Dan River Basin Association

THE DAN RIVER BASIN ASSOCIATION PRESERVES AND PROMOTES THE NATURAL AND CULTURAL RESOURCES OF THE DAN RIVER BASIN THROUGH STEWARDSHIP, RECREATION, AND EDUCATION.

EDUCATION & STEWARDSHIP DESPITE CONTINUED CHALLENGES RELATED TO THE PANDEMIC, DRBA PROVIDED ENVIRONMENTAL EDUCATION (EE) PROGRAMS VIRTUALLY AND IN-CLASSROOM TO OVER 5,000 STUDENTS. AS REQUESTED FROM HUNDREDS OF TEACHERS THROUGHOUT THE REGION, SEVERAL OF DRBA'S EE PROGRAMS WERE REDESIGNED IN 2021 TO BE VIRTUAL. IN ADDITION, A NATIVE BEE BOX WAS INSTALLED AT AN ELEMENTARY SCHOOL AND A CERTIFIED MONARCH WAYSTATION AT THE VIRGINIA MUSEUM OF NATURAL HISTORY IN MARTINSVILLE, VA SPURRING THE MUNICIPALITY TO EXPLORE BECOMING A BEE CITY. STEM PROGRAMMING CONTINUED IN ITS SECOND YEAR FOR 600 STUDENTS IN PITTSYLVANIA COUNTY, VA. OTHER EE PROGRAMS AND VIRTUAL PRESENTATIONS WERE PROVIDED IN NINE COUNTIES IN THE REGION. STUDENTS ACROSS THE REGION PLANTED MORE THAN 100 TREES TO PROTECT RIVERS AND STREAMS. ALTHOUGH DRBA WAS NOT ABLE TO HOST LARGE GROUP CLEANUPS, SMALL GROUPS OF VOLUNTEERS PLANNED AND HOSTED THEIR OWN CLEANUPS DURING THE YEAR AND COMBINED, REMOVED ALMOST TWO TONS OF GARBAGE FROM WATERWAYS AND TRAILS. DRBA HOSTED ONE RAIN BARREL WORKSHOP AND HELD TWO CITIZEN WATER QUALITY MONITORING TRAININGS WHICH RECRUITED 10 NEW VOLUNTEERS. DRBA ALSO RECEIVED A GENEROUS DONATION FROM THREE ROTARY CLUBS TO MARK STORM DRAINS, BUILD A NATURE TRAIL AND INSTALL PERMANENT STORM DRAIN MEDALLIONS IN MARTINSVILLE, VA.

RECREATION IN 2021, DRBA WORKED TO START OR COMPLETE 21 PARK, TRAIL OR RIVER ACCESS PROJECTS, TWELVE IN VIRGINIA AND NINE IN NORTH CAROLINA. DRBA'S PUBLIC, FREE FIRST SATURDAY OUTINGS HAD 155 ATTENDEES FROM 21 LOCALITIES. COMPLETED OUTDOOR ASSET PROJECTS INCLUDED THE WOODLAND TRAIL, PAW PARK, BASSETT CANOE ACCESS AND SMITH RIVER ACCESS IN VIRGINIA AND LINDSEY BRIDGE RIVER ACCESS & PARK, LAKE REIDSVILLE EXPANSION TRAIL, CLEARWATER PARK, JACOBS CREEK BATTEAU LANDING & RIVER ACCESS, MOSS STREET ELEMENTARY SCHOOL TRAIL AND KLYCE STREET RIVER ACCESS SIGNAGE IN NORTH CAROLINA. DRBA STARTED AND CONTINUED WORK ON THE I.C. DEHART TRAIL SYSTEM, VIRGINIA MAYO RIVER STATE PARK, NATURE DETOUR TRAIL, FIELDALE PARK, DOE RUN MARSHLAND TRAIL, SOUTH MARTINSVILLE RIVER ACCESS, UPTOWN CONNECTION SPUR TRAIL AND FRANK WILSON PARK TRAIL IN VIRGINIA AND BELEWS PARK, DAN RIVER STATE TRAIL AND SETTLES BRIDGE RIVER ACCESS IN NORTH CAROLINA. THE BEYOND PATHWAYS MASTER PLAN CONTINUED IN ITS SECOND YEAR WITH SIX ROCKINGHAM COUNTY, NC MUNICIPALITIES AND IS EXPECTED TO BE COMPLETED IN 2023.

SUSTAINABLE ECONOMY, HERITAGE AND OPERATIONS IN 2021, DRBA'S MUNICIPAL MEMBERSHIPS REMAINED STABLE AND INCLUDED THE TOWN OF HALIFAX AND HENRY COUNTY IN VIRGINIA AND THE TOWN OF MAYODAN, TOWN OF MADISON, CITY OF EDEN, CITY OF REIDSVILLE, ROCKINGHAM COUNTY, TOWN OF STONEVILLE, TOWN OF WENTWORTH, AND THE TOWN OF DANBURY IN NORTH CAROLINA. DRBA ALSO CONTINUED TO BE FISCAL AGENT FOR THE DAN RIVER IMPLEMENTATION TEAM, CHINQUA-PENN TRAIL AND THE ECO AMBASSADOR COUNCIL. DRBA STAFF INCREASED IN 2021 WITH THE HIRING OF A NORTH CAROLINA PROGRAM COORDINATOR. DRBA STAFF AND BOARD MEMBERS CONTINUED TO SERVE ON SEVERAL COMMITTEES AND BOARDS OF ORGANIZATIONS, INCLUDING THE BOARD OF THE VIRGINIA ASSOCIATION FOR ENVIRONMENTAL EDUCATION (VAEE), VIRGINIA RESOURCE USE EDUCATION COUNCIL (VRUEC), VIRGINIA NO CHILD LEFT INSIDE (VNCLI) COALITION, MAYO RIVER STATE PARK STAKEHOLDERS, VIRGINIA WATER RESOURCES RESEARCH CENTER, PIEDMONT OUTDOOR RECREATION, AND EDEN RIVERS AND TRAILS. DRBA STAFF WERE ALSO VIRTUAL GUEST LECTURERS AND SPEAKERS FOR SEVERAL ORGANIZATIONS, SUCH AS MIDDLE BORDER FORWARD VISION 2035, MASTER GARDENERS IN VIRGINIA AND NORTH CAROLINA, KIWANIS, ROTARY, AND OTHER LOCAL CLUBS AND COMMITTEES. DRBA'S EDUCATION OUTREACH MANAGER WAS INVITED TO PRESENT AT BOTH THE VA ASSOCIATION OF SCIENCE TEACHERS CONFERENCE AND THE VA CHILDREN'S ENGINEERING CONVENTION IN 2021.