York River Roundtable

2024 Chesapeake Watershed Forum
2024-10-18 - 2024-10-20
SAVE THE DATE: THE ALLIANCE FOR THE CHESAPEAKE BAY WILL HOLD THE 19TH ANNUAL CHESAPEAKE WATERSHED FORUM AT THE NATIONAL CONSERVATION TRAINING CENTER (NCTC) IN SHEPHERDSTOWN, WV ON OCTOBER 18-20, 2024.

This watershed-wide event reaches over 400 restoration and conservation practitioners annually to inspire and empower local action towards clean water.

Request for Session Proposals Open: April 1
Request for Session Proposals Close: May 19
Registration Opens: August 5

LEARN MORE ABOUT THE FORUM!

Webinar: DEQ Electronic Resources and Tools
2024-10-22 18:30 - 20:00 UTC
The Virginia Department of Environmental Quality creates and collects large quantities of environmental data, which is made available through a variety of databases, mapping tools, and dashboards. One of the ways we demonstrate our commitment to public outreach, involvement and transparency is to provide direct access to environmental data for all residents and stakeholders in the Commonwealth. In this webinar, we will provide an overview of several of our digital tools, including our Geographic Information Systems (GIS) tools, Story Maps, and our award-winning Permitting Enhancement and Evaluation Platform. Join us to learn more!

Link to Register: https://attendee.gotowebinar.com/register/1263243642241405270

VIRTUAL Community Open Forum on the Virginia Ocean Plan
2024-10-23 18:30 - 19:30
The Virginia Coastal Zone Management Program is pleased to invite you to a Virginia Ocean Plan Virtual Community Meeting to share information about the planning process and providing you an opportunity to offer your input. Register here!
You may also provide input through:
* a short survey at: https://tinyurl.com/VOPForm
* leaving us a voicemail or text at (804) 420-8457
* emailing virginiaoceanplan@gmail.com.

VIMS After Hours: Ghost Forests, Zombie Shrimp, & Space Fish: Strange & True Tales Of The Salt Marsh
2024-10-24 19:00 - 20:00
Why do zombie crustaceans mindlessly wander the marsh? Why can’t a snail let go of its past?
Join VIMS on Thursday, October 24 for a special Halloween-themed After Hours lecture where Dr. David Johnson of VIMS answers these questions and shares stories of the strange animals wonderfully adapted to life in a salt marsh.

Stargazing at York River State Park
2024-10-26 18:00 - 21:00, 2024-11-30 17:00 - 20:00, 2024-12-28 17:00 - 20:00
Join the Virginia Peninsula Stargazers as they point out the different items of our solar system in the night sky. They will have the equipment. Just bring your curiosity. This program is dependent on the clarity of the viewing sky on the night it occurs. Learn more information here!

Deep Dive into Post-Construction BMP (P-BMP) Inspections
2024-11-01 08:30 - 11:00, 2024-11-07 13:30 - 16:00
All post-construction stormwater best management practices (P-BMPs) need continual maintenance and monitoring to remain functional and in compliance with both the approved plans and the locality’s permit. These P-BMPs range in design from the 17-proprietary designs to the many non-proprietary designs featured in the Virgina Stormwater Management Handbook. Without regular maintenance these facilities can quickly lose their functionality and will no longer adequately treat the stormwater that drains to them.
During this webinar, VA DEQ will discuss the life cycle of these P-BMPs (from construction to post-construction), common maintenance Issues, identification of functional components, and communication with the responsible party. Register here!

Pay Now or Pay A Lot More Later: Improving workforce resiliency to flooding in Hampton Roads
2024-11-13 08:30 - 10:00
Register here!

Rivers and Roads: Impacts of Freshwater Salinization
2024-11-13 12:00 - 13:00
Join Izaak Walton League of America on Wednesday, November 13th to learn more about freshwater salinization and the risk it poses to habitats, infrastructure, drinking water, and more. We’ll be joined by experts Dr. John Jackson and Dr. Megan Rippy to learn about some of the impacts of freshwater salinization, the stakeholders involved, and what you can do to make a difference. Register here!

