Rivers and Bugs --oh my!

Everyone is invited attend the first “Rivers and Bugs Summit” on March 13 at Moral Hill Baptist Church in Axton, Virginia (just barely east of Martinsville city limits.) The $5 registration includes: light breakfast, a catered lunch by Governor, Gwendolyn & Christine Catering, and free raffle tickets for prizes such as fishing gear, a fly-fishing lesson with Brian Williams, and DRBA canvas tote bag filled with goodies.

There is something for everyone at the summit! Speakers and session leaders include: a panel discussion with a diverse group of local church and temple leaders who are spearheading various faith-based responses to environmental issues. The panel will be moderated by Linda Drage, President, Friends of Philpott.

Minnie Moore, an educator in Patrick County, will lead a session on her work with school children and organic gardening. She started an organic garden on four blighted city lots in St. Louis during her decades-long tenure at an inner city school. Most recently, she established an organic garden with students at Patrick Springs Elementary School.

Jenny Hochstein, Director of the Halifax Improvement Council and co-owner of Pick-A-Pine, will illustrate the sustainable practices she employs on her Christmas tree farm. She will discuss the challenges and opportunities to expand sustainable living practices in Southern Virginia that reduce costs and protect water quality and wildlife habitat.

Lynn Pritchett, Master Naturalist, will introduce participants to the fundamentals of the Global Positioning Systems. This is a great session for anyone who has been curious about how GPS works, what it can do for you, and how to use it—but have been too afraid to ask.

Mary Lawson, Biologist for the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, will discuss Aldo Leopold’s moral and philosophical reasons for a harmonious relationship with the natural world and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers’ changing attitudes toward environmental stewardship.

Wayne Kirkpatrick, DRBA President is known across the basin for his famous “Tub O’ Bugs” exhibit that introduces people of all ages to the wonders of the macro-invertebrate life in the creeks. For the first time, Wayne is leading a session on how to build your own Tub O‘Bugs for your festivals, classrooms, library programs—anywhere you want to thrill people with hands on experience with the bug life that sustains our river ecology.

Marty Bullins, Master Naturalist, will demonstrate his unique "Recycle Derby game—how he build it and how he educates watershed dwellers (that‘s all of us) on the what, when and how of recycling.

Jenny Edwards, DRBA staff, will demonstrate the “Bottle Bloom” project that engages youth in learning about watersheds and the environmental impact of litter by creating art from recycled plastic bottles. To date, more than 250 children have contributed to the bottle bloom project.

The Rivers and Bugs Summit begins at 10:00 a.m. and concludes at 2:00 p.m. on March 13 at Moral Hill Baptist Church at 50 Moral Hill Drive in Axton, Virginia. In order to give all the participants a high quality experience and a chance to fully engage in the sessions, registration is limited. “We encourage anyone interested in environmental education or healthy rivers to come out,” says Jenny Edwards, DRBA staff.

Contact Regenia Manns at (276) 634-2591 or rmanns@danriver.org or Jenny Edwards at (276) 340-2462 or jedwards@danriver.org to reserve space.

Teachers and students are eligible to have the registration fee waived, but still need to reserve a space. Registration deadline is March 11, and everyone is encouraged to register early.

The event is made possible with support from the Virginia Environmental Endowment, The Harvest Foundation, Moral Hill Baptist Church, and DRBA members.

DRBA's Annual Celebration, 9:30 on Saturday, March 6 in Historic Caswell Courthouse

DRBA's Annual Membership Celebration will be held at 9:30 on Saturday, March 6 in the historic Caswell County Courthouse in Yanceyville, NC. After refreshments and time to view displays, the short business session will include recognition of exceptional volunteer service, election of board members, and reports from DRBA's staff on activities in Virginia and North Carolina. 

Featured speaker is "William Clark" of the Lewis & Clark Expedition, as portrayed by Craig (Rocky) Rockwell of Bassett, VA. For over a decade Rockwell, Operations Project Manager at Philpott Reservoir, has depicted William Clark, who became a brigadier general and played a major role in shaping the young United States in the early nineteenth century. Among the audiences for his portrayal has been the U. S. Congress in the nation's Capitol Building.

