Geography of the James (Earth Lodge)

Home is a rather small place. Wherever we settle, we tend to carve out our own small plot that we become familiar with above all else and somehow manage to forget the rest. Even at Folly, my family’s 50 acre property in Madison County, VA, I have my comfortable space, and the farther reaches are left largely terra incognita for all intents and purposes. Such has proven to be the case in my recent thoughts on the James and my interactions with other rivers. With a few small snapshots of the most picturesque memories, I’ve cut my images of my favorite rivers into a perfect collage. It acts as a wonderful hideaway in my mind, a de-stressor and reminder of what is truly important. But when I remember to peek behind the curtain, I am suddenly confronted by the facts of the entirety of the rivers. The James is not just Westhampton Lake at sunset, nor is the Rapidan just a canoe ride on a hazy summer day. They stretch for miles beyond where I have seen them, and they are affected by more than I can fully comprehend. Although the James is the jewel of Richmond, it is far bigger and stranger than that.

In “Urban Myths”, Jonah Lehrer makes the case that bigger cities have faster “metabolisms” than smaller cities. If one draws the same conclusion with rivers, then the James has one of the best metabolisms in the state. Meanwhile, most efforts to protect it are focused securely on the abs (aka Richmond). Through the years this area of the James’s body has gone through many punishing diets of pollution, quite a few canal tummy tucks, and, most recently, a regime of healthy awareness and activism crunches that are doing a good job, but haven’t quite reached the goal. Meanwhile, the rest of the body lacks the focus and dedication of Richmond. The ‘head’ of the river is hidden on a private farm in the Blue Ridge and the overall James report card still comes in at a mere C. According to the report card, important species such as the striped bass are declining, and sediment pollution continues to drag in excess nitrogen and phosphorus. Richmond may be highly aware of the river due to its overwhelming pride in it, but the rest of the region seems stubbornly unaware. Without so much culture and pride tied up in the James, the rest of the watershed leaves it by the wayside.

I recently looked at a Virginia map and came to the horrifying realization that, without labels, I was unable to identify my Rapidan. If you handed me a picture of the Spicer’s Mill, where we put in our canoes for a longer cruise, I would recognize it in an instant. But find it on a map? Recognize even the basic shape of the whole river? I was lost. My perspective of the Rapidan was limited to a few miles. And I soon realized that it was the same for the James. Richmond encompasses all of my experiences in connection to the watershed, so I have no real idea of the river beyond the city limits. And this, I think is where the quickly growing awareness of the James in Richmond both hurts and helps. One of the (very) few things that has stuck with me from microeconomics, and was echoed in our “Urban Myths” reading, is the idea of economies of scale. Basically, a large business will do better than a small business because its very bigness gives it an efficiency advantage. The James River Association is based in Richmond, as are most of the parks, and so most efforts are logically located in that area. This means that the people of Richmond are consistently made aware of the problems and wonders of the James, and that this doesn’t extend much past the Greater Richmond area. However, as more and more people are exposed to the beauty and activities on the James, awareness of its problems will also spread, giving the JRA and other activist groups a greater economy of scale to spread up and down river from the city. People are constantly moving through Richmond, and one can hardly move in Richmond without getting a dose of the James and its affect on the city. This means that, hopefully, the number of people who care about the river will grow exponentially, especially as the JRA opens new parks and initiates new projects.

As I continue on with the James and the Rapidan and the many rivers to come, I hope that I can remember this lesson. Scale of perspective has a huge impact on what we know (or think we know) about a place. To me, the James will always be first and foremost the beautiful oasis in a bustling city, but I still have to remember that there are many problems and adventures lurking just beyond where my collection of memories ends. But I can take my new-found awareness with me, and spread it to the people I will meet. And if ideas work like cities or businesses, it will grow stronger and faster the more I talk. And maybe one day I won’t have to shush a passing cellphone user as I watch a blue heron hunt on Westhampton Lake. Maybe soon they’ll simply join me, and we’ll add a new snapshot to our collages; a new jewel on our personal chain of the river.

Before I begin describing any of the amazing experiences I have had or the abundance of knowledge I have gained from being part of the Earth Lodge, I must say it has both exceeded my expectations and turned out to be very different from my expectations.

About this time last year, Garrett, Sam, and I began talking about how much we wanted to be in Earth Lodge after reading about it online, going to an information fair, and hearing stories from past lodgers. We hoped we would all be accepted and talked about who else we thought would be part of the program. A large part of the adventure of Earth Lodge has been getting to know people I never would have spoken more than a few words to and even a few people who I may never have even seen on campus. These people have become some of my closest comrades these past few months because we share a special bond in having some sort of passion for the environment.

