Archive

FOJG Programs

2024

  • 4/9/24: Reggie Stewart, 2nd Assistant Chief, Chickahominy Indian Tribe presented The Chickahominy Indian Tribe's Acquisition of Ancestral Lands and Their Importance to Cultural and Environmental Preservation. Reggie serves as IT Director and American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) Funds Manager for the Tribe. In his role as IT Director, he provides end-user support for Tribal staff, purchases and deploys IT equipment, manages IT projects, monitors data integrity within IT software solutions, and develops and enforces information security policies. Reggie has been a member of the Tribal Council since June 2004 and has served as 2nd Assistant Chief since June 2011. In addition, Reggie served as Chair of the Virginia Indian Advisory Council (VIAC) for the Jamestown 2007 Commemoration. The Council was responsible for the planning and execution of all the Virginia Indian related events during the year. Click HERE to watch the recording.
  • 3/12/24: Lee Williams presented Think Beyond Methane: The Plan to Transition Richmond Gasworks to a Renewable Energy Provider. The Richmond Gasworks (RGW) is facing serious infrastructure problems that are causing the loss of significant amounts of methane gas. These leaks are not only causing economic losses but also pose health and safety concerns for customers. The Sierra Club FOJG's "Beyond Methane RVA" project has identified over a thousand gas leaks within the RGW's service area, with many of them being severe enough to be ignited. In November, the Richmond City Council approved the creation of a Public Utilities and Services Commission as a first step towards transitioning away from gas in accordance with the city's master plan and 2021's climate and ecological emergency resolution. Now, the question is, what does the next decade look like for an old city that has accepted the challenge of being a renewable energy provider? Lee Williams is a Sierra Club Falls of the James Group (FOJG) Executive Committee member and FOJG Advocacy Committee chair. Additionally, Lee is one of the leaders of the FOJG initiated Electrify RVA campaign, which then developed the Beyond Methane RVA group. Home - Beyond Methane RVA Lee is also co-director of the Green New Deal Virginia. Click HERE to watch the recording.
  • 2/13/24: Dr. Radhika Barua and Emily Smith of Virginia Commonwealth University (VCU) presented The Circular Economy: Do We Have the Skills? It is time for a circular economy. Through design and innovation, we can make new products for wide-ranging consumer, building and industrial applications using raw materials that are recoverable and regenerated at the end of their service life, thus eliminating waste and pollution while creating an economy that benefits people, businesses, and the natural world. Under the umbrella of VCU’s Institute of Sustainable Energy and Environments, faculty affiliated with VCU’s Schools of Engineering, Business, and the Arts are collaborating on a unique interdisciplinary curriculum that will train students on the new skills necessary to make a circular economy a reality. The program focuses on effectively designing, promoting, and implementing concepts of sustainable materials development and green manufacturing. Dr. Radhika Barua is the Director of the Advanced Magnetic Materials Processing Laboratory in the College of Engineering at Virginia Commonwealth University in Richmond, VA. She holds a Ph.D. in Chemical Engineering (specializing in Materials Science) from Northeastern University in Boston, a M.S. degree in Biotechnology from State of New York at Buffalo and a B.E. degree in Chemical Engineering from Visveswaraiah Technological University in India. Emily Smith, VCU Assistant Professor of Interior Design and Certified Interior Designer. Emily Smith is an assistant professor with VCU Interior Design and a certified interior designer. Click HERE to watch the recording.
  • 1/9/24: Danny Plaugher, Executive Director of both Virginians for High Speed Rail (VHSR) and the Virginia Transit Association (VTA) presented The Case for Transforming Rail in the Commonwealth: Why it's important, and what it means for our communities. Danny joined VHSR in 2007 where he helped to create the Virginia Intercity Passenger Rail Operating and Capital Fund (IPROC) and make Virginia one of the first states with a dedicated funding source for passenger rail. He joined the Virginia Transit Association (VTA) in 2019 to help lead their policy and outreach efforts. Click HERE to watch the recording.  

2023

  • 11/14/23: Parker Agelasto, Executive Director of the Capital Region Land Conservancy presented What's Happening in the Richmond Region? The Land Conservation. View With only about 6% of the land protected in the Richmond region, the small but mighty Capital Region Land Conservancy is making its best effort to conserve land for future generations. That includes working lands like forests and farms, important natural habitats, and equitable public access to nature for all our residents. Learn how CRLC has contributed to the ambitious goals outlined in President Biden’s 2021 Executive Order committing to the conservation of 30% of the land in the United States before 2030. How has the Richmond region been doing and what might a path forward look like to support these efforts? Parker has an MBA from UVA’s Darden School of Business, a Master of Arts in Art History, also from UVA, and a BA from Bates College. He serves on the board of Virginia’s United Land Trusts and VIRGINIAforever.  Parker has been with CRLC since September 2015 and has helped to conserve over 4,000 acres of land. He has developed collaborative relationships with elected officials and planning staffs across the region to better coordinate strategic land conservation. His experience with land conservation is also personal; his family owns a 200 - acre property in Nelson County along the Rockfish River (a tributary of the James River) that is protected under a conservation easement. Click HERE to watch the recording.

