Geography of the James (Earth Lodge)

Reflections on James River Parks system

Before last Saturday, I had never been to Belle Isle or Brown’s Island. Though I never really even reached Belle Isle, only walking out halfway on the bridge, I was left with a few thoughts to reflect on about the trip.

What caught me by surprise most when the bus stopped and we reached our destination was that this island was in the middle of downtown Richmond. We were surrounded by skyscrapers, restaurants, residences, and many, many people.

Along the Canal Walk, we walked through the remnants of warehouses that are almost on top of the canal.  Once we left the pop-up shop, I remember being surprised to learn we had crossed to the other side of the canal. Frequently, the canal was accidentally referred to as the “street.” The water is so integrated into the city, it’s almost like it isn’t there anymore.

While parks are frequently in the middle of cities, I imagine Belle Isle as very natural.  This is in contrast to my idea of a park incorporated into a city. For this I picture Central Park, or a similar “park” of planned out trees, and over-fertilized, perfectly-trimmed grass.

Toward the end of the tour we saw the bay garden. I found this to be a perfect example of how these two elements can join in a meaningful way for the city. We can integrate nature without ignoring it.

It is only the start of the fifth week of classes, and already I’ve become aware of so many new areas close to school that I never would have thought to explore.  One of the major reasons I came to this school was because of the myriad of diverse outdoor recreational activities that I knew existed in the greater Richmond area.  Growing up camping with my family and spending most of my time outdoors, I knew that wherever I wound up for college, it would be imperative that natural escapes be nearby.  I never would have imagined that one would essentially be the university’s backyard.

We’ve only been back in school for five weeks, and already I’ve visited and seen more of the James River Park system than I had in an entire year last year solely because of this class.  How many other students here at UR get to say that they’re having class at Pony Pasture, or that they’re spending their Friday afternoon kayaking with their class?  Not very many.  This class has really opened my eyes to all of the really wonderful natural escapes that I’d been seeking, and it’s left me with a desire to explore so much more.

From Brown’s Island to Belle Isle to Pony Pasture and all of the other portions of the James River Park System that we’ve explored, we’ve seen so many aesthetically different areas, all rich with riparian vegetation and really driving home the key themes we’ve been learning about in class.  Each place is unique, and draws about a certain type of crowd based on the recreational activities available.  For a people watcher like me, this is probably the most interesting part of all.  I love to see these diverse (and yet they’re all part of the same park system) habitats draw different crowds of people to the same area for similar reasons.

I love all of these places for their differences.  I love Belle Isle for the soothing rush of its rapids, Pony Pasture and Huguenot Flatwater for its calmer waters and ideal kayaking, Brown’s Island and the canal walk for its interesting connection to downtown Richmond, and I love the places I’ve yet to explore.  One of which I found with a fellow Earth Lodger (Andrew) when we couldn’t find our way to Pony Pasture for the park clean up (Oops!).  The 42^nd street entrance to the James River Park, on an early Saturday morning, the first Saturday morning that actually felt like fall, was absolutely beautiful.  The thick forest was enough to draw me in; I’m a sucker for huge green trees and the type of forests you can get lost in.  I cannot wait to explore this area more, especially after the leaves start sporting their fall fashion.

My eyes have definitely been opened to the James River Park System, and I don’t plan on closing them anytime soon.  I cannot wait to explore and learn more about all of these areas, if only so I can find a cool place to do homework on Saturday afternoons that I can brag to my friends about later.

(For more on a description of the 42^nd street entrance to the James River Park System, visit   http://www.dgif.virginia.gov/vbwt/site.asp?trail=1&loop=CRI&site=CRI11 )

I feel lucky because even though it’s only the first semester of my sophomore year I have gone to James River park system many times.  I know that at University Richmond there many people here  who go their entire four years without exploring everything that the park system has to offer.  Swimming, kayaking, tubingx just hanging out the rocks, and exploring the wildlife have been some of the most serene experiences of ever had in my entire life.

My first experience  by the river we went tubing through the rapids and I made it almost all the away across just hopping on and off rocks protruding from the rushing water. Once I reached the largest rock, dead set in the middle of the riverbed, I splayed out and soaked in everything around us.  Hearing the birds chirp, watching the fish dart around the rocks and currents of the River, which the suns rays so simply reflect off of, it all possessed  a natural beauty that any definition does not seem to truly capture.

One of my first experiences as a student at the University of Richmond was my Roadmap trip to Belle Isle. The bus pulled up to the American Civil War Center at Tredegar where iron products used to be made, and I saw the James River out of my bus window. Even minute details, such as how Dr. Lookingbill, our current Earth Lodge class instructor, talked about how European people settled on this land because it is as far up the river as you can travel from the ocean. As we moved along to cross over the suspension bridge to Belle Isle, I felt unsettled. Cars rumbling on the car bridge overhead scared me just as much as it does today.

On the other side of the river, the Roadmap students got to explore an area that once served as a Civil War Prisoner of War Camp. From our readings in Earth Lodge this year, I realized just how desperate the situation was here… soldiers died of starvation and disease and cold just as the old European settlers did in the early 1600’s. As a first-year, this horror was lost on me. Frankly, I was too busy staring at a bunch of kayaks and dipping my toes in the water with a few fellow nature lovers.

