Why wetlands are important, the history of their degradation and how we are working to restore them in the Rappahannock River watershed and beyond. Historical unrecognition of the many cultural, economic and personal benefits of wetlands to humans has led to...
In reading or hearing about the Rappahannock River, you may have encountered the term “riparian.” Riparian is an adjective used for the area along a river or stream’s edge and is used with several different words. A riparian zone or area is the complete...
Maintaining a colony of flying, stinging insects may not seem an enjoyable pastime, but it is one that I have chosen to pursue. After being exposed to beekeeping online, I learned of the threats to pollinators, worldwide, and the fulfillment of the beekeeping...
FOR and our partners of the Rappahannock River Roundtable work together to provide technical assistance and cost-share programs that leverage state, federal, and private grant funding to help install a variety conservation projects to help clean water. These projects...
Mountain Run is a stream that flows through downtown Culpeper. It begins in agricultural fields before it feeds two drinking water reservoirs, flows through several popular park spaces, under bridges and highways, through backyards, and into the Rappahannock River. In...
Many of us like to eat oysters, but how many of us know about their value beyond how delicious they are and how our shorelines can be the key to their success? Oysters are an essential part of keeping our Rappahannock River healthy. A single adult oyster filters on...
Throughout 2020, Friends of the Rappahannock held several events focused on Mountain Run, which is part of our larger goals of our Mountain Run Initiative. Mountain Run is a large tributary to the Rappahannock River and runs right through downtown Culpeper. Like most...
If you own, lease, manage, or support a farming operation in the Rappahannock River watershed, there are lots of opportunities to improve the natural resources of your farm, forests, and waterways which lead to the Rappahannock River and Chesapeake Bay. There’s...
The coronavirus pandemic has given us time to slow down and reflect on life. The seasons are still coming and going “Turn, Turn, Turn,” now is the season when Soil and Water Conservation Districts (SWCDs) are taking a look at conservation projects needed on our...
The University of Maryland’s newly published 2019 Chesapeake Bay Report Card found that the water quality in the Rappahannock River fell significantly between 2018 and 2019, from a C grade to a D, based on 7 indicators of water quality. It’s hard to sugar coat this....