News Articles
KIDS4RIVERS INSPIRES YOUTH TO KEEP OUR RIVERS HEALTHY
June 21, 2017
PDF OF NEWS ARTICLE with PHOTOS
Photo Caption: Kids4Rivers inspires conversation, family bonding & community support and helps keep our local rivers and streams healthy and clean. Left: Lilly age 8 of Martinsville getting her Kid4Rivers monthly prize with Marlee Stone of Jones & DeShon Orthodontics.
From exploring why litter leads to pollution in our drinking water to learning what you should and shouldn't put down your kitchen sink drain, the Dan River Basin Association (DRBA) Kids4Rivers program (www.danriver.org/kids4rivers) features new games and activities every month that kids can do to keep their rivers and streams healthy and get free monthly prizes.
“Kids4Rivers is a fun and interactive way that kids can learn about how their actions impact the water they drink, the air that they breath, the land that they play on and the animals that live in their community," said Krista Hodges, DRBA's Environmental Education Manager. "The health of our local waterways has an overwhelming impact on our everyday lives – affecting farmland, community health, economic development, just to scratch the surface. Kids can do new Kids4Rivers activities every month with their parents and other children and ultimately play a meaningful role to increase the level of environmental literacy and inspire action to improve the health of these fragile, vital ecosystems.”
DRBA's Kids4Rivers (www.danriver.org/kids4rivers) offers three new activities for kids every month and when they are completed, they can get a prize from a business or park in the area. This new initiative was generously funded by a Monogram Foods' Monogram Loves Kids grant.
“Our team members make the decisions about which community effort receives grant money from the Monogram Loves Kids Foundation," said Pat Strickland, Monogram Foods Plant Manager in Martinsville. "The value of teaching children about personal responsibility for the environment is unmatched. Funding this project was a no-brainer for our committee.”
Kids, with their parent's permission, can visit www.danriver.org/kids4rivers the first week of every month to find a new trio of fun activities and the location of the month's prize sponsor.
"This is an awesome opportunity for businesses in the Dan River Basin to get kids and families to come their establishment," said Brian Williams, DRBA's Virginia Program Manager. "By being a Kids4Rivers monthly prize sponsor, you are not only showing that your business cares about keeping our rivers, farms and wildlife healthy, you're also engaging customers from 16-counties in Virginia and North Carolina with very little investment."
To become a Kids4Rivers monthly prize sponsor, please contact the DRBA Virginia office at (276) 634-2592 or khodges@danriver.org.
Thursday Trail Trekkers
June 20, 2017
THURSDAY TRAIL TREKKERS – SUMMER 2017 SCHEDULE
This group, co-sponsored by Henry County Parks & Recreation and the Dan River Basin Association, meet on Thursday mornings to explore a different trail every week. Weather permitting, we will meet at designated locations throughout the county, and sometimes in nearby parts of neighboring counties, for morning hikes. All the trails selected will be moderate in length and difficulty, and senior-friendly, but there is no minimum age requirement. Please contact Paul Johnson at kpj24112@gmail.com with any questions. Seniors interested in this program will need to pre-register with Henry County Parks & Recreation Senior Services at 276-634-4644.
Join us for free!
Date/Time: Thursdays • 9:15am weather permitting
Location:
June 29 Whiskey Run at Fairystone State Park
July 6 Gravely Nature Preserve
July 13 Dick & Willie Trail
July 20 Collinsville Jaycee Park Nature Trail
July 27 Forest Park Country Club
August 3 Beaver Creek Reservoir
August 10 Virginia Mayo River State Park
August 17 Lauren Mountain Trail
August 24 Smith River Sports Complex
August 31 Cedar Ridge Trail
Carlisle Students Raised Trout Thanks to DGIF eStore Grant
June 1, 2017
Carlisle School in Martinsville, VA raised trout through DRBA's Trout in the Classroom program this school year and released them into the Smith River this spring. The program was supported through a generous grant from the Virginia Department of Game and Inland Fisheries and the Wildlife Foundation of Virginia.
