Greetings From Camp!

Dan River Basin Association volunteers and staff recently visited the W.E. Skelton 4H Center at Smith Mountain Lake to teach Environmental Science to Martinsville and Henry County youth attending camp. Through various activities, the 4H campers learned about watersheds and how their actions can help or hurt the environment. They performed a skit about protecting the Smith River to learn the importance of streamside trees and ways to reduce pollution such as using environmentally friendly fertilizers on lawns. The campers discovered macroinvertebrates, small aquatic creatures like crayfish, snails, and mayfly larvae that can help determine water quality and also performed tests on water samples. To see a video from camp click here.

These activities helped the youth gain a better appreciation of their local watershed and how to help protect it so that they, as well as future generations, will have clean water to drink, swim, and fish in. The Dan River Basin Association (DRBA) strives to preserve and promote the natural and cultural resources of the Dan River basin through education, recreation, and stewardship. DRBA's programs in the Martinsville and Henry County area are funded by a grant from the Harvest Foundation.

To schedule programs such as "Stream: The Movie" or "Tub-o-Bugs" for your group or to learn how you can become a certified stream monitor, please contact drba.va@danriver.org.

Laurel Park Parents Surveyed for Safe Routes to School

Activate Martinsville/Henry County hosted an awards ceremony on Tuesday, June 2, at Laurel Park Middle School to present new bicycles to six students who won them in an Activate drawing. The prize of a new bicycle was an incentive for parents to complete a survey on the newly introduced Safe Routes to School program. The surveys provided important information about community opinion towards children either walking or biking to school. In partnership with the National Center for Safe Routes to School, Activate will submit the findings of the completed surveys to a national database as well as utilize the results to build an application for a Safe Routes to School grant through SAFETEA-LU.

Six bike winners were chosen on Tuesday with two recipients from each grade level. The winners were Cesar Vasquez and Paisley Witcher for the sixth grade, Danielle Painter and Jalen Hodge for the seventh grade, and Danté Hairston and Shineice Wells for the eighth grade. In addition to students, parents, and the Activate staff, Laurel Park Middle School’s Assistant Principal Brandt Gerhardt and Physical Education teachers Patrick Mills and Melissa Carroll supported the awards ceremony on Tuesday.

Activate is currently investigating the attitudes toward the implementation of a Safe Routes to School Program at two local schools including Martinsville Middle School and Laurel Park Middle School.

The National Center for Safe Routes to School designed the Safe Routes to School (SRTS) Program not only to encourage physical activity among the nation’s youth, but also to preserve the environmental sustainability of local areas by reducing automobile use and traffic congestion. The main goal of the program is to simultaneously enhance the livability of an area and promote a healthy and safe way for children to get to school. “SRTS” is a federal-aid program of the U.S. Department of Transportation’s Federal Highway Administration (FHWA),” said Jeannie Frisco, Program Manager for Activate Martinsville Henry County. “It is fully funded by federal grants and does not require any additional local funding.” Over $612 million have been awarded thus far to local and state organizations to fund initiatives of SRTS.

Albert Harris Elementary Hosts WalkUp Wednesday

Students, staff and parents enjoyed the fresh air on a beautiful sunny Wednesday morning as they walked to Albert Harris Elementary. Natasha Rowell, Principal for Albert Harris Elementary has taken International Walk to School Day one step further in hopes of getting children more active. Walking school buses are coordinated each quarter by Ms. Rowell and her whole school gets involved. Students are dropped off approximately 1/2 mile from the school and are escorted by volunteers, parents and school staff as they walk down Smith Street to the office entrance of Albert Harris Elementary.

Activate staff and volunteers were on hand to greet over 650 participants and distribute strawberries smoothies as a reward for making that last climb up the hill to the front office. This was quite a treat for the students and staff. Healthy smoothies were a new experience for some students and staff who were surprised that it contained low fat yogurt and milk and fresh strawberries.

Way to go Natasha Rowell and Albert Harris Elementary staff! Together with one small step at a time we will combat obesity, change behavior and most importantly.....HAVE FUN DOING IT!

Benefit Paddle

Silverfish for the Rivers
2009 Benefit Paddle

The Dan River Basin Association joins the Silverfish Paddlers for the First Annual "Silverfish for the Rivers 2009 Benefit Paddle" to be held at 413 Church Street (at the traffic circle)Eden, NC

Saturday, June 27, 2009 (rain date Saturday, July 25, 2009).