What a bunch of goons

I am not sure what my expectations for class were for this semester, but I can definitely say I have learned a LOT. While I thought I knew a lot about environmental science before the class, I should have known that there is always something new to learn. And there is definitely always a new watershed to study. I had no idea the James River watershed encompassed so much nor did I expect there to be so much history and modern cultural ties to the river. There are books written about just the river! Books – that’s plural! And we have read at least one of these books along with many articles, magazines, news stories, case studies, and reports. Throughout all of these readings, I have gained more insight into the health, history, and culture of the James River. I never expected there to be a “culture” of the James River where people spend so much time on the river, work with the government to protect, and pass on stories of the river.

One of the coolest field trips we took was meeting Ralph White, a key player in preserving this river culture. Ralph is a local legend and has worked for over thirty years to shape the river’s park system into what it is. He is an example of the fact that it is undoubtedly the passion of the locals that drives the protection of an area like the James River because they are the ones who use it the most and use it all year round. I feel like all the Earth Lodge members have become part of this group of dedicated river lovers who work to maintain the river, and I am definitely included in that.

Earth Lodge getting weird during Fall Break

Another one of my favorite topics we have covered in the Geography of the James River Watershed class, trailing right behind tree identification, is how much potential the river has to create more connectedness and improve the water quality. There are many plans in place to improve trails, access points, and awareness of the river that could push the James to a whole new level in terms of being a part of the Fall Line city. It is exciting to read about how much we can do as local citizens and how much the city has planned for the James’ future. As a Richmond citizen, I cannot wait to see Richmond and the interaction with the James grow.

By far my favorite part of being part of the Earth Lodge community is that it is just that: a community. I have gotten to know my classmates more through late night studying in the lounge, bonding during the Fall Break trip, and singing together during Tuesday Tea times than at any other point in the class. It is true that those who struggle together, stay together. While we have “struggled” together in terms of studying together and being supportive during rough moments in the semester, we have all grown very close and formed a bond that will last at least for the rest of college, even if we do not all live together again. That bond itself has made the entire experience worthwhile.

Reflecting on the semester as it comes to a close, I could not have asked for better classmates or a better professor. While some Living-Learning Communities or SSIRs have great trips or dorms, we have by far had the best experiences (which makes up for the not-so-great dorm location). Our professor is definitely one of the most dedicated in terms of striving to help his students and being like another member in the community. And I am not just saying that for a better grade. All of my classmates and both my professor and TAs have contributed to this amazing experience. It is definitely a testament to the power of learning in an intimate, hands-on setting with a group of supportive, equally passionate individuals. And I am so glad that I still have another semester to spend with these people, even without a weekly class.

Can you feel the Earth Lodge Love?

Disturbed is the closest word I can use to describe how I felt as I more deeply analyzed the implications of an Environmental Leadership article the Earth Lodgers were assigned a few weeks ago. It identifies the three characteristics an Environmental Leader should exhibit: power, knowledge, and passion. I feel like this entire semester, we have been the privileged, unique individuals who were able to get the immersion experience required to kick-start environmental leadership. However when I looked at one specific diagram from the article (below) it shows politicians as high in power and scientists high in knowledge. Why are politicians and scientists the only ones with power and knowledge? Why are politicians themselves not high in both categories according to the diagram? Also, the diagram shows that passionate politicians and scientists lead to an informed and empowered public. Can we not have an informed and empowered public without scientists and politicians? How can we improve the ways things work so that the public can find independence and become environmental leaders? How can we free individuals from dependence on the few people in privileged positions of knowledge and power? Upon first glance, the environmental leader reading was inspiring to me. However, upon further examination, I’m not so sure.

Power is for politicians. Knowledge is for nerds.

The first issue the article raised was separating scientists from power and politicians from knowledge. This is a problem I have seen in society for my entire life. At one science lecture I asked how much the President is advised by the head of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). Under George W. Bush, allegedly 0 minutes of his entire term were spent discussing things with this knowledgeable, “powerful” environmental leader. However, Barack Obama at least nominated someone (from my hometown no less) to be the assistant administrator for the scientific research arm for the EPA, a position that left vacant for 9 months. The fact that we barely know the names of scientists and environmental scientists at that provides evidence that the most knowledgeable people in terms of the science behind environmental issues have limited power without politicians and/or the President himself. This issue with science/knowledge lacking power and influence has plagued me to the point that I have considered running for office someday. I think there needs to be a revolution in politics where people from various backgrounds have political power. If some scientists could be involved in the conversation, politicians would have immediate access to new knowledge rather than having to consult scientists later. Setting up a system of direct, diversified collaboration would be a huge improvement over the current system.