  • 10/10/23: Mark Deutsch, co-author and contributor to the Carbon Almanac presented The Carbon Almanac: It's Not Too Late. Facts. Connection. Action. Released in the summer of 2022, The Carbon Almanac is a global, best-selling book and source of reliable and easily understandable knowledge on climate change that you can share to create meaningful impact. Mark, one of the lead contributors to The Carbon Almanac project, shared more about what The Carbon Almanac is, who is behind it, and how it can provide ways to talk about climate change and help drive systemic change. In addition to his work on The Carbon Almanac project, Mark has been interested in protecting the environment for many years, and he took a very active interest in the climate and sustainability in 2020. That year, Rotary International, the world's largest service organization that Mark has been involved with for over 20 years, named “supporting the environment” its seventh, specific area of focus.
    Mark was recently appointed by the Henrico County, Virginia Board of Supervisors to the Keep Henrico Beautiful committee, focused on litter prevention, recycling promotion, environmental education, and more. He is the Central Virginia Metro Ambassador and a Mentor for Cleantech Open, the world's largest clean technology accelerator. Mark is a leader of his global consulting company’s task force to build an ESG (environmental, social, and governance) practice, and a co-founder of EarthWork Collective - a group of facilitators, communicators, educators, and creatives putting their skills toward solving climate change by helping people to change their organizations. Mark grew up in Orlando, Florida and received his BA from the University of Central Florida. He then relocated to Richmond, Virginia in 1993 for his first job out of college in medical sales, and earned an MBA from Averett University. Click HERE to watch the recording. 

  • 9/12/23: Dean King presented Guardians of the Valley: John Muir and the Friendship That Saved Yosemite. Richmond author Dean King discussed his new 2023 book Guardians of the Valley - John Muir and the Friendship That Saved Yosemite. This book is the dramatic and uplifting story of legendary outdoorsman and conservationist John Muir’s journey to become the man who saved Yosemite — from the author of the bestselling Skeletons on the Zahara: A True Story of Survival. 
    In June of 1889 in San Francisco, John Muir—iconic environmentalist, writer, and philosopher—meets face-to-face for the first time with his longtime editor Robert Underwood Johnson, an elegant and influential figure at The Century magazine. Before long, the pair, opposites in many ways, decide to venture to Yosemite Valley, the magnificent site where twenty years earlier, Muir experienced a personal and spiritual awakening that would set the course of the rest of his life.

Upon their arrival the men are confronted with a shocking vision, as predatory mining, tourism, and logging industries have plundered and defaced “the grandest of all the special temples of Nature.” While Muir is consumed by grief, Johnson, a champion of society’s most pressing debates via the pages of the nation’s most prestigious magazine, decides that he and Muir must fight back. The pact they form marks a watershed moment, leading to the creation of Yosemite National Park, and launching an environmental battle that captivates the nation and ushers in the beginning of the American environmental movement.

Beautifully rendered, deeply researched, and inspiring, Guardians of the Valley is a moving story of friendship, the written word, and the transformative power of nature. It is also a timely and powerful “origin story” as the toweringly complex environmental challenges we face today become increasingly urgent.
    

Dean King is an award-winning author of ten nonfiction books. He crossed the Sahara on camels and in Land Rovers while researching Skeletons on the Zahara, trekked the Long March trail in the mountains of Western China for Unbound, and was shot at while researching The Feud in Appalachia. His writing has appeared in Granta, Garden & Gun, National Geographic Adventure, Outside, Travel & Leisure, New York magazine, and The New York Times. He is the chief storyteller in two History Channel documentaries and is a producer of its nonfiction series Hatfields & McCoys: White Lightning. An internationally known speaker, King has also appeared on NPR’s Talk of the Nation, ABC World News Tonight, PBS American Experience, BBC Radio, and TEDx. He is a partner of Gum Street Productions, which is currently developing a feature documentary for Netflix. Click HERE to watch the recording.