Federal Tools for Environmental Justice: Understanding and Addressing Health Disparities and Community Impacts
2024-11-14 13:00 - 14:30
Have you ever wondered how satellite data could be used to demonstrate the impacts of green infrastructure on public health? Have you heard of EJScreen but you’re not sure how to use it?
In this webinar, speakers will share more about various tools–such as CDC public health data, EJScreen, and NASA’s EJ Data Catalog–that help practitioners map and understand the vulnerabilities impacting our communities’ land and waterways, and connect ecosystem health with the health disparities shown by local socioeconomic data. Practitioners will gain a better understanding of the purpose of each tool, how to access and use them, and how to use multiple tools to create a holistic picture of local climate and health challenges and how to address them from an ecosystem perspective.
Register at the link: https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZYsd-iqqz8pG9wLbL4z06lqON-cb2GhB1m_

Space Fish, Zombie Shrimp and Other Salt Marsh Tales
2024-11-14 19:00 - 20:00
Some of the toughest creatures on Earth live closer than you might think. We have much to learn from the evolutionary tales of the extraordinary life found in salt marshes, grassy coastal prairies that are sometimes land and sometimes ocean depending on the tide.
Dive into the salt marsh with marine ecologist David Johnson at William & Mary’s fall Tack Lecture on November 14 at 7 p.m. in the Sadler Center’s Commonwealth Auditorium. His talk, “Space Fish, Zombie Shrimp and Other Salt Marsh Tales,” will contain bizarre and captivating stories that reveal the remarkable but often overlooked life of salt marshes. Learn more and register here!

PFAS, Sewage Sludge, & Farmlands
2024-11-19 16:00 - 17:00
Is sewage sludge laced with ‘forever chemicals’ contaminating Virginian farmland?
Join Virginia Conservation Network on an informational webinar on PFAS found in sewage sludge being applied to Virginia farmlands. Speakers will discuss the emerging issue described here in this Virginia Mercury article​ and open up for a Q&A session for attendees.
Register here!

Mid-Atlantic & Carolinas Groundwater Conference
2024-11-20 - 2024-11-21
The objective of this American Ground Water Trust Conference is to discuss groundwater issues specific to the Mid-Atlantic region and to facilitate information sharing among landowners, groundwater end-users, regulators, management agencies, scientists, engineers, lawyers and citizens who have economic or environmental interests in water resources. Learn more and register here!

Eat Your Invasives: The Bay’s Battle with Blue Catfish
2024-11-20 12:00 - 13:00
Blue catfish have been terrorizing Chesapeake Bay’s native fish for decades; they consume smaller fish and invertebrates in huge quantities and compete with larger fish. Some of their prey species are economically important, like blue crabs and menhaden, while others are already the focus of recovery efforts due to low populations, like shad and river herring. One proposed solution is to develop a market and a commercial fishery for the troublemakers.
Join the Chesapeake Research Consortium on Wednesday, November 20th from 12-1 pm to learn about the blue catfish invasion and what we can do about it. Register here!

Speakers:

Bruce Vogt, Ecosystem Science Manager, NOAA Chesapeake Bay Office & Chair, Chesapeake Bay Program’s Invasive Catfish Workgroup
Mike Hutt, Executive Director, Virginia Marine Products Board

Three Rivers & Three Peoples Hike
2024-11-23 10:00 - 12:00
This hike honors the shared history of African, European, and Native Americans who made their homes along the Mattaponi, Pamunkey, and York Rivers. We will stop at certain points along the trails, in particular those that highlight the history of Taskinas Plantation (the colonial name for where York River State Park is located) and other areas of historic significance. No extra fee besides parking fee. More information here!