All proceeds to benefit work to protect our rivers. Bring your kayak, bring your canoe, and paddle the Dan and the Smith Rivers! Check-in along the way at five designated points on the river and draw for your gold "doubloon" at each site. Map available soon! Coins range in "value" from 10 to 1000. The boat with the highest loot at the end of the paddle, wins! This paddle is an easy stretch of the Smith and the Dan Rivers. Paddle time should take about two hours (short cuts are possible!). You do not have to be an experienced paddler to enjoy the fun and the adventure of a day on the river. Shuttle and boat rentals provided by Three Rivers Outfitters!Lunch, Entertainment, Prizes, & Commemorative t-shirts will be available! Register at: silverfishfortherivers.com

Fieldale Iron Bridge: Part I

Located in southern Virginia, the Fieldale Iron Bridge has been an important part of the community of Fieldale since its construction in 1931. Upon learning that it would be destroyed to make way for a new more modern bridge, several community groups have tried to preserve this historic structure. By joining forces to work cooperatively, the Dan River Basin Association, Martinsville-Henry County Rivers & Trails Group, and the community of Fieldale have banded together to reuse parts of the bridge as trail art along one of the area's walking trails. Now that the bridge is safe, financial support from the community and all who enjoy history is needed to fund the welding, lead abatement, repainting, and mounting of the trusses. The completed project will be enjoyed by all who visit the Fieldale Trail.

Please join the movement and help preserve the Fieldale Iron Bridge. Send tax-deductible donations to Dan River Basin Association Attn: Iron Bridge Project, 413 Church Street, Suite 401 Eden, NC 27288. For more information contact drba.va@danriver.org or call 276-634-2545.

Due to the length of the video I could not add everyone's names, but I would like to recognize all the wonderful individuals I have worked with on this project including: Andrew Kahle, Cliff Saul, Lisa Hughes, Mike Coleman, Steve Isley, Dwayne Puckett, Brad Stewart, Dale Plasters, Alfonzo Hughes, Greg Niece, Tom Wright, Jerimiah Cockram, Jeff Donovan, Bill Plasters, Guy Turner, Wesley Craddock, Charles Craddock, John Tatum, Carol Shelton, Mr. Wynn, Joey Arrington, Roger Adams, Jeannie Frisco, Barbara Jackman, Katherine Mull, Robin Light, Wayne Kirkpatrick, Ellen Jessee, Brian Williams, Jason Gardner, and Benny Summerlin.

Thank you also to the iron bridge steering comittee: Doug Stegall, Joyce Odell, Margaret Stegall, Keith Stegall, Jessee Frith, Glenda Scott, Bea Bullard, Alice Gwynn, Bob Rakes, Virginia King, Nadine Hutchinson, Elva Adams, and Steve Rucker.

Free Lectures Offered by VMNH

The public is invited to a free lecture tomorrow, June 18 from 6 to 7 p.m. in the Mr. & Mrs. L. Dudley Walker Lecture Hall at the Virginia Museum of Natural History.

Lee Chichester, a master falconer from Meadows of Dan, will present a lecture on birds of prey. Chichester's talk is presented by the Southwestern Piedmont chapter of the Virginia Master Naturalists. She will bring her falcon, CJ, and will discuss the differences between falcons, hawks and other local and migratory raptors. Chichester, also a writer and outdoor educator, will speak about the habitat needs of local birds of prey as well.

The chapter will host its next lecture on July 16 from 6 to 8 p.m. at the museum. Jason Gibson, a Danville biology teacher and nature photographer who has served as president of the Virginia Herpetological Society, will present a lecture on reptiles. The lecture will be followed by an informational session about the Virginia Master Naturalist Program and the activities of the local chapter.

Submitted by Marty Bullins

Call for Media Clips

Do you enjoy spending time on the rivers and trails of Martinsville and Henry County? Show us! The Dan River Basin Association would like to see photos and video clips of how you enjoy the outdoors.

This week's clip comes from DRBA members Andy and Barbara Parker of Martinsville. They have been enjoying paddling new Vapor Kayaks by Old Town on the Smith River. This clip was taken between the South Martinsville and Marrowbone Creek river access points at high water. Thanks for the clip Andy!

Send your media to drba.va@danriver.org or mail DVDs to DRBA PO Box 7 Collinsville, VA 24078. You just might end up as the next featured clip!