Our team Restoring The River, will be collaborating with the Chesapeake Bay Foundation. We will be making a shelter on our nature trail for outdoor education, hosting river cleanups, and encouraging citizens to plant vegetation.

shocking statistics

Nitrogen and phosphorus (the chemicals people put in their yard to help the grass grow) washes into the water along with dirt and covers up the underwater plants. it also makes algae grow which blocks the sun so the underwater plants cannot grow, witch causes the fish to die.
in 2021 the James river received a B- on its “report card”
Almost half of the world’s land is used as farmland.

Pollution causes acid rain and is killing plants and animals in lakes.
100 million tires, 28 Billion bottles, and 48 Billion cans are dumped in the environment.
More than 70% of the Chesapeake Bay and tidal rivers are still impaired because of chemical contaminants.
Pollution has caused temperatures to rise.
Underwater grasses are very helpful and help prevent erosion and pollution.

Protect our Waters

Did you know that pesticides keep the bugs away but also hurt our ecosystem, the river, and the animals that drink from it? Rachel Carson wrote a book called “Silent Spring” to spread awareness about the harmful effects of pesticides. The chemicals you use to make your grass green might not be as harmless as you thought. When it rains it creates runoff into rivers, and it causes the fish that use the river as home to lose oxygen and die! Another thing is when fruits and vegetables are sprayed with pesticides, the bugs that are on the foods get contaminated. Birds eat the bugs, so when birds lay eggs the egg shells are thin and the baby birds can’t develop and then fail to live. Pesticides also reform the shape of wetlands. That's a problem because wetlands are good for the environment.

Wetlands are good for the environment because they make the water quality better, give animals a safe place to live, and reduce damage made by storms. The wetlands have natural filters that can clean the water of bacteria which is protecting the ground waters and downstream rivers. Wetlands also store carbon dioxide up to 50 times more quickly than rain forests. 90% of harvested fish and shellfish depend on food and shelter provided by wetlands. “Chemicals don’t break down easily in the James river, but it doesn’t only harm birds and fish, but also us.” (Chesapeake Bay Foundation.) Atlantic sturgeon (a type of fish), which were thought to be extinct, are now being found in the James River. This is why we need to stop the amount of pesticides and garbage from being washed into the rivers and streams.

Watersheds can affect the James River in a variety of ways, because all of the trash, chemicals, and man-made objects that are in the watersheds flow into the James River causing pollution. The James River is life to many animals. Pollution can cause life changing threats to the animals and the river. Do you know what else can be bad for the river…Algae! It can form when the currents in the river are not actively moving. Algae is a slippery substance that is bad for the river because it grows too much. If it rapidly grows it will block the vitamin D from the fish. The effect of this is the fish passing away. This is why Youth United’s environmental team is dedicated to restoring the river and its ecosystems.

“…If we ignore the laws of ecology we will continue to be guilty of crimes against the Earth. We will not be judged by men for these crimes, but with justice met out of Earth itself. The destruction of the Earth will lead, inevitably, to the destruction of ourselves.”- said Bob Hunter, Environmental Activists (EPIC)

Mentors

Mr. Mittler

Rick Mittler was such a joy to be around, every answer he gave was outstanding. We learned so much and I couldn't ask for more. He had so much energy and one of my favorite parts was when he made us all get up and move. Mr. Mittler is part of the C.B.F. (Chesapeake Bay Foundation). He has also been in this field of work for 7 years!

Ms. Mccracken

Betty McCracken is part of the Monacan Soil and Water Conservation and was a very important part of our research, she took every question seriously despite our age. Ms. McCracken gave us a very large amount of information for this website and was a very important part of this project.

The Problem

Our river is the source to many animals and homes for animals. But those animals don't have much longer to live and it's also caused by us. We are a big part of the problem. Humans produce gases and most of them are harmful for the environment. Plus the pesticides farmers put on their crops can wash into the river and harm the fish. The water then washes into the bay.

Action Plan

After meeting with local experts to gather more knowledge about our watershed and what goes into it, we discovered that planting trees and native species can help to reduce toxins from fertilizers, pesticides, and lawn chemicals. The roots from the vegetation absorb harmful substances and help to keep them out of the watershed. In addition to planting trees, we plan to host river cleanups and raise money for a new outdoor learning space at RES. Educating young people about taking care of our ecosystem is necessary to the future of our planet. There is no Planet B!

Fundraiser

$20 per shirt. All proceeds go to Youth United!

Email us at youthunitedglnd@gmail.com to get your t-shirt.

How You Can Help?

There are multiple things you can do to support our project. First you can plant more trees. This will help because it will improve our land near the rivers by preventing pesticides from entering our water. Another way is whenever you're out you can pick up trash. Imagine if everyone in the world picked up one piece of trash. That would be 8 billion pieces of trash picked up!

Meet the Team

We are a great group of nature lovers that are working to restore our river. Our team hopes to start small and progress out into a huge ripple effect. Will you help us? Our goal is to improve the James River from a B- up to an A! It will take time and dedication but with enough work we can reach our goal. Although we can't reach our goal without support from our community.

REFERENCES

Bell, L. (n.d) You Can Change The World. Andrew Mcmeel Publishing.

EPIC - https://www.getepic.com/app/read/73881

Gleason, C. (n.d.) Environmental Activist. Crabtree Publishing.

EPIC - https://kids.getepic.com/app/read/7206

Kallio, J. (n.d.) 12 Things To Know About Climate Change. 12-Story Library.

EPIC - https://www.getepic.com/app/read/31247

Levy, D. (n.d.) Inside The Environmental Movement. Rosen Publishing Group.

EPIC - https://www.getepic.com/app/read/62913

Lundgren J. (n.d.) How Do Humans Depend On Earth? Rourke Educational Media.

EPIC - https://www.getepic.com/app/read/52816

Rae, R. (n.d.) Upstream, Downstream, Exploring Watershed Connections. Orca Book Publishing.