Building Coastal Adaptive Capacity through Nature-based Solutions
2024-11-26 15:00 - 16:00
Increasing communities’ capacity to adapt to climate change can take many forms–this webinar features two presentations that relate to increasing coastal adaptive capacity. The first, funded by AdSci, will provide an overview of how a community is working to increase their coastal adaptive capacity and community resilience to sea level rise through workshops and vulnerability assessments that identify potential adaptation pathways, funding opportunities, and data needs. The second project featured will be from the West CAP team, the California-Nevada Climate Adaptation Program, highlighting their approach to providing technical assistance and integrating regional data and projections for sea level rise, coastal storm flooding, and beach erosion. This work aims to assist with developing adaptation pathways and strategies, including dunes as NbS, and co-produces and integrates climate, social science research, and Indigenous stewardship to support the advancement of effective and equitable sea-level rise adaptation planning with several collaborators across Southern California.
Register and learn more here!

Building Coastal Adaptive Capacity through Nature-based Solutions
2024-11-26 15:00 - 16:00
This five-part webinar series features projects funded by the Climate and Societal Interactions (CSI) Division’s Adaptation Sciences (AdSci) and Climate Adaptation Partnerships (CAP) programs focused on the research and application of nature-based solutions (NbS), which are actions to protect, sustainably manage, or restore natural or modified ecosystems to address societal challenges, simultaneously providing benefits for people and the environment. Register here!
Increasing communities’ capacity to adapt to climate change can take many forms–this webinar features two presentations that relate to increasing coastal adaptive capacity. The first, funded by AdSci, will provide an overview of how a community is working to increase their coastal adaptive capacity and community resilience to sea level rise through workshops and vulnerability assessments that identify potential adaptation pathways, funding opportunities, and data needs.
The second project featured will be from the West CAP team, the California-Nevada Climate Adaptation Program, highlighting their approach to providing technical assistance and integrating regional data and projections for sea level rise, coastal storm flooding, and beach erosion. This work aims to assist with developing adaptation pathways and strategies, including dunes as NbS, and co-produces and integrates climate, social science research, and Indigenous stewardship to support the advancement of effective and equitable sea-level rise adaptation planning with several collaborators across Southern California.

Mystery of History Hike
2024-11-29 12:00 - 13:00 | Machicomoco State Park
The rich story of Virginia’s First Peoples has many twists and turns that are steeped in mystery and controversy as their oral histories were scattered by European arrival, leaving the written and published accounts of those same foreigners to be some of the only well-known accounts that remain today. Join Machicomoco State Park for a Ranger led hike to discuss the different mysteries surrounding the historic Powhatan Peoples and their encounters with the colonists, including some that still remain today. Recommended for participants ages 12+.

ECOTOX Knowledgebase and PFAS Updates
2024-12-05 15:00 - 16:00
This webinar will demonstrate EPA’s Ecotoxicology Knowledgebase (ECOTOX) tool, which gives quick access to reliable and up-to-date information about how chemicals potentially affect ecologically relevant species. ECOTOX is a comprehensive, publicly available knowledgebase providing single chemical environmental toxicity data for over 12,000 chemicals and species, including aquatic life, terrestrial plants, and wildlife. ECOTOX provides robust curated toxicity data for aquatic and terrestrial organisms to support ecological risk assessments, site assessments, criteria/benchmark development, and other research. The knowledgebase is additionally used to aid the prioritization and assessment of chemicals. By leveraging this knowledge, EPA remains committed to providing clear, actionable, and accessible information about PFAS to the public, researchers, and risk assessors. This presentation will include information on updates to ECOTOX data for PFAS to support hazard evaluation and development of ecological risk assessment screening values. The ECOTOX Knowledgebase Resource Hub can be accessed here.

Register for the webinar.

Friends of Dragon Run hike
2024-12-08 13:00 - 15:30
This season’s Friends of Dragon Run member hike will be held on Sunday, Dec. 8, at its Powcan property in Essex County near Millers Tavern at 1pm.
This is a FODR member’s event. Non-members may attend if accompanied by a member, or you can become a member by going to https://www.dragonrun.org/membership.html.
Learn more and register here!

