Reflections on visit to JRA

During our visit to the James River Association’s Buzzard Education Center, a moment that stood out to me was observing the river’s flow. In particular, I was impressed by the paradox between the river’s size and power and the intricate nature of its ecosystem that can be impacted by even small environmental changes. Seeing this dynamic from the elevated vantage point of the classroom was a profound experience for me. I thought about how the river has become larger and deeper over time on a geological scale as it continued to carve and erode its channel. However, I doubt that its size and scope has changed much during the time period in which humans have interacted with it. In that time, what has changed are the ways the river has been used, including commerce and industry. In addition, the river’s surrounding have changed from a heavily forested landscape to one containing some remaining wilderness and green spaces, but also significant development surrounding cities such as Richmond and Norfolk. These changes coincided with increased human interferences leading to changes in the river’s flow (e.g., dams) and negative impacts on water quality through a variety of sources (e.g. combined sewer systems in urban centers). In the future, I hope that Richmond community and others prioritize the health of the river in order to support a thriving ecosystem that provides for the fauna and flora that rely on it as well as human needs (e.g., clean water). If that occurs, I believe that the positive trajectory of the river’s health will continue as it has over the last few decades. Lastly, the visit deepened my understanding of the interconnected nature of the river ecosystem and community. For example, if the river is polluted, the entire food chain is impacted (e.g., bald eagles eat contaminated fish meat and die off). Additionally, people rely on clean water and use the river for a variety of purposes, such as fishing, recreation, and transportation.