The setting for the celebration is the beautifully restored 19th century courthouse, completed in 1861 and described as one of the finest Victorian courthouses in NC. The building combines Italian Renaissance and Classical Revival features, including an arcade with pilasters whose capitals depict ears of corn and tobacco leaves.

Following the meeting and lunch at a local restaurant of the participant's choosing, two choices will offer introductions to DRBA's Caswell Heritage Trails project. One option is a moderate to strenuous hike on a proposed trail connecting Dillard Middle School and Sunvale Apartments, led by Forrest Altman. According to Altman, "This route along a sewer easement is very scenic, through deciduous forest, with views of a pretty creek. It has significant changes in elevation and will require less than an hour to hike--if the group is small and everyone is in good shape." 

For those who prefer a less challenging afternoon, Chad Hall will guide a stroll on the project's first pilot trail, the Stream Walk Trail at the Caswell Senior Center. "We'll conclude this walk with a look at the proposed mountain biking trail nearby," he adds.

Participants in either walk are asked to wear hiking boots or walking shoes, dress in layers, and bring water to drink.

Directions: The courthouse is located at 144 Courthouse Square, Yanceyville, NC (36°24'11" N   79°20'10" W). The square in front of the Courthouse functions as a one-way counter-clockwise traffic circle, making all left turns. Parking is located on-street on the Courthouse side of the square, along Court Street, which the Courthouse is on, and behind the Courthouse.

From Danville, take Hwy 86 south. At Yanceyville US 158 joins Hwy 86 at the first traffic signal. Continue to the next traffic light, and turn right onto State Road 1589, (North Street). Continue for ¼ mile. The Courthouse is on the right across the square.

From South Boston, take US 58 west. At a traffic signal, turn left onto Hwy 62 south (Milton Highway). Continue for 17 miles on Hwy 62. At Yanceyville, continue straight on State road 1163 (Main Street). The Courthouse is on the left once you reach the square.

From the east, take US 158 west. Continue on NC 62 south. Continue straight on State Road 1163 (Main Street). The Courthouse is on the left once you reach the square.

From the south, take NC 62 north. Turn left onto State Road 1163 (Main Street). The Courthouse is on the left once you reach the square.
From the west, take US 158 east. Turn right at the first traffic light, joining Hwy 86 south. Continue to the next traffic light, and turn right onto State Road 1589, (North Street). Continue for ¼ mile. The Courthouse is on the right across the square.

Further information: T Butler, 336-349-5727 or members@danriver.org

February 6, 2010 Hike Cancelled

Due to the recent flood events

Snow & Ice

The Dan River Basin Association's First Saturday Outing Hike on the Fieldale Trail has been cancelled.

We are sorry for any inconvenience.

Please check our website for rescheduling and future outings.

http://www.danriver.org/

Fieldale Trail Phase ll flood damage

The January 23 flood brought the Smith River to levels it has not seen in many years.
Along with rising waters came the mud and debris. The waters crested around 4:00 in the am and had receded to a few feet above flood stage by mid-afternoon
The waters came....they went...they left behind lost of mud and debris

The parking lot is covered n a coating of mud and debris is washed against the banks, picnic table, canoe racks, split rail fence

 

The Fieldale / Koehler area was one of the low-lying regions that was hit hardest.
The Fieldale Trail, Fieldale Park and Jordan Park all suffered damage due to debris and mud and we lost split rail fencing as well.  It could of been worse and for all the damage the trail still held up well. It will be a while before the mud dries out enough to be packed down for walking but the clean-up process has already begun.

                                                   Limbs and trees washed up across the trail

The Friends of the Fieldale Trail have been out accessing the damage and planning the best approach for dealing with the debris and mud.  Caution signs have been installed to warn visitors of potential hazards.  Right now, the wrecked parking lot, downed and missing fence, trees and debris are major problems

Hopefully we can get the trail restored to a useable state soon. The power of the water is evident everywhere and we are thankful that the bridge is still intact and there are no major washouts along the trail.  Mother Nature will do much of the healing with new growth and  it will be interesting to monitor the changes that may occur in the flora along the banks.

Some plantings will be installed to help stabilize the river bank (riparian areas) as resources become available

 In the above photo you can see the high water mark on the left hand bank of the trail (river is on the right)

 

 Mud covered bridge.  Debris on the railing indicates water had covered the handrail..but the bridge stayed !