Webinar: Pollution Prevention
2024-12-10 18:30 - 20:00
The Virginia Department of Environmental Quality works hard to improve the quality of Virginia’s air, water, and land—and part of that effort is preventing future pollution! Our pollution prevention programs provide technical assistance, education, funding, and recognition for governments, businesses, and organizations that go above and beyond to minimize their impact on the environment and be good neighbors in their communities. Join us to learn more about these programs and also what you can do to prevent pollution.
Link to Register: https://attendee.gotowebinar.com/register/4676463085904627804

Designing Living Shorelines for Sea Level Rise in Virginia: A Resource for Practitioners
2024-12-11 12:00 - 13:00

Better Together: Participatory Science Resources & Opportunities at EPA
2024-12-11 15:00 - 16:00
Participatory science uses the collective strength and knowledge of the public to collect, analyze, and use data to answer environmental and public health questions. Participatory science is the involvement of the public in scientific research and includes a broad and inclusive array of activities. Projects answer wide ranging questions, can engage the public in any or all steps of the scientific process, and operate using diverse models ranging from community-led to institutionally driven. These efforts facilitate community engagement and an increase in place-based connections, environmental stewardship, and scientific literacy. EPA has a long history of engaging data collected by the public. In recent years, the agency has collaborated with Tribal Nations, state agencies, academia, technical support providers, and volunteer scientists to explore effective collaborations and approaches to implementation. This webinar will explore three areas of participatory science focus at EPA: role of participatory science at EPA, key considerations and resources available when starting a project, and lessons learned and project spotlights.

Register for the webinar.

A Scientist Walks into a Bar: Graduate Student Edition
2024-12-11 18:00 - 19:00
The Virginia Beer Company will host three VIMS graduate students to give 5-minute fast-talks on the important research they are conducting. Talks will take place every 20 minutes. Drop in, interact with the students, and enter to win door prizes. Students will have posters of their research and be available to talk with you between presentations. Speakers for this event include:

Ashley Rose – “Bottoms Up for Bivalves: Increasing Shoreline Resiliency with Ribbed Mussels”

Emma Wilkinson – “Cheers to Choices in Drinks and Ecosystem Models!”

Taylor Dolan – “Shell Yeah! Improving Breeding Strategies for Disease Resistance in Oysters”

This event is free, open to the public, and registration is not required! Learn more here.

Connecting Communities Through Water
2024-12-18 12:00 - 13:00
In 2023, a Polynesian voyaging canoe called Hōkūleʻa set out to circumnavigate the Pacific Ocean and uncover, recover, and reclaim culture, traditions, and a deeper relationship with Earth. The purpose of the voyage was to develop young leaders and connect communities with our oceans, science, and indigenous wisdom. As our speaker Nainoa Thompson said, “the ocean doesn’t separate us—it connects us,” a sentiment that is also relevant in the Chesapeake Bay region.
Join Chesapeake Research Consotirum on Wednesday, December 18th, from 12-1 pm to hear inspiring stories from communities and the open water. Watch this video recapping the 2023 journey, the video “The Way of the Navigator”, or scroll the StoryMap to learn more. Register and learn more here.

Meadows: An Online Workshop for Landscape Professionals
2025-01-08 09:00 - 13:30, 2025-01-15 09:00 - 13:30
When?

January 8, 2025, 9:00 AM – 1:30 PM
January 15, 2025: 9:00 AM – 1:30 PM

Learning Objectives:

Learn about meadow types and what to expect over the lifecycle of a meadow
Become familiar with the benefits of a meadow
Learn about how ecology can inform meadow site selection and site assessment
Develop skills and knowledge to successfully design, implement, and manage native meadows
Explore different types of plant material, plant selection, and planting techniques to optimize meadow success
Understand routine meadow maintenance requirements and common management challenges
Gain familiarity with funding opportunities for meadow projects in several Bay region states

REGISTER HERE!

CBNERR-VA Discovery Lab - Swimming with Sharks
2025-01-15 18:00 - 20:00
There is so much to learn about these curious apex predators. Dive into this Discovery Lab where you’ll learn all about shark anatomy, species, behavior, and conservation. William & Mary Batten School of Coastal & Marine Sciences graduate student and shark enthusiast, Paul Clerkin, will talk about his research on sharks and eDNA. Learn more and register here.
