Conservation
Earth Day Tree Planting at the Chapter grounds, April 20, 2013We had a perfect day to celebrate Earth Day. The temperature was in the high 50s and sunny. It rained the night before, so the ground was pretty soft for digging all those holes. We put six trees and six more bushes in the ground. All will certainly give our grounds some much needed color. Thanks to all our sponsors who planted trees and shrubs today. The property will look fantastic as your trees and shrubs take root and produce some exceptional color over the years. Our participants are: Patty Nunn, Ken Guest, Mike and Jackson Weiss, Darrell Schultz, Nikki Metterman, Greg Raines and Mike Sullivan (taking Pics).
March 2013 Tree Planting on the Rappahannock RiverMarch 16 started out rainy and nasty. Knowing this was our day to plant trees on the Rappahannock, it was almost expected. On the drive into the Izaak Walton the rain constantly beat against the windshield and cab of the truck. To my surprise, upon entering the chapter grounds the rain let up and it turned almost nice. There were some volunteers already in the parking area ready to head to the site. At a few minutes to 0900 we had thirteen people ready to go. We consolidated into six vehicles and headed for our site. Upon arrival we gathered at the top of the river bank and listened to the tree planting guidelines and the safety brief. We were ready to go. Our volunteers gathered their saplings and headed down the bank and onto the flood plain of the Rappahannock. Once at the bottom, it was easy to see where the trees were needed. Our group went straight to work and within thirty minutes, had all our fifty trees in the ground. The Watershed Manager happened to be at site and had an additional one hundred plus trees available if we wanted them. We took advantage of the opportunity and planted them as well. By noon we were just about finished. We took some pictures and assisted with putting up the sign indicating our planting for the area (see Pic). Once finished with the sign we headed back up the river bank to the parking area. We had a very successful day due to our volunteers. I want to thank all of them for their time and effort. They did a great job and made a difference in our local environment. I also want to thank Tom Snoddy (Va Dept. of Forestry) for coordinating the trees for us and Officer Lee Sillitoe (Watershed Manager) for locating an exceptional and historic place to plant the trees. It worked out fine and we had a great time. - Mike The entire group: Darrell Schultz, Patty Nunn, John Caracciolo, Kevin Haley, Joseph and Jacob Macina, William Raney, Tony Oliver, Ryan Parker, John and Susie Webb, Christy Burns, Mike Sullivan, Tom Snoddy, Lee Sillitoe.
Michael J Sullivan
Note: Scroll down to see the article and pictures from the 2012 tree planting on the Rapidan river.
Help with New Conservation ProjectsTo all Fredericksburg/Rappahannock Chapter IKES, last year was very good in the conservation area. Participation was at an all time high and it was nice to see parents bringing their kids to many of the events. Our success came from members who enjoyed planting trees (twice a year), participating in our Adopt-a-highway program (four time a year) and conversing with our speakers at the quarterly conservation speaker program. What I want to accomplish with this note is to see if there is interest in expanding to other areas this year. I talked to volunteers at our conservation activities and at our chapter workdays. Many indicated they would be willing to participate in other areas if offered. I asked for ideas and if they would be willing to take on the coordinating aspect of a project. The new ideas or proposals flowed quickly. Some members indicated they would also like to see projects that were more kid friendly while others asked for some projects that were less physical. The collection of ideas below are noteworthy. I am asking all interested members who would like to take on an exciting conservation related project to give me a call or send an email. It is a great way to meet new people, make new friends, and improve our environment.
Proposed Conservation projects:
The items with an * are programs that would require less physical activity. The items with two ** are proposed kid friendly programs.
Michael J Sullivan
Stewardship VirginiaGovernor McDonnell set up the Stewardship Virginia program upon entering office as the Governor of Virginia. This program allows organizations to recognize worthy individuals who lead and participate in conservation programs aimed to conserve and enhance Virginia's lands and waters. The Fredericksburg-Rappahannock Chapter of the Izaak Walton League participates in this program. Listed below are chapter members who made a difference and participated in at least three conservation projects or events over the past three years. These individuals were recognized with a certificate of appreciation from Governor McDonnell at our January 2013 monthly meeting. See picture below.
Thanks to all our Conservation Warriors!
Earth Day at the Chapter grounds, Sunday, April 22, 2012This was a fantastic day. The temperature was in the high sixties and the humidity low. We all got a good workout today by planting trees on the Izaak Walton grounds in celebration of Earth Day. We put three white dogwoods on the main roadway in the vicinity of the flag poles and a red bud next to the pavilion. Across the pond we placed three weeping willows and two azalea bushes. These trees and bushes will make our grounds particularly stand out in the spring as well as all year long. Thanks to all our volunteers who sponsored a tree. (Not in order - Ron Herndon, Darrell Schultz, Greg and Debbie Raines, Nikki Metterman, Joe Nemes, Logan Nemes, Lowell Woods, Dan, Stacy, Catherine and Margaret Moll, and Joseph, Jacob and Hailey Macina and Mike Sullivan taking Pics).