  • 4/11/2023: Dr. Richard Groover presented The Amazing Coyotes are Everywhere. The Eastern Coyote has now settled in all of North America and is present in every county and city in Virginia. This presentation provided information about their behavior, especially in the urban environment. Also included were strategies to mitigate their presence. Dr. Richard Groover is a Fellow of the Virginia Academy of Science. He teaches ecology at Randolph Macon College and graduate seminars at George Mason University. Dr. Groover is the author of The Environmental Almanac of Virginia, 2nd edition and Environmental Cartoons for Teachers, and a co-author of Cicada Olympics. He has a PhD in Environmental Science & Public Policy from George Mason University. His current research is on dragonflies and coyotes of Hanover County, VA. Click HERE to watch the recording.

  • 3/14/2023: Courtney Hayes, the Habitat Connectivity Program Director at Wild Virginia presented The Importance of Habitat Connectivity and Protecting VA's Wildlife Corridors. Preserving habitat connectivity helps keep ecosystems healthy and intact. Specifically, preserving wildlife corridors, or connections between patches of important habitat, protects public health, reduces wildlife-vehicle collisions, allows wildlife to move to more suitable habitats, and makes our state more resilient in the face of a changing climate. Courtney discussed the importance of wildlife corridors, what work is being done to protect them in Virginia, and what work still needs to be done. Click HERE to watch the recording.
  • 2/8/2023: University of Richmond students Will Heinle, Elizabeth Halasz, Indya Woodfolk, and McKenna Dunbar presented University of Richmond Student Environmental Presentations moderated by Dr. Todd Lookingbill. McKenna Dunbar (our VA Chapter Community Engagement Coordinator) and Indy Woodfolk spoke about Promoting Clean Energy Education, which was a project that inspired action against and mitigated instances of environmental injustices throughout Virginia. Elizabeth Halasz discussed her field research internship in Acadia National Park, where she worked on projects such as intertidal crab surveying, mountain vegetation restoration, and intertidal-terrestrial energy subsidies. Will Heinle talked about his summer experience working in southern West Virginia as an environmental educator for Appalachian youth. The organization he worked for strives to foster environmental ethics in the next generation of Appalachians while restoring local biodiversity in degraded former mine sites. Click HERE to watch.
  • 1/15/2023: Lydia Pittman and Lisa Thompson presented Urban Gardening: Backyard and Community Growing Our Health and Ecology. FOJG member Lydia Pittman discussed how to start your own backyard garden: it's cheap and easy. She talked about seed starting and preparing the land to help you on your journey to food that's less expensive and often more nutritious. This is the perfect way to pinch a few pennies and enjoy some delicious dinners! Lydia has been gardening for 14 years in urban and rural settings with a goal of eating healthy and locally. 
    FOJG member Lisa Thompson has been tending the same 1/8-acre backyard vegetable garden for 24 years. Key to keeping the soil fertile and productive is the use of compost and organic additives. Lisa talked about how to make your own compost to save money and reduce what you send to the landfill. She also discussed biological insect and disease control. As a regular volunteer at community gardens such as Shalom Farms and Bellemeade Park, Lisa presented information on opportunities to work in gardens that produce food for the community. Click HERE to watch.

