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Lynnhaven River NOW

Students posing with bags of litter they cleaned up

Virginians Make a Strong Showing for Fall Cleanups

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Students posing with bags of litter they cleaned upBefore Winter arrives, we want to share the results of a very successful Fall LOVE VA cleanup campaign!

We know that there are many people that care about the natural and scenic environment of Virginia, and 673 of them volunteered to clean up along our roads, and hiking trails, in  neighborhoods, shopping centers, and parks to pick up litter and recyclable items.  From the cleanup reports we received during the LOVE VA campaign, they picked up 657 bags of litter, 50 bags of recyclables, and volunteered a whopping 1,692 hours!  Thank you, thank you!

Among those cleaning up were seven of our Student Ambassadors for Virginia’s Environment, working to accomplish one of their two required cleanups towards their successful completion of the SAVE program.  We’re encouraged by the enthusiasm and dedication of the 50 high school Juniors and Seniors in the 2024-25 school year program.  In fact, the students have logged 130 volunteer hours themselves with the work that they’re doing for the program.

Other highlights include efforts by our Keep America Beautiful state affiliates and other allied partners:

  • Naturally Newport News hosted a roadside cleanup to pick up 55 bags of litter and 2 bags of recyclables, using a team of 68 volunteers who gave 136 total hours of work
  • Keep Hopewell Beautiful conducted 5 cleanups in neighborhoods, parks, and roadsides.  They also installed plants and improved the landscape at the Route 10 gateway as a beautification project, in addition to 2 cleanups by the Hopewell Lions Club
  • Lynnhaven NOW in Virginia Beach hosted 4 cleanups that mobilized 116 volunteers
  • Lake Anna Civic Association reported 8 cleanups that netted 189 bags of trash and 23 bags of recyclables, spending 208 volunteer hours!

Thank you to the many individuals who also contributed many hours of hard work!  And if you missed the article about the great work done to continue with the  landscaping beautification project at Canoe Run Park, you can read about it here.

Our organization runs on people power, and we’re grateful for all the effort made to clean up the roadways, waterways, parks, and neighborhoods in the Commonwealth!

People paddling kayaks on the water.

Fun Things to Do in September

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People paddling kayaks on the water.As Summer vacations end with the start of school, there are still plenty of places that you can explore and enjoy for weekend fun in Virginia.

The James River Association will be celebrating the opening of their new River Center, in Richmond on September 7, 2024 from 1-6 p.m. with EcoFest!  There will be tree giveaways, a rain barrel workshop and raffle, a free one-hour canoe paddle (registration required), family fun activities, and educational booths including Keep Virginia Beautiful!  So stop on by to say hello and pick up a giveaway while supplies last!  Parking and shuttle service will be available at Stone Brewing Taproom.  Visit this link for more information.

Are you an early bird? Join Lynnhaven River Now and the Virginia Beach Audubon Society for a bird walk. Birders will meet near the Education Pavilion area of the Brock Environmental Center in Virginia Beach at 7:30 a.m. The walk usually ends by 9:00 a.m.  Free registration at: September Bird Walk at Pleasure House Point – Lynnhaven River NOW   Walk limited to 20 people.

Do you dig fossils and shipwrecks?  Visit Caledon State Park in King George on September 8, 2023 from 1-3:30 p.m. to take a guided kayak tour to explore remnant of a World War I vessel that washed up on the lower Potomac decades ago.  Then paddle on a fossil-finding adventure to scour Caledon’s shoreline for clues to the past, before learning about the shipwreck history of Boyd’s Hole.  Lastly, you’ll paddle upriver to search for shark teeth!  You must make a reservation for either solo or tandem kayak ($19/$25) and standard parking fees apply.  Call:  540-663-3861 for reservations.

If you’re more the type to enjoy a quiet, reflective experience, Nature Journaling is the intersection of art, science, and curiosity.  Come to Natural Tunnel State Park in the southwest corner of the state on September 8, 2024 from 2-3 p.m. where you can join a ranger to discuss how to make good observations and translate them into your very own nature journal. Standard parking fee applies.  No extra charge for the program and no reservations are required.

There are may ways to savor the natural and scenic environment of Virginia this Fall!

Group of people with litter grabbers and trash bags after doing a litter cleanup

Lynnhaven River NOW Awarded $1,000 Green Grant

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Group of people with litter grabbers and trash bags after doing a litter cleanupLynnhaven River NOW is awarded a $1,000 Green Grant in the Litter Prevention category as part of our 13th Annual Green Grants Program.

Every year, government, non-profit, civic, and service organizations in Virginia are invited to apply for grants ranging from $500 to $1,000 that will help address an environmental concern in their community. Grants must focus on one of the following priorities: Litter Prevention, Recycling, Cigarette Litter Prevention, or Community Beautification.

Lynnhaven River NOW, headquartered in Virginia Beach, was established in 2002 with the mission of restoring and protecting their waterways and natural areas. Their programs focus on community awareness and engagement, as well as restoration and advocacy. They have 12,000 members, including families, businesses, faith communities and over 100 schools.   Their goal is clean and healthy Virginia Beach waterways and their objectives are to identify and reduce sources of contamination in the waterways; reduce nutrients, sediments and chemicals running off of lawns, parking lots, roadways, farmland and out of our septic systems; to educate and engage the community and partner organizations in restoring and protecting our waterways and natural areas; and to restore lost habitats such as oyster reefs, salt marshes, native plants, forests and other buffers that help to filter polluted runoff and protect our waterways and their marine life.

Lynnhaven River NOW logoVolunteers and members of Lynnhaven River NOW regularly conduct cleanups throughout the city. In 2022, volunteers collected 10,000 pounds of debris from waterways, wetlands, and natural areas.  They typically do between 30 and 40 cleanup events each year!

Funds provided by the Green Grants program will be used to purchase cleanup tool, such as wheelbarrows, litter grabbers, children’s litter grabbers, and safety vests to replace broken equipment and provide the additional equipment.  Volunteers need the equipment to do the work safely and efficiently.

Our judges agreed, and their proposal was funded for a 2023 Green Grant!  Thank you, Lynnhaven River NOW, for the work you’re doing!