As our trip across the river came to a close that fall, I boarded the bus and saw who I knew would be my best friend afterwards — the lovely Marissa Parker. We both shared a moment as she decided to sit down next to me. We talked about our plans to participate in Earth Lodge at some point in ou college careers. Fast forward a year, and you get this photo (taken by Kerry McGowan, also a fellow Lodger):

Marissa and I sleeping on the bus

This year, my trip to the James River Park System kicked off with a walk through Brown’s Island along a canal. After learning about the negative impacts of increased impervious surface and the necessity for riparian buffers, Brown island made me pretty sad. Pavement, non-native tree species, and an overall sore lack of trees/vegetation along the waters edge indicated to me that this area serves the interest of humans above the environment. At least some human artists made their marks on buildings to take my mind off of the negative ways we change landscapes.

And so we retraced our steps to the start of Brown’s Island all the way back to where I was last year – the bridge to Belle Isle. Over the next year, I aim to work on projects that improve the James River Park System and feel a sense of accomplishment rather than a slightly heavy heart.

I had never spent much time off campus until Earth Lodge took me on field trips and volunteer outings on the James. This past weekend I spent most of my Sunday as a course marshall at the annual Splash ‘n’ Dash 5k on Belle Isle. I was stationed at a sharp intersection, tasked with ensuring over-eager runners didn’t blaze straight down the trail. My spot came complete with a log perfect for sitting on, and I spent good chunks of time enjoying the quiet of the woods in between groups of runners. It amazed me that such a seemingly secluded spot could exist in the middle of a city like Richmond. As I watched the runners zoom past, the thing that struck me the most was the variety of people in the race. From families to full-on athletes, it seemed the most of the city was being represented. This was only confirmed as I later walked around the island to collect tape and observed activities from free-climbing to painting. Belle Isle seems to have something for everyone.

After the race, a small festival was set up with bluegrass musicians and a stand of food trucks. The atmosphere seemed to embody the ideal sunny afternoon, and the smell of crepes wafted over everything. I know that a weekend like this is hardly the norm, but the fact that events like this exist to bring together so many different people from around the city tells me the James River Park system is not just about bringing people to the river, but about bringing people together at the river. As corny as it sounds, the James plays an important cultural role as the center of our city, and does a fantastic job of bringing the city together for fun, whether it’s running, eating, or swimming.

Last year, I rarely went to the river. It was not until the fall that I finally made my way down to Pony Pasture. I was amazed to see the number of people floating down the river, kayaking, and just laying out in the sun. This was incredible for me to see, mainly because the Merrimack River near my house is not nearly as populated. Very few people would dare swim in it. Therefore, the fact that there are signs and people promote hanging out and being involved with the river is very cool!

This past weekend I was able to explore the river further by making my way down to the  annual Splash and Dash that is held right here on the James. I have never seen anything like this before. I have been to many running races and I have seen many triathlons, but this race seemed unique to me.  This race had people from the age 9 to 61 come out and be apart of the river for a day. The most interesting part of this was the number of people that came out to take part in something in their city. This to me showed the immense amount of pride people have in not only being from the city of Richmond, but also in the James River Park System. While the river itself is relatively well promoted, I believe that our final project this semester could help raise awareness.

In order to better define the James River Park System, people need to understand what it means to be connected. We can no longer think of the different access points as separate entities. We must find a way to connect these places, for people to better understand the system. Ecologically, these places are extremely interconnected, but now we must find a way to define connectivity in the system amongst ourselves.

Our guest speaker in class on Wednesday, Ikal Angelei, asked us, “What is your focus area?” We answered with a chorus of mumbling which led to the consensus that our main focus included the University of Richmond and the Richmond section of the James River. In order to understand my “focus area” I use the James River Park system.

Excursions to Pony Pasture and Belle Isle opened my eyes to the wonders the James River has to offer. I strongly believe that this system of managed public parks is a necessity to create a symbiotic relationship between the city and the river. Their existence emphasizes the importance of the river habitats and their place within the Richmond area.

The Brown Isle and Belle Isle are excellent examples of the relationship between the city and nature.

Our class trip on Saturday began on Brown Isle. The idea of this park is peculiar, there are no swing sets, baseball fields, or play sets. Brown Isle is a mixture of concrete and grass, flanked by the James River and the Haxall Canal. We experienced the raw and wild nature of the James River from a comfortable vantage point, accompanied by Segways and porta potties. I did not feel as though I was in nature. Compared to Pony Pasture, where I was surrounded by thick vegetation, Brown Isle felt as though I resided within the city.

We visited a few small riparian zones between Brown Isle and Belle Isle. One zone we visited was small and made up of natural growth which provides a weak buffer between the James River and the large amounts of nonpoint pollution generated within the endless number of parking lots surrounding Brown and Bell Isle. Another zone we visited was man-made which had specially selected plants that are notably water thirsty.

I visited Belle Isle as part of the ‘Splash and Dash’ event. Nature is more prominent on Belle Isle but even as I ventured away from the crowds of people sunbathing on the undulating granite, I was met by abandoned buildings and wooden sightseeing platforms. I concluded that these parks exist so that city dwellers can comfortably visit the James River and the surrounding habitat. The James River Park System does an excellent job of creating and maintaining their parks so people do not lose their connection with nature.