2022

  • 12/13/2022: FOJG Virtual Program: Hiking the Lycean Way in Turkey with Ralph Grove, Traveling in the Harz Mountains and the Romanesque Road of Germany with Lydia Pittman, and Camping and Paddling the Natural Wonders of Newfoundland Canada with Glen Besa. 
    Hiking the Lycean Way in Turkey with Ralph Grove: The Lycean Way follows old trade routes, village paths, and trails along the Aegean coast in southwestern Turkey. Hikers encounter a combination of challenging trails, magnificent views of the sea, and the friendly hospitality of mountain villages. Ralph Grove is the Sierra Club VA Chapter Executive Committee Chair, Chapter Outings Leader Chair, and is a member of FOJG.
    Traveling in the Harz Mountains and The Romanesque Road by Lydia Pittman: Wander through the medieval towns in the Harz Mountains in Germany from Goslar to Quedlinburg with sites from ancient tribes' mythologies to Cold War listening machines.  The Harz Mountains have long been a center of civilization in central Europe. Lydia Pittman is an FOJG member and member of the FOJG Membership Engagement Committee.
    Camping and Paddling in the Natural Wonders of Newfoundland by Glen Besa: Glen spent much of this past July camping and paddling in Newfoundland, Canada. Camping and hiking in two of Newfoundland's National Parks (Gros Morne and Terra Nova) and paddling in the Witless Bay Ecological Preserve provided numerous views of breathtaking scenery and wildlife- Fjords, puffins, whales, seals and otters-- which Glen will share.   Glen Besa is an FOJG Executive Committee Member, FOJG Political Chair and Outings Leader, an environmental activist, and formerly served as Director of the Sierra Club Virginia Chapter. Click HERE to watch. 
  • 11/15/22: Devin Jefferson presented BioBlitzes and Community Science at the Science Museum. Devin Jefferson, Community Science Catalyst at the Science Museum of Virginia, talked about biodiversity observations during community science events such as BioBlitzes and City Nature Challenges. He also talked about ways to get involved in the Richmond area and how that data can be used to support community-driven learning and priorities. Click HERE to watch. 
  • 10/11/2022: Charlotte Brody presented Our Air, Food and Water: How Toxic Chemicals are Harming Everyone and Harming People of Color More. Charlotte Brody is Vice-President of Health Initiatives with the Blue/Green Alliance. Even before COVID took its toll, Americans were sicker than they used to be. More asthma, more cancer for everyone but especially for People of Color. Autism has also increased for all populations. Chemicals are one cause of our chronic disease problem. And they’re a part of the problem we can solve – often at the same time that we’re addressing climate change. Click HERE to see Charlotte’s slide presentation. 
  • 9/13/2022: Sheri Shannon presented Greening Southside Richmond. Sheri Shannon, Co-Founder of Southside ReLeaf. In Richmond, the history of redlining and urban renewal has shaped the identity of its neighborhoods. For Richmond’s Southside, one enduring legacy is extreme urban heat due to fewer trees and more heat-absorbing surfaces. As climate extremes worsen, an increase in heat waves will exacerbate the social vulnerabilities of residents. Sheri reviewed Southside ReLeaf’s efforts to improve the quality of life and health outcomes for Richmond’s Southside residents through tree plantings, hands-on learning, community outreach, and civic engagement. Click HERE to watch.
  • 4/12/22: Dr. Scott Neubauer presented Wetlands, What Are They and What Value do They Contain? Dr. Neubauer is an Associate Professor of Biology at VCU and wetlands specialist who spoke about wetlands and their value and importance. We’ve all heard of the term, but do we really know what wetlands are? Do they serve a purpose? How do they fit into the larger ecological picture? Is it okay to build on a wetland and create another somewhere else? Is it fine to use them for recreational purposes? Dr. Scott C. Neubauer is an Associate Professor whose research focuses on coastal wetland biogeochemistry and microbial ecology, with an emphasis on ecosystem responses to environmental change. Click HERE to watch.
  • 3/8/22: Duron Chavis made a presentation on Urban Farms. Duron spoke about his work as an urban farmer and community activist here in Richmond. He is the recipient of one of our Green Giant awards in 2021. Duron's career began at the Black History Museum and Cultural Center of Virginia, and while there in 2003 he founded the acclaimed Happily Natural Day Festival. In the past decade, Duron has initiated social justice-minded farmer’s markets and transformed green spaces throughout the metro Region into urban gardens, farms, orchards, and vineyards. He was a member of the inaugural Citizen’s Advisory Board for the Office of Community Wealth Building and was also manager of community engagement for the city’s Lewis Ginter botanical garden. One of his latest projects, Sankofa Community Orchard was dedicated in October 2021. It is a one-acre orchard on Reedy Creek in South Richmond which addresses the need for public greenspace and food access through the installation of over 100 fruit trees and fruiting shrubs. Tragedy struck in November when the orchard’s new tractor was stolen. Hear how the community has rallied by donating the full cost of the tractor in just a few weeks with private donations. Click HERE to watch.
  • 2/8/22: University of Richmond students Will Heinle, Elizabeth Halasz, Indya Woodfolk, and McKenna Dunbar presented University of Richmond Student Environmental Presentations moderated by Dr. Todd Lookingbill. McKenna Dunbar (our VA Chapter Community Engagement Coordinator) and Indy Woodfolk spoke about Promoting Clean Energy Education, which was a project that inspired action against and mitigated instances of environmental injustices throughout Virginia. Elizabeth Halasz discussed her field research internship in Acadia National Park, where she worked on projects such as intertidal crab surveying, mountain vegetation restoration, and intertidal-terrestrial energy subsidies. Will Heinle talked about his summer experience working in southern West Virginia as an environmental educator for Appalachian youth. The organization he worked for strives to foster environmental ethics in the next generation of Appalachians while restoring local biodiversity in degraded former mine sites. Click HERE to watch.
  • 1/11/22: Chris Burnside and Karl Green made a presentation on Monarchs: Endangered but not Protected. As the Monarch Migration numbers continue to decline, there is new concern over their future. Monarchs east of the Rocky Mountains used to number in the hundreds of millions but the population has dropped by 80% and the Western Monarch edges closer to actual extinction. Is there anything we as citizens can do to help slow and reverse this trend?  Karl Green and Chris Burnside discussed current research and strategies that they are implementing in their yard. Click HERE to watch.