 

The section along the power lines was scoured clean by the flood, down to  the old gravel and ruble

 

 While further down the trail in the lowest areas, a blanket of mud remained after the waters receded

 

The Raising of a Bridge

It's hard to believe that it has been seven months since the Dan River Basin Association and the Fieldale Heritage Committee started working on preserving the historic Fieldale Iron Bridge. The project started out slow but once the message got out, the public outpouring of interest was incredible!  Donors from as far away as South Carolina, Washington State and even Beverly Hills, California sent in funds to help preserve the trusses. We received donations from longtime residents of Fieldale and learned some very interesting history from them along the way as well.  Working together you all have raised more than $13,000 to fund the project. The rest of the costs were absorbed by numerous community sponsors that contributed goods and services to the project. Last week the day we've all been waiting for came. Mother Nature finally cooperated long enough for the trusses to be installed. Below are photos by Brian Williams and Jenny Edwards that tell the story of the day. Enjoy the photographic journey!

The day began bright and early at 8 am in below freezing temperatures on the property of Northpoint Trading, an import/export business that occupies the former Fieldcrest Mills building. The staff of this company have been incredibly accommodating to allow us to store more than 60,000 pounds of steel on their property and work on the trusses while there. A bright orange crane operated by Hall's Mechanical Services of Fieldale lifted the first truss to load it onto the truck. (Notice the snow still on the ground in the photo.)

A tractor trailer driven by Wes Craddock of Craddock Logging Supply & Repair was loaded to make the journey down River Road to Fieldale Park. Wes is the only son of the late Bobby M. Craddock of Ridgeway. Bobby was a history enthusiast and loved telling stories about points of historic interest around Henry County. When he heard about the project he eagerly donated use of his tractor trailer for the project. Sadly just days before the bridge was demolished in the summer, Bobby passed away. We thank his wife Deborah and son Wes for choosing to fulfill Bobby's wishes and continue to assist with the project. We couldn't have done it without this family! To honor their contributions, the project is named in memory of Bobby Craddock.

Over in the park, the crane set up again to lift the truss onto concrete footers. These were designed by a local engineer, Rayford Smith, and constructed by Boxley Materials. Reliable Welding of Bassett performed the welding to securely mount the trusses.

A close up shot of some of the 1,000s of rivets that were installed by hand in 1931 by a 12-man crew.

The crane packs up as Reliable completes the welding of the first truss.

Back at Northpoint Trading, Corky Hall's crane began loading the second truss.

 

 The second truss was unloaded off of Craddock Logging Supply and Repair's truck...

...and gently placed in position.

Final details were added to make the structure safe and the site was cleaned up.

Stefan Moore, a native of Henry County, began painting the trusses. While recently the bridge was a dark grey covered with rust, many locals remember the bridge as being a bright silvery gray when it was first opened in 1932.

Once the paint has a few days to dry the memorial plaques will be applied and a trail will be constructed through the structure to allow walkers and cyclists to feel as if they are walking across the bridge. Landscaping will complete the project by adding the feel of a dry creek bed underneath. As soon as these elements are completed a spring dedication ceremony will be held at the site. Stay tuned for more details.

Tuesday Morning Strolls Kicks Off Third Season

Below freezing temps didn't dampen the spirits for the kick off of the 2010 season of Tuesday Morning Strolls. We simply moved the walk indoors to Liberty Fair Mall! Thanks to our new partners at Martinvsille Parks & Recreation, Tuesday Morning Strolls has a new inclement weather hotline to alert participants of cancelations and location changes due to weather. More than a dozen participants came out register for the program and walk. Jeannie Frisco of Activate (shown at left in green)  spoke to the participants about the importance of walking for health before we embarked upon a one mile walk (five laps around the mall). Throughout the walk, participants answered trivia questions about health & nutrition and some even won prizes.

Tuesday Morning Strolls is a partnership between the Dan River Basin Association, Henry County Parks & Recreation, Martinsville Parks & Recreation and Activate M-HC.

The next Tuesday Morning Stroll will be held on Tuesday, Jan. 19th at Wilson Park. The group will meet at 9 a..m. Contact Regenia Manns for more information on the walk at 276-634-2591.

Lost & Found

A kayak with "Tomas" on it was recently found. If it is yours or you know whose it may be, please email pbdivers@yahoo.com.