Friends of the Rappahannock (FOR) and the Piedmont Environmental Council (PEC) are pleased to announce a new Headwater Stream Initiative designed to provide FREE technical assistance, project design, materials, and labor for the planting of native trees and shrubs...
Students from the Chesapeake Bay Governors School (CBGS) Warsaw campus partnered in early May with Friends of the Rappahannock (FOR) staff, and interns from the University of Mary Washington, to build a living shoreline in Richmond County. Over two rainy mornings,...
This How-to Guide provides educators with step-by-step instructions for organizing cleanups. Cleanups are very eye opening and helpful for the environment. Trash can be found anywhere throughout the community. Take some time, get some friends together and do a great...
1402908_10100585329471851_5114109683486845630_o.jpgAs readers of “River Views” are most likely aware, the Chesapeake Bay has been put on a diet. Specifically, the “pollution diet” aims to restore water quality by limiting the amounts of nitrogen, phosphorus, and...
Kayakers, canoers, tubers, fishermen, and other river rats, this April through June be on the lookout for soundings from the Atlantic and Short nose sturgeon during your adventures along the Rappahannock River. A sounding is when a sturgeon jumps out of the...
By Amanda Patterson, FOR Volunteer Fredericksburg’s 13th annual Earth Day celebration will be taking place on Saturday, April 23rd from 11am to 4pm (rain date: April 30th) and you don’t want to miss it! Thanks to Fredericksburg Parks and Recreation and many other...
Sturgeon2.pngReport soundings and help scientists track the Rappahannock’s link to the Age of Dinosaurs By Taylor McConnell, Biology Intern Kayakers, canoers, tubers, fishermen, and other riverrats, this April through June be on the lookout for soundings from...
Kilmarnock Virginia 2.jpgToday, the U.S. Supreme Court agreed with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) plan to clean up the Chesapeake Bay. Denying the challenge by the American Farm Bureau Federation and its allies, the decision supports a...
State_Capitol_of_the_Commonwealth_of_Virginia_7358972234.jpgThe 2016 General Assembly session has officially begun and all of your legislators are getting busy in Richmond. Friends of the Rappahannock is working hard to ensure the protection of our River...
2014_Summer_Joel.jpgOne of the most important bald eagle habitats on the East Coast is in danger of being turned into a luxury residential community and resort, complete with golf course, lodge, and spa. Fones Cliffs is an idyllic and dramatic spot in Richmond...
Ben Raterman photo credit.jpgBY CATHY DYSON/THE FREE LANCE-STAR Only people interested in fly fishing would encourage others to tie one on at 9 in the morning. There wasn’t any alcohol involved, just golden hooks decorated with various colors of threads and...
Written by: Chloe Sikora FOR Intern and Student at Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University Seven volunteers huddled underneath a tarp shielding them from pouring rain. Without complaint, they picked up their shovels and finished digging the last three...
beforeAfter.jpgDominion is planning to rebuild and expand approximately two miles of transmission line across the Rappahannock River in Lancaster and Middlesex Counties at the Norris Bridge. According to representatives from Dominion, the proposed upgraded...
photo 4.JPGRAINSCAPES PROGRAM MISSION STATEMENT: Friends of the Rappahannock (FOR) has developed the Rainscape Retrofits program to reduce the amount of unwanted contaminants (mostly nutrients and sediments) and excessive quantities of stormwater reaching the...
IMG_0888.JPGFriends of the Rappahannock’s Student Stream Team program began in 2007 with a partnership between Stafford County Learn and Serve programs and our education department. FOR has a long history of implementing successful education programs as...
photo 1.JPGThanks to funding from the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation (NFWF) and a partnership with the Rappahannock-Rapidan Regional Commission, Friends of the Rappahannock was able to install another Rainscape Retrofit in Locust Grove, Virginia....
Welcome to the confluence, where the Rapidan and the Rappahannock rivers meet. Due to ongoing private property concerns, the access to the City of Fredericksburg’s watershed property at the Confluence of the Rappahannock and Rapidan River’s is closed and...
What is Save the Crabs, Then Eat ‘Em? Why on earth are we talking about saving the crabs just to eat them? Well, take a moment, shut your eyes and think about your favorite memories with blue crabs… For us at Friends of the Rappahannock, we immediately...
Geico Action Shot.JPGJoin Friends of the Rappahannock (FOR) for a River Cleanup this Spring! Litter comes in all shapes and sizes from mico-plastics we cannot see up to abandoned cars and port-a-johns! We find tires, shopping carts, bicycles, grills, lawn...
Volunteers are the bedrock of FOR. They are the foundation we rest upon. From Riverfest to planting trees and litter cleanups, from guiding paddle trips down the river to stuffing envelopes in the office, we count on volunteers to help us get the job done. Who...
Are you fluent in Spanish and looking to promote clean water and river safety in the Fredericksburg area? Friends of the Rappahannock is seeking a part time candidate to spearhead our Spanish-language outreach and restoration programs during summer 2021. Candidates...
CULPEPER, VA— On Friday January 22, 2021 staff members from the Virginia Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ), Rappahannock Rapidan Regional Commission (RRRC), Friends of the Rappahannock (FOR), and the Town and County of Culpeper met at multiple sites along...
Join us as a strong voice for the Rappahannock River at the state level. The 2021 General Assembly session starts January 13th. We are prioritizing these issues and will regularly update this page. We will include info on bill progress and how you can make a...
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...
This year was a year to remember, but for Friends of the Rappahannock (FOR) it will be remembered as a year for growth and expansion. In 2020, we instituted the River Steward program allowing us to increase our ability to advocate, restore and educate across all 2,100...
At FOR, we believe the Rappahannock River is a treasure to share so everyone can work to help protect it. In 2020, we continued to work with partners to increase public access to the river. Our staff celebrated new public access sites and shared some of the more...
In 2020, FOR adjusted our approach to environmental education to support teachers and families. Normally, classrooms of students visit us for field trips at our 17-acre nature preserve for a wide range science and environmental lessons. We also visit classrooms to...
This year, people flocked to the river in greater numbers as a way to connect with nature and enjoy time with family and friends. Friends of the Rappahannock organizes river clean ups to reduce the amount of trash harming our streams and wildlife. Most years, we...
Working with partners and volunteers, we planted a record number of trees and gave away thousands throughout the Rappahannock River watershed. Trees play a vital role in improving water quality by filtering runoff before it flows into our streams and...
UPDATE 1/11/2021 – Delegate Joshua Cole has introduced HB1819, which will be heard in the next few weeks by the General Assembly. Delegate Robert Orrock, Sr. and Senator Richard Stuart join Delegate Cole as copatrons. 2020 marks the 50th anniversary of the...