2021

  • 12/14/21: Green Giant Awards and Two Travel Programs: The Perseids Meteor Shower in Joshua Tree National Park by Tamara Smith and Gill Sigmon and A Canal Barge Holiday in England: Two Weeks on the Avon Ring by Shavon Peacock. Green Giant awards were presented to Bob Argabright, Duron Chavis and La'Veesha Rollins. Tamara Smith and Gill Sigmon described their adventures in Joshua Tree National Park and the inspiration for traveling there. Also covered were the location and landscape of the park, the dark sky designation, and Joshua Trees. Shavon Peacock gave a trip report on Andrew’s and her two weeks traveling on the Avon Ring in England on a 66-foot-long, 6-foot-wide barge. The 108-mile Avon Ring takes boaters along parts of the Stratford Canal, River Avon, River Severn, and Worcester & Birmingham Canal. Learn about the trials and tribulations of driving the barge, negotiating bridges, tunnels, aqueducts, and 130 locks, including flight locks. Click HERE to watch.
  • 11/9/21: Katie Register, Executive Director of Clean Virginia Waterways of Longwood University, and co-founder of the Virginia Plastic Pollution Prevention Network made the presentation Plastic Pollution in Virginia: Trends, Sources, Solutions. Katie has spent years researching plastic waste in Virginia, its sources and how it got to be litter.  In addition to sharing her data on plastic pollution gleaned from reports on beach and stream clean ups, Katie discussed possible solutions to plastic pollution as well as challenge solutions being promoted by the plastics industry. Click HERE to watch this program and FOJG announcements.
  • 10/12/21: Richmond Councilmember Katherine Jordan: Richmond Climate and Ecological Emergency Resolution. Councilwoman Jordan, an FOJG Green Giant Awardee, discussed the origin of and urgent need for a declaration of climate emergency in Richmond. Our speaker was the architect of the resolution which just passed Richmond City Council unanimously. She discussed the provisions of the resolution and what we can do to implement them, including vehicle fleet electrification, winding down of Richmond Gasworks, and many more. Click HERE to watch this program and FOJG announcements.
  • 6/8/21: Victoria Ronnau, Executive Director and Founder of VA Network for Democracy and Environmental Rights (VNDER), gave a presentation on The Rights of Nature. She discussed the Rights of Nature Movement and how VNDER can assist counties, cities, and towns to create new legal, civil, and environmental rights to protect them against projects harmful to their communities.  Click HERE to watch.
  • 5/11/21: Parker Agelasto, Director of the Capital Region Land Conservancy, presented his program 30x30 Campaign for Nature: How to Get There from Six Percent? Parker discussed how conservation efforts matter, from Mayor Levar Stoney’s commitment to providing parks and open space to all residents of Richmond, to President Joe Biden’s recent commitment to protecting 30% of the land and water of the United States by 2030. Parker also updated us on recent activities of the Capital Region Land Conservancy that protect our natural and historic resources, and create places for the public. Click HERE to watch.
  • 4/13/2021: Lee Williams and Karen Campblin, co-chairs of The Green New Deal Virginia, talked about The Green New Deal Virginia, their coalition of labor, social justice and environmental organizations and their legislative efforts and successes. Click HERE to watch.
  • 3/9/2021: Jay Epstein, builder and President of Health E Community Enterprises of Virginia Inc. presented The Zero Energy-Ready Home. Jay reviewed the Villas at Rockets Landing - Virginia’s First Single Family Solar Community of 45 homes and Walnut Farms Virginia First Zero Energy Ready Community. He also discussed his current planned community in Williamsburg VA, which will be powered by a solar micro grid owned by the Homeowner's Association (HOA) with one master Net Meter. Click HERE to watch.
  • 2/9/2021: Dr. Jeremy Hoffman, Chief Scientists of the Science Museum of Virginia, talked about Urban Heat Islands and Their Effect on the Health of RVA. Jeremy presented new findings related to transportation, public health, and socioeconomics. Urban heat islands occur when cities experience much warmer temperatures than surrounding greener areas. This is caused by the proliferation of asphalt roads and concrete buildings and the removal of green spaces (grass, trees, etc.) that would otherwise help cool cities. Low-income neighborhoods that have been red-lined in the past tend to have less green cover. Click HERE to watch.

2020

  • 9/8/2020: Bryce Wilk, Superintendent of the James River Park System, talks about the James River Park System's 10-Year Plan and Updates on the Plan.  Click HERE to watch.

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