Besides the issue of scientific experts and politicians establishing a more effective system for change, there is the issue of developing citizens into informed and empowered beings with or without the political system and/or full expertise. I believe online tools such as the runoff calculator help people manage their personal environment at home. It gives suggestions such as rain gardens and barrels in addition to reducing impervious surface area to reduce the runoff a certain property generates. Another online tool that develops individuals into environmental leaders themselves is the Chesapeake Conservancy Prioritization Tool. It allows people to rate areas based on historical and cultural resources, habitat, and ecology and how important these categories are to them. This teaches people which parts of an ecosystem most provide what they are interested and also shows that each individual’s opinion can make an impact. However it requires an intimate knowledge of the landscape from the outset. Also, these tools are not things the average citizen would search for on their Internet escapades.

Getting outside consistently throughout a lifetime is the first step in maintaining environmental autonomy. Experiencing the outdoors allows people to view and interact with the environment in several meaningful ways. Over this semester alone I have viewed watersheds from planes and from a bird’s eye window view on my way to Boston, from my reflection spot, and most importantly from volunteering. Environmental leaders can help facilitate these community interactions with the environment. For example, Ralph White mobilizes volunteers, which my classmate, Garrett, mentions in his blog “Building an Empire.” Garrett mentions White’s quote that, “Volunteers made this park,” in reference to the James River Park System. Not only do these activities and experiences increase knowledge of the environment, but they cultivate passion as well. In this way, the existing environmental leaders do have some small power by others to become educated and passionate about their environments, thereby cultivating future environmental leaders.

Education on the environment throughout a person’s life must follow or the knowledge is not cultivated in a way that can be seriously applied to make change and become a leadership on one’s own terms. As I mentioned in my article “Trip to Maymont”  education about the environment is stopped too early. Developing knowledge in not only the science behind environmental issues, but also explaining the politics involved will allow for people to find out how to make changes themselves. I was lucky enough to have a father in County Recycling as a child, so I was able to ask him for the right contacts to enact a change in my community. I talked to local politicians and the local Chamber of Commerce in order to get one street in the center of my community lined with recycling bins (bottom of the hyperlinked page).http://www.towsonchamber.com/documents/JulyNewsletter.pdf If every student were required to speak to local politicians and organizations from an early age, they would learn to understand the processes currently involved in making changes on a local level to their environment. However, they would still have to go through the typical political system to legally get these changes made. Hopefully with knowledge/experience and passion developed on their own, the public can learn to navigate the power system of our government.

Overall, the Environmental Leadership article led me to question the ways we can develop and envision future environmental leadership. In my opinion, science and politics should directly overlap to improve policy decisions especially as they relate to the environment. In addition, I believe early and continued education is necessary in order to provide the public with knowledge and passion for the environment. In addition, if people are equipped with the knowledge of how to navigate politics and gain access to politicians, they can direct their knowledge and passion towards environmentally positive outcomes. Earth Lodgers and others who have had access to this amazing, and unfortunately rare training need to step up. We are ready to be and need to lead the next generation!

University of Richmond’s accepted students’ day, circa March 2012: I came to visit the university and the city of Richmond for the very first time.  I was insanely nervous, and the more I began to talk to other accepted students, the more I felt completely out of my element.  Most of the students I talked to on that day were high school seniors who had applied here as their first-choice school, early decision, and they could think of no better place to spend their next four years.  I applied to Richmond as a safety school; I had never even visited before accepted students’ day, and I thought it was going to take a lot to prove to me that this school was worth considering.

That was until I decided to take one of the optional tours of the school with my sister.  My mother dragged my unfortunate youngest sister into one financial college planning seminar or another, and my sister Alyssa and I went on a campus tour by ourselves.  I listened to the tour guide’s spiel and waited until the end before asking him what I considered to be one of the most important questions during my college search: what kind of outdoor recreational opportunities were there in the area?  I am sure that there are many tour guides on this campus who may have balked at such a question.  They may have mentioned the possibility of going to Belle Isle or Pony Pasture, but beyond that, they probably would not have known too much about the area.  I just so happened to luck into having an outdoor enthusiast as a tour guide, and so needless to say, I got an earful.  He told me all about the class IV rapids on the James River through the city of Richmond.  He told me about Belle Isle and the number of little parks that I am now able to identify as being part of the James River Park System.  He told me stories about camping trips he and his friends and fellow U of R students had taken over holiday breaks, and he stressed how close all of these options were to the university.

