Maymont is a 100 acre park in the middle of a developed city. The property was owned by the very wealthy Dooley family. When Mrs. Dooley died in 1925, the family willed the land to the City of Richmond, and it is currently managed by a private non-profit organization. Maymont has significant impact on the James River watershed. Although Maymont is not part of the James River park system, it is a large park along the James. If this property wasn’t a park, it would likely be urban development, since it is such a prime location along the river. This would add to urban runoff and the other negative impacts on watersheds associated with urbanization.
I know most of Earthlodge has had the opportunity to visit this gem at least once. Volunteering there allowed me to realize just how important volunteers are to Maymont. The huge amount of volunteer hours equate to roughly 11 full time jobs. Maymont would not be the same without its volunteers. When I volunteered, I worked in some of the gardens. I spent most of my time weeding before the planting of new spring flowers. I worked with a variety of people, including students from VCU. Many of the volunteers I met were regulars, which made me feel like the neophyte of the group. However, all the other volunteers were very helpful in directing me on gardening techniques and other information. The work certainly was not as engaging or as exciting as my last volunteer experience with Ralph White, but I believe Maymont is an important resource for Richmond and the James River and I was happy to help them out.