Michael J Sullivan
Tree Planting on the Rapidan River - Saturday, March 24, 2012This was a day for Tree Warriors. The Fredericksburg/Rappahannock Chapter of the Izaak Walton League along with Cub Pack 22 set out to plant 50 trees along the Rapidan River in Culpeper County, Virginia. This piece of property belongs to the city of Fredericksburg, Virginia. The weather was just perfect for planting trees. There was a mist in the air with occasional rain mixed in. The temperature was in the high 60s. Our Group met at the chapter clubhouse and convoyed about 10 miles to our planting site. As we arrived at the site we made sure those in low ground clearance vehicles parked their cars and transferred into vehicles with higher clearance. Once that was accomplished, our convoy travelled across a temporary farm field road and down a path along the banks of the Rapidan River. Upon arriving at the planting site we got our planting instructions and began turning over earth to plant our trees. We had 50 deciduous saplings that we received from the Virginia Department of Forestry. The planting effort was completed in a little over an hour. Thank you to all 25 volunteers and one labrador retriever who made this an an exceptional day. You made our little piece of this planet a much better place to live. Tree Warriors were Gerry Williams, Haden Williams (scout), Reese Geyer (scout), Rayl Franco, Alex Keller (scout), Carroll Childers, Jacob Macina (scout), Joseph Macina, Greg Raines, Michael Jordan, Nikki Metterman, Ryan Brownell, Joe Eastes, Darrell Schultz, Gary Ellis, Twayne Hickman, Tiffany Yates, Eric Malotte, Melanie Malotte, Lillian Malotte, Ericson Malotte, Collin Malotte, Mike Dunlap, Terry Fellinger and Mike Sullivan (taking Picture).
Michael J Sullivan
State Adopt-A-Highway Program
All Fredericksburg/Rappahannock Chapter Izaak Walton League members, we have a great program to assist us in promoting conservation of our land. Our Chapter has a two mile stretch of roadway on Orange Plank Road to support the Virginia effort to keep our highways free of trash. This piece of highway is our part of the State Adopt-A-Highway Program. Our stretch of road is identified by signs and begins at the intersection of Longstreet Drive and Orange Plank Road (Rt 621) and goes for two miles toward the Orange County line. The end of the two mile stretch is also identified by a standard Adopt-A-Highway sign. Our responsibility as part of the program is to organize a cleanup, as a minimum, four times a year. The VDOT will supply the bags, safety vests and notification signs for each cleanup effort. I will be the point of contact. This effort can be joined by other organizations as well. If the Boy Scouts or other groups would like to schedule a service project at a date and time of their choosing, we can accommodate that as well. Conservation is important and this is just one way to provide a needed service to our community as well as taking care of our beautiful roadways.
The scheduled Adopt-A-Highway clean-up dates for 2013 are:
Safety and comfort details
Michael J Sullivan
Notes from the April 6, 2013 Adopt-A-Highway Cleanup
The Fred/Rapp Chapter of the Izaak Walton League conducted its first of four road clean-ups for 2013 this Saturday. Our "Road Warriors" hit the road on 6 April at 0900. The temperature was in the 40s when we started but warmed up nicely into the 50s by 1100. Today we had a nice size group of 17 volunteers. We were able to complete the entire route by breaking into four groups. Our volunteers scoured the ground and ended up collecting over 17 bags of trash. We met some new friends today and certainly made a difference in our little corner of the planet. Thank you to all our volunteers. You did a great job. .
Notes from the December 8, 2012 Adopt-A-Highway Cleanup
It is 8 December 2012 and it's 50 degrees out here. Our "Road Warriors" just finished scouring our Izaak Walton Chapters two mile section of Orange Plank Road in Spotsylvania County. Today was a good day. We filled over 13 bags with trash, met a few new members and had some great conversations. Thanks to all our volunteers this morning. It is a job well done and very much appreciated. (Not in Order - Dan Eichelberger, Hank Fulghum, Bob Fitzgerald, Randy and Ryan Armel, Joe Eastes, Ryan Parker, and Mike Sullivan taking Pics).
Notes from the September 8, 2012 Adopt-A-Highway Cleanup
Today was a beast. It was in the 90s and very humid. Did that stop our
"Road Warriors?" Not by a long shot. Nine exceptional people made
their way to Orange Plank Road this morning and we collected twenty
orange bags of nastiness. There may have been some Sheriff DUI
checkpoints along the road in August since there were quite a few
unopened beers in bottles and cans as well as syringes and crack pipes
in various locations along the road. Keep up the good work Spotsy
Sheriff's office. I want to thank our volunteers who got some great
exercise today and worked up a good sweat. Your efforts are certainly
appreciated (Not in Order, Hank Fulghum, Mike Brown, Nikki Metterman,
Jason Hawker, Michael Jordan, Steve Hansen, Rick McKearney, Bill McClellan and Mike
Sullivan taking Pic).