My lovely fellow Earth Lodgers (and TLB) bonding and flashing our sign

I was sold.  It is certainly funny to see how things fall into place, and I can confidently say that tour alone greatly influenced my decision to enroll in the university that same day.  It encouraged me to apply for the Westhampton College Outdoor Adventure living-learning community, and ultimately led to me choosing to apply to Earth Lodge for my sophomore year living-learning experience.  I am obviously biased (as I am sure everyone else in Earth Lodge would also admit), but I think it is very important to be aware of your surrounding environment.  However, this course has taught me the importance of not only being, but also understanding your place in that environment.

The implications of knowing the value of your place go so much further than just knowing off the top of your head how many minutes it takes to get to the nearest James River access point or the nearest public park.  Comprehending place leads to a lot more in-depth, critical thinking and requires the utilization of parts of the brain that I certainly did not expect to be using in a geography class.  I will be honest, I have not taken a geography class since middle school when the hardest thing we had to do was memorize states and countries and be able to fill them in on a map.  However, I realized quickly that geography and place were about a lot more than locations within county, state, or even country boundary lines.  Because the environmental impacts of our actions do not magically stop at these imaginary boundaries that exist only on maps, these places are all connected, and our daily actions many have ripple affects on all of these places that could last several years into the future.

Unfortunately, for most people, these affects only become obvious when the results are newsworthy.  More often than not, this only happens when the results likewise disastrous.  A prime example of this was the unfortunate situation of Kepone being directly discharged into the James River by the company Life Sciences in Hopewell, Virginia.  It was not until deleterious results became prominent in the environment, health of the river’s inhabitants and physical health of the company’s workers that the production of Kepone was questioned and the company was ultimately shut down.  What is more is that while this was a very prominent issue of point-source pollution, a lot of the severe environmental issues we face today are due to non-point source pollution and runoff that is a clear result of our society’s lifestyle choices.

Not many people stop to think beyond the practicality of driving their cars every day to get to work or fertilizing their lawns in the spring so they will be nice and green for the summer months.  Some more environmentally inclined individuals may consider the runoff these activities will contribute to the environment in terms of their own local rivers and creeks, but many do not think much beyond local implications. Before this class, I fell into this category.  I certainly never would have pulled up the run-off calculator on the James River Association’s website, nor would I have known that such a thing actually existed.  I did not have a comprehensive understanding of the difference between my narrow, self-centered view of the environment and the much wider implications my daily actions cause.  This course taught me that, and it has completely changed my way of thinking.  As if the readings were not driving home this point enough, the trips that we took as a class to places like the Wetlands, Pony Pasture, Belle Isle, the Canal Walk, and our fall break trip to the Potomac River could not have opened my eyes any more to the wide breadth of what actually encompasses place.  These trips made the concept of interconnectivity that we have discussed in class countless times, undeniable.

Earth Lodgers identifying a tree on one of our many class trips.

I will certainly never be able to look at the bank of a body of water again and not think about the value or condition of the riparian buffer along the water’s edge.  I will think twice before I fertilize my lawn or decide to pave my driveway and further increase the impervious surfaces in the world.  I will be aware of the watershed I reside in and my affects on that watershed, but I am one person.  Strong environmental leaders possess knowledge, power, and passion, but they are ultimately nothing without the backing of the public.  The environment needs a support group.  It needs more aware individuals such as myself and the other Earth Lodgers, and it all starts with having a conversation.  It starts with informing people about their surrounding environment, getting them excited about their place, and making them feel like they can make a difference.  Whether professors, neighbors, friends, or perhaps a friendly college campus tour guide informs them, the resulting enthusiasm for the environment has the potential to be great.

William Cronon says it beautifully in his article “The Trouble with Wilderness; or, Getting Back to the Wrong Nature,” when discussing the difference between two trees, one in the wilderness and one in a garden. His discussion on the topic goes as follows:

“Both trees in some ultimate sense are wild; both in a practical sense now depend on our management and care. We are responsible for both, even though we can claim credit for neither. Our challenge is to stop thinking of such things according to set of bipolar moral scales in which the human and the nonhuman, the unnatural and the natural, the fallen and the unfallen, serve as our conceptual map for understanding and valuing the world. Instead, we need to embrace the full continuum of a natural landscape that is also cultural, in which the city, the suburb, the pastoral, and the wild each has its proper place, which we permit ourselves to celebrate without needlessly denigrating the others.”

We, as a society, need to have a better understanding of our place, the connectivity between our daily actions in our immediate environment and the affects on all of the surrounding areas, whether we find them particularly “natural” and worth protecting or not, because at the end of the day, it is all connected.