Geography of the James (Earth Lodge)

I’ll be honest, most of my weekends freshman year ended up being boring and rather lonely. When the tsunami of work finally subsided for a moment and I was left a quiet time to catch my breath, as most Saturdays allowed, I didn’t have a lot to do. Not finding much in common with my hallmates and never really finding a perfect friend group left me yearning for one of those pictures on the college brochures—a large friend group having a quiet picnic on a perfect sunny day. I applied for this SSIR for many reasons; however, I was really hoping to find some college-brochure caliber people to spend my Saturdays with. I was hoping to become a member of a close-knit community.

Look at that beautiful friend group in that college brochure. What a sense of community.

Geography of the James River Watershed is comprised of thirteen of the coolest people you’ll ever meet and includes excursions of experiential community based learning almost every Saturday. It has filled my weekends to the brim with activities. Through the countless hours we’ve spent together in boats on a river, traveling across the country to Oregon, memorizing dozens of tree species together, and relaxing after a hard Tuesday of work with some acoustic guitar and mallomars™, I feel as if our community just keeps getting closer. I would argue that developing our close community has brought out an even greater environmentalism in each of us individually, as well. Being a member of a close collection of people facilitates the spark and spread of ideas, especially helping in the addressing of environmental issues.

First, it is evident that the environment can create community. Michael explains the role that the environment can have on community by saying, “natural resources…give a sense of heritage to a place or community.”  I’ve seen communities built around environmental features through visiting ski towns and cities with ecotourism a large part of their economy, such as Natural bridge, Virginia (a city literally named after the environmental feature that created its community). We also saw this sense of community through outreach events such as the H2O RVA event promoting project ideas for storm water management and the Films on the Floodwall event that highlighted the James River Parks System and the work it has done to promote community surrounding the James River. Westhampton Lake provides a sense of community for our campus, as it is the focal point of campus tours and the location of many of our reflection spots. Our lake also attracts beyond our small campus community, drawing a larger community of families in the suburbs nearby to walk and reflect along its shores, as Mckenzie describes in her post. The lake provides us with a serene escape from the hustle of college life, and is uniquely University of Richmond. Imagine how our campus would come together if an outside force threatened to drain or destroy the lake. In Oregon we learned that one of the main criticisms of dams is that they sometimes destroy ecosystems that are meaningful to individuals or communities. Our friend John Muir seemed to take it pretty hard when one of his favorite spots got dammed. The destruction of environment can threaten a sense of community, leading to protest.

Our beautiful lake is a facilitator of community.

From Love Canal to Standing Rock, environmental protests are not noticed until people come together and form community. Community drives passion for ideas, and that passion turns to power. Think about a time you may have gone to a presidential rally or even to a concert of a band you like. When you’re surrounded by passionate people, it brings out your own inner passion. You may have found yourself leaving with a new spring in your step you hadn’t noticed before. Environmental protest being fueled by a sense of community was apparent in the Reedy Creek restoration issue. As Benedict described in his post, the communities surrounding Reedy Creek rallied together against the restoration plan. Around 80% of the houses surrounding the creek proudly displayed signs in their yards opposing the project, but it is unrealistic to think there was such widespread opposition to the project at the time of its proposal. The spark and spread of the opposition against the Reedy Creek project could become so powerful and successful due to the close communities involved. As one neighbor describes the project and places a sign in their yard, it invokes the passion in other neighbors, spreading like wildfire and uniting the community for an environmental issue. Parr also discusses in his blog post how community is crucial to solving issues. As individuals, it is difficult to have our voices heard. However, when enthusiastic individuals team up as a community, things get done.

People are more powerful together in a community.

In the ways that environment and community are tied, I think this has been an amazing SSIR. We come from thirteen different majors (counting double majors) and thirteen different perspectives. We encourage each other and build off one another. Our close-knit community has allowed us to foster a greater understanding of our geography and environment and has strengthened our learning. Looking forward, our proposals for Gambles Mill are befitting from our sense of community, as we’re comfortable around each other and able to work well together, knowing one another’s strengths and weaknesses. As a community, we’ve fueled our passions from our peer’s passion and we’ve all grown as geographers and environmentalists from our community. I’m so thankful to have gained so many priceless friendships from our SSIR and to be a part of this wonderful community.

“Any area of land from which water and materials drain to a common point, such as a stream, river, pond, lake or ocean.”