Notes from the June 9, 2012 Adopt-A-Highway Cleanup
Today was a perfect day to get out and cut the grass, go fishing, trim your trees or sit on the deck and sip down a cup of cold ice tea. Instead, our group got up early and put on reflective vests and mosquito repellent. We formed up along Orange Plank Road in Spotsylvania County and got ready to pick up anything that was not supposed to be there. Our two mile stretch of road was quite a challenge. The roadside had not been cut for a while, the ticks had a nice spring to grow in abundance and the temperature was fast approaching 90. We were able to split the volunteers up into three groups. This made it nice to be able to cover more of our roadway. Our group stuffed 14 bags of junk today. When we finished, the roadway looked great due to the tremendous effort of our Road Warriors. I know the county and the people who live in the area appreciate the job they accomplished. This little spot of the county is a nicer place to live today. Names: (not in order) David Broach, Alex Broach, Jayden Broach, David Smith, TAS, Dave Smith, Jennifer Gaston-Smith,
Hank Fulgham, Tony Oliver, Kevin Maxwell, George Lear and Mike Sullivan (taking Pics).
Notes from the April 7, 2012 Adopt-A-Highway Cleanup
Today is 7 April 2012. Our road warriors took to the back roads of Spotsylvania County today and assaulted the bottles, cans, paper products and plastic trash left on the roadside for our viewing pleasure. Today we started at 9:00 and finished by 11:30AM. Each road warrior scoured the ditches and ravines and when complete we collected 13 large orange bags of stuff. Thank you to all our volunteers. They all make a tremendous difference in our environment. All had a great time and we met new members of our chapter while getting some great exercise. Come out and join us for our next Adopt-A-Highway event in June.
Michael J Sullivan
Notes from the December 3 2011 Adopt-A-Highway Cleanup
On 3 December 2011. The day was perfect. The sky is clear and the temperature in the 50s. Our "Road Warriors" were full of energy and ready to tackle Orange Plank Road. From 0900 to 1130 our team scoured the sides of the road for everything that wasn't supposed to be there. Car parts, bottles, cans, full peanut butter jars and more were just a few of the strange things that got removed. 14 bags of junk were prepared for removal today. Thanks to all our volunteers for their time and effort. This end of the county is now a little nicer place to live.
Great Turn-Out: (Not in order) Bill McClellan, Ed Zeigler, Ron Herndon, Mike Dunlap, Rick McKearney, Mike Sullivan (taking photo)
Notes from the September 3 2011 Adopt-A-Highway Cleanup
On 3 September the Chapter road warriors met at the clubhouse and headed out to tackle the Orange Plank Road. The day was overcast and 78 degrees, perfect! We expected to find a ton of junk and we were not disappointed. After about 2 1/2 hours of collecting just about every imaginable thing on the roadway we called it a day. With over 14 bags full of trash we considered this a very successful day. Thank you to all the volunteers for providing their time and effort. The roadway certainly looks great and we made a difference by improving our environment.
Great Turn-Out: (names not in order) David Romo, Jackson Weiss, Abbey Lousiak, Sean Applegate, Austin Applegate, Jeff Blose, Bill McClellan, George Lear and Mike Sullivan (taking photo)
Notes from the April 9 2011 Cleanup
April 9th and it's 50 degrees and overcast. The spirits of the seven "Road
Warriors" is high and confident. Today the Fredericksburg/Rappahannock Chapter
of the Izaak Walton League took on our two mile stretch of Orange Plank Road.
The seven members below started out at 9AM and convoyed over to the site. After
2 1/2 hours of collecting every kind of can, bottle, plastic and paper product
known to man, we had over 25 orange bags filled to capacity. We had a great
time and the weather did hold for us. Thanks to all the volunteers who gave
their time today to make our little piece of the planet a better place.
The "Road Warriors" are: Garry Ellis, Bill McClellan, Darrell Schultz, Ron Herndon, George Lear, Dan Eichelberger and Mike Sullivan (taking photo)
Bat Boxes and Bee BoxesOn Saturday, May 14, Scouts built and mounted bat boxes and bee boxes at Walton Park.View pictures here
Tree Planting
On 2 April six hearty souls gathered at the Fredericksburg/Rappahannock Chapter of the Izaak Walton League to plant some deciduous trees. We had 10 river birch, 5 pin oak and 5 northern red oak. The folks braved three seasons in the one hour it took us to plant the trees. It was clear and sunny to begin the planting. It then turned windy and cold and finally it hailed on us for a minute or so. In the end, all trees were put in the ground on the west side of the pond about 3-12 feet off the path. According to the Virginia Department of Forestry, we can expect about 50% of the trees to make it. Thanks to all the conservation volunteers who took the time to make our Izaak Walton Chapter little bit better today.
|
Fredericksburg-Rappahannock Chapter of the Izaak Walton League
Copyright 2011, All rights reserved.