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.

ENVIRONMENTAL EDUCATION (EE) MORE THAN 9,000 YOUTH AND ADULTS, A 10% INCREASE OVER 2022, FROM ALMOST A DOZEN COUNTIES PARTICIPATED IN DRBAS EE PROGRAMS IN 2023. DRBA CONTINUED ITS SPECIAL OUTREACH TO UNDERSERVED YOUTH BY PROVIDING EE PROGRAMS FOR MORE THAN 100 UNDERSERVED YOUTH THROUGH MHC AFTER 3. DRBA ALSO PROVIDED ITS AWARD-WINNING IN-CLASSROOM AND FIELD PROGRAMS SUCH AS TROUT IN THE CLASSROOM, STREAMSIDE TREES IN THE CLASSROOM AND GROWING KIDS AND TREES AT MORE THAN 40 SCHOOLS. IN ADDITION, DRBA SPONSORED AND PARTICIPATED IN 22 PUBLIC EVENTS AND WORKSHOPS DURING THE YEAR INCLUDING VIRGINIA SAVE OUR STREAMS TRAINING, RAIN BARREL WORKSHOP, AND CITIZEN WATER QUALITY MONITORING TRAININGS FOR MORE THAN 150 VOLUNTEERS. DRBA ALSO INSTALLED A SENSORY GARDEN AT THE ALBERT HARRIS ELEMENTARY SCHOOL AND A NATIONALLY CERTIFIED MONARCH WAYSTATION AT MARTINSVILLE HIGH SCHOOL. THIS WAS DRBAS FOURTH WAYSTATION INSTALLED IN THE REGION. ON NATIONAL PUBLIC LANDS DAY, DRBA AND THE US ARMY CORPS OF ENGINEERS HOSTED THE FOREST SCHOOL AT PHILPOTT LAKE EVENT, SPONSORED BY THE ECO AMBASSADOR COUNCIL AND CLOSE TO 100 PEOPLE ATTENDED. IN 2023, THE NEW VOLUNTEER ENVIRONMENTAL EDUCATORS (VEE) WAS LAUNCHED AND TRAINED EIGHTEEN VOLUNTEERS TO PROVIDE DRBA EE PROGRAMMING THROUGHOUT THE WATERSHED.

OUTDOOR RECREATION IN 2023, DRBA COMPLETED 13 TRAIL, RIVER ACCESS AND PARK PROJECTS WHICH INCLUDED THE BATTEAU RENOVATION PROJECT AT THE MUSEUM AND ARCHIVES OF ROCKINGHAM COUNTY, THE FIELDALE STEPS PROJECT, THE BEAVER CREEK CAMPUS TRAIL, THE M.C. MARTIN PARK AND HOGANS CREEK PARK. THE NORTH CAROLINA LEGISLATURE NAMED 2023 AS THE YEAR OF THE TRAIL IN NC AND DRBA PLANNED AND HOSTED OVER TWO DOZEN OUTDOOR EVENTS INSPIRING HUNDREDS OF PEOPLE TO GET OUTDOORS. DRBA ALSO MANAGED THE INSTALLATION OF A MURAL CREATED BY A SENIOR CENTER ART GROUP AT THE MATRIMONY CREEK TRAIL IN EDEN. DRBA COMPLETED ITS WORK ON TWO MASTER PLANS FOR THE REGION INCLUDING THE ROCKINGHAM COUNTY, NC OUTDOOR RECREATION MASTER PLAN AND THE DAN RIVER CORRIDOR STUDY. DRBAS MONTHLY, PUBLIC, FREE FIRST SATURDAY OUTINGS INSPIRED MORE THAN 300 PARTICIPANTS TO JOIN A DRBA-HOSTED HIKE OR PADDLE IN 2023, ALMOST A 10% INCREASE OVER 2022. IN ADDITION, DRBA PROVIDED A GUIDED HIKE FOR YOUTH AT KNIGHT BROWN NATURE PRESERVE IN NORTH CAROLINA FOR DOZENS OF YOUTH AND A BI-STATE PARK HIKE WITH RANGERS FROM NC MAYO RIVER STATE PARK AND THE FUTURE VA STATE PARK.

STEWARDSHIP & OUTREACH IN 2023, DRBA HOSTED AND/OR MANAGED 24 LAND AND WATER CLEANUPS IN THE WATERSHED ENGAGING MORE THAN 950 VOLUNTEERS. MORE THAN 300 TREES WERE PLANTED AS RIPARIAN BUFFER TO PROMOTE HEALTHY WATER. MORE THAN SIXTY VOLUNTEERS PERFORMED MONTHLY MONITORING OF THE REGIONS RIVERS AND STREAMS THROUGH DRBAS CITIZEN WATER QUALITY MONITORING PROGRAM USING THE SAME PROTOCOLS AS VIRGINIA AND NORTH CAROLINA WATER QUALITY DEPARTMENTS. DRBA ALSO PARTNERED WITH SOUTHERN ENVIRONMENTAL LAW CENTER TO MAINTAIN THE BAN ON URANIUM MINING IN VIRGINIA. AT DRBAS ANNUAL CELEBRATION IN JUNE, 2023, DRBA MEMBERS VOTED TO ELIMINATE MEMBERSHIP LEVELS TO BE MORE INCLUSIVE AND WELCOMING TO ALL PEOPLE REGARDLESS OF HOW MUCH THEY WERE ABLE TO DONATE. DRBA HELD SEVERAL PUBLIC EVENTS INCLUDING THE FLOATING LOTUS WHERE PEOPLE DONATED IN CELEBRATION OR MEMORY OF A LOVED ONE AND THEN SET A LOTUS FLOWER IN THE WATER. DRBA PARTICIPATED IN SEVERAL FESTIVALS THROUGHOUT THE REGION AND MANAGED A KAYAK POOL AT THE SMITH RIVERFEST HELPING BOTH YOUTH AND ADULTS LEARN HOW TO SAFELY PADDLE. DRBA HOSTED INSPIRED BY NATURE WEBINAR WHICH FEATURED LOCAL ARTISTS AND HOW THEY INCORPORATE THE OUTDOORS INTO THEIR ART. DRBA STAFF CONTINUED TO SERVE ON SEVERAL COMMITTEES AND BOARDS OF ORGANIZATIONS. DRBA STAFFWERE ALSO VIRTUAL GUEST LECTURERS AND SPEAKERS FOR MORE THAN A DOZEN REGIONAL AND NATIONAL ORGANIZATIONS.