~Definition of a watershed, first day of class

We came in, we sat down, and we listened. That is how the first couple weeks of Geojames went. Personally, I had never taken an environmental class and the last geography course I took in middle school consisted of memorizing states and capitals and writing them on a map. Therefore, I was essentially coming into this SSIR with a clean slate.

To be honest, in the beginning, I was not exactly clear on what the ultimate takeaway from this class would be. We learned a lot, but none of it seemed to connect. Similar to my middle school experience with maps, we learned about watersheds, each marked with boundaries, as though each one thrived completely independent of another. What was the point? However, as we dove deeper into the semester, the lines bounding each of those states in the middle school map seemed to fade away—the lines bounding each watershed with a different 8 digit hydrologic unit code seemed to dissolve—and everything suddenly linked. Because I realized, the environmental impacts of our actions do not stop at these imaginary boundaries that exist only on maps; these places and regions are all connected, and our daily actions have ripple effects on all of these places that could last thousands of years into the future.

I began to form my own definition of a watershed.

“An area of land within which all living things, and essentially, the community, is linked by, dependent on, and driven by, a common water course that serves as the focal point.”

~Definition of a watershed according to Sanitra, November 26, 2016

Yes, within our watershed—whether it is the University within Little Westham Creek Watershed or the city of Richmond within the James River Watershed—we are a community. However, as stated earlier, the lines are blurred. It is not just our small little place we call home that I need to pay attention to, or in which I can instigate change; I need to look at the big picture.

In John Lehrer’s “Urban Myths” he focuses on the idea that larger cities have faster “metabolisms” than smaller cities. If one translates this notion to rivers, the James has one of the fastest metabolisms in the state! However, most efforts to improve and protect it are concentrated solely within the city of Richmond, a city that makes up a small part of the full River. While Richmond—with its rich history of its connection to the River mentioned in In River Time and its most recent efforts to clean up the polluted waters through the Clean Water Act and through efforts of RVAH2O —may be somewhat aware of the role of the River due to the city’s overwhelming pride in it, the rest of the region seems to lack this focus, dedication, and overall awareness. According to the State of the James report, with a grade of a B-, “the river’s overall health has improved, but there is still much work to be done.” With terrible grades on nitrogen, phosphorus, and sediment reductions, I for one, am concerned. As Jack states when describing the importance of group mentality in accomplishment of a common goal, “without a collective, distinct and conscious passion for the James, there is no hope for its future.  Positive change is dependent upon shared culture.” From the start of the river in the Appalachian Mountains, through the confluence of the Cowpasture and Jackson rivers, all the way down to Hampton Roads and the southern portion of the Chesapeake Bay, there needs to be a shared importance and value for the river for there to be a willingness to save it.

The significance of this idea of a common culture really shined through on our Reedy Creek visit. As mentioned in my earlier post, I was very impressed with how aware the residents surrounding the creek were of the government’s plans for restoration and how, by displaying the black and white signs in their front yards, they were passively protesting the proposed project as one. Michael states that, in order for their efforts to not go in vain, residents have to “exercise their most fundamental right by electing to office leaders who share the best interest of the creek at heart.” This applies to the watershed as a whole as well. Similar to the government in Portland, which has implemented a green-friendly city bike system and public transportation bridge, there needs to be environmental leaders within the local and state government who display those required traits of passion, knowledge, and power and want to see a positive change in the James in the future.

A lawn sign opposing the restoration

The public transportation bridge in Portland

On a much larger scale, the whole world, comprised of 71% water, is all one big watershed. Looking at problems from a small scale can be beneficial, as viewing the world through 6 digit hydrologic codes can help us see the impact our personal efforts are making on the environment around us. But the world is larger than that, and the impact we, as a collective international community, have on it is greater as well. As Parr mentions, “if we better understand this larger sense of community, then we can push more people to take action to protect watersheds all around the globe.”

According to my definition of a watershed, we, as the human race, are all connected by our common water course. Geojames, through the service trips, class outings, and community events, sharpened my awareness of this and of how much of an impact humanity has on nature, locally and globally. The Earth is in trouble; its population is increasing drastically, but the amount of sustainable resources it possesses is limited. Although I alone cannot make a momentous impact, educating and encouraging others could. Informing people about their surrounding environment and getting them excited about the place they live—their home—can make them want to make a long-lasting difference. Ultimately, that, in fact, is they key to a sustainable future; creating a group of people with a will to work towards one.

Tireless James

Dutch Gap cleanup

Earth Lodge!!

