of Uncle John and Jane Burgess. Excitement filled the air each time someone yelled "I found another stone!"

After cleaning up the cemetery, the group traveled to God's Love Ministries in Ridgeway to enjoy a pot-luck lunch and share information about their ancestors. Approximately 25 family members gathered at the church, including the last three living grandchildren of Uncle John and Jane.

Grandson Timothy Carter Jr. shared stories about uncle John's dirt floor cabin and playing in Burgess creek. Grandaughter Mary Burgess Hall (pictured above with son, Michael Richardson) remembered the red horse that Uncle John loved to ride. Generations both young and old all were able to learn new and interesting facts about their family.


Since the cemetery has never been documented before, family members were eager to fill out ancestry charts that will help DRBA and the Virginia Department of Historic Resources formally document the property and protect it. Samuel Hairston of Eden and Dorothy Jean Hairston of Ridgeway are shown below sharing stories of their common ancestors.


Norris Funeral Services Inc. of Martinsville has donated an engraved stone cemetery marker for the project and the family worked together to write an appropriate inscription. The marker, to be installed within the next few weeks, will be engraved with the following message:

Burgess Family Cemetery

In loving memory of
Uncle John and Jane Burgess,
former slaves and residents of
the Burgess Plantation
circa late 1800s
and their decendants
laid to rest here.

Gone but not forgotten...


The family enjoyed looking at photos of Uncle John and Jane provided by the descendants of plantation owner John Henry Burgess and reading a 1930s obituary for Uncle John Burgess provided by the Bassett Historical Center. They plan to raise funds in order to purchase fencing and return for a second workday in early spring to install it around the family plot.

Many thanks to land owner James Morrison for allowing us access to his land, to Pastor Ronald Hairston for allowing us to use his church, and to Norris Funeral Services Inc. for their generous donation of an engraved stone cemetery marker.

Click here to see more photos taken by Brian Williams.


Article by Jennifer Doss
Photos by Brian Williams and Jennifer Doss