We all agree that after the everyday hustles and bustles of this life, we need a relaxing place to rejuvenate. Whether it is a quiet meditation in your sitting room, a nap in your bedroom, a stroll in the woods, walking dogs in the neighborhood or yoga in the gym, the benefits we reap from such mundane tasks are invaluable. Now for a moment, think about what would happen if these opportunities for relaxation were no longer available. Would life be the same again?

This is exactly the situation that has placed Susan, a resident of Southern Richmond between a rock and a hard place. To her, the forests along the Reedy Creek are not just a wild place outside the comfort of her house, but rather a pristine environment where she delves into, to escape the bustles of life and emerge revitalized. Something as typical as the

The rich bio-diverse Reedy Creek forest

chirping of the birds or the throbbing of waters of the creek against the rocky banks quell her. It is interesting to note the depth of connection that Susan feels with her environment as this shapes her view. Surely, it is this phenomenal outlook that helps us to appreciate small things that if we are not meticulous enough can easily overlook.

However, I believe Susan would not oppose any aims at improving the forests or stream conditions along the Reedy Creek. Human beings are by design created to want to achieve things in the most efficient way. It would surely be counter-intuitive for her to oppose such a proposal given the magnitude of satisfaction she derives from the area. Therefore, any form of antagonism to a proposed restoration of the creek should be a major call for attention, right? Susan and her neighbors are probably in a huge tussle that would change

A lawn sign opposing the restoration of Reedy Creek

their lives along the creek for good. With the general elections coming up in one week, it is interesting to note the myriad of anti-restoration signs within yards alongside campaign signs. Who knows, maybe this could be a foreshadow of the residents’ resolution to elect leaders who will have the best interest of the creek at heart.

That said, imagine of a situation where a city curbed crime by installing surveillance cameras at ‘convenient locations’ without first conducting a study to fathom the prevalence of crime rates in the city. Would this strategy be efficient in the long-term? This is exactly what the residents of Reedy creek feel the city of Richmond is trying to do with the proposition to restore the Reedy creek. It is elementary knowledge that an inefficient system leads to wastage of resources, which are scarce. The opportunity cost of such a system is usually greater than the benefits derived. Therefore, with the city of Richmond failing to carry out a stream assessment of the proposed restoration site and selecting the site randomly based on the notion that it owns all property and does not have to obtain easements from private property owners, could not in any way perfectly match the ‘surveillance cameras analogy’ alluded to above. There are numerous other stretches of the stream that are in equally deplorable condition that the restoration would have worked best. However, the city rather than looking at industrial or commercial sections where the

An aerial view of Reedy Creek area. YOU CAN’T SEE THE CREEK FOR THE TREES!
That’s the way a stream should be –
shaded, cool, protected.

surrounding riparian area is already degraded, opted for forested land that has a critical connection to a good floodplain. I believe we cannot afford to add more sediments to the James River through a failed project, even as the recent State of the James Reports show significant progress in curbing this main source of pollution.

In the same regard, the selection of Reedy creek, which lies downstream cannot better emphasize the potential failures that are likely to result. It is common sense that restoration efforts along a damaged stream should begin upstream and move downstream with time. This strategy ensures high quality of water along the entire stretch of the stream. Hence with the proposed project, it will be similar to taking one step in the right direction and having this countered by two steps in the opposite direction. It is therefore evident that this is an efficient approach to deal with the problem. Moreover, the location of the proposed site just one mile from a concrete stretch of the stream poses a huge concern for the success of the project too. To tame the voluminous amounts of stormwater

A storm event at the Reedy Creek just a few meters from the concrete stretch of the stream

that will be gushing past the restoration area, 100m of swath on both sides of the stream will have to be cleared. This does not sound good for the riparian vegetation that will have to be destroyed, most of which comprises of native species. Good environmental stewardship advocates for the protection of natural resources as they give a sense of heritage to a place or community. Native species form foundations of our natural ecosystems and protect biodiversity. It is no doubt that the proposed project is a contradiction of good environment management.

Even in the midst of this huge environmental tussle between the local community and city of Richmond, a rational approach is imperative to achieving a solution amicably. It is probably the best opportunity for the residents to portray exemplary leadership skills of passion, knowledge and power. They are already portraying passion by standing in solidarity against the proposed project. A huge proportion of the residents have acquired substantial knowledge through the Reedy Creek Coalition, which has informed their decisions to oppose the project while realizing managing stormwater from source will be the best way to restore the ailing creek. What is now left is for residents like Susan to exercise their most fundamental right by electing to office leaders who share the best interest of the creek at heart. Only time will tell the direction of water sustainability that the residents and the city plan to embrace.