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Our Archives
What has FoBP been up to?
Here's a look back at just some of
what has gone
on in our park.
Press
Release
Statewide
Volunteers
Target
Invasive
Species in
Spring
Bryan Park
May 2, 2009
The Virginia
Master
Naturalists
and the
Virginia
Native Plant
Society
announce the
first-ever,
statewide
Invasive
Plant
Removal Day.
The program
will take
place at
locations
all over the
state on
Saturday,
May 2, 2009.
Invasive
species are,
generally,
non-native
species that
cause
ecological
or
economical
harm. They
share
certain
characteristics,
such as
being able
to mature
quickly,
generate
many
offspring
and can
tolerate a
wide range
of habitats.
Because of
the
characteristics
that allow a
species to
successfully
establish in
new
territory,
invasive
species make
terrible
neighbors.
They
out-compete
native
species for
the same
resources,
eventually
harming
trees,
wildlife and
water
quality.
Invasives
have taken a
firm
foothold in
many parts
of the state
and
everyone's
help is
needed to
reclaim our
natural
areas.
Removing
invasive
plants and
sowing
native flora
is a
fantastic
way to
restore
water
quality and
wildlife
habitat in
any biome.
There are
activities
planned
throughout
Virginia
including
Arlington
County,
Charlottesville,
Fairfax
County,
Falls
Church,
Reston and
Alexandria.
Alternative
Spring Break--A
Chesapeake
Bay Foundation Project
There is plenty of work to do in Jordan's Branch!
Monday, March 9,
2009
Project description: We collected
trash brought into Jordan’s Branch, a creek in Bryan
Park, by runoff and heavy rains. Cleaning up this
floodplain prevented the debris from clogging storm
drains and traveling further downstream into the
Chesapeake Bay. During the lunch break there was a
session on water quality and urban watersheds.
Project sponsor: Friends of Bryan Park
and City of Richmond Parks & Recreation Department
Results: 38 bags of trash and four tires
Why are so many of our urban and
landscaping trees dying
prematurely?
The Friends of Bryan Park in
conjunction with Joel Koci, a
certified arborist who
holds a
Masters in Ornamental
Horticulture from Virginia Tech,
and the Richmond Department of
Parks, Recreation & Community
Facilities presented an
educational event which
taught the updated and correct
way to plant a tree. Current
nursery practices mean that
planting the root ball or
container even with ground level
is leading to weak, short lived
specimens not only in Richmond,
but throughout
the U.S. and
Europe. This problem has been
described as “an underground
epidemic.”
Using
a group of trees in the park as
examples, Joel and volunteers
dissected the root systems of
specimens which were installed
the way we are typically taught.
Participants then observed
methods used to attempt to save
these trees.
On November 1, 2008,
starting at 8:30 and continuing
well into the afternoon, FoBP
provided a free opportunity to learn
how to identify and possibly
rectify problems with
trees in your yard,
neighborhood, planned community
or business park.
Right now, the metro area is
losing trees because of
incorrect planting. Many
specimens are being cut down and
not replaced, leading to public
outcry. But what if we
could stop those trees from
dying in the first place?
What if we can learn how to
plant trees so that they will thrive
for generations? This was
an important opportunity to
learn how from one of the best,
local arborist Joel Koci.
Want to know more? Here is
an illustrated and easy to
understand resource.
http://www.forestry.umn.edu/extension/urban_com/sgr%20book%20sm%20file.pdf
top of page
A big help
from St. Christopher's School
With the guidance
of Cary
Wright, an FoBP board member, Bryan Park had sixty 6th
graders from St. Christopher’s School clean up the streams, lake
edges and other hard to reach places on Friday, Oct. 3, 2008. They
collected mounds of trash from the parks waterways.
They did a fantastic
job!
A big thanks goes
to all of you!
Tree
Planting
Saturday Morning
February 23, 2008
We planted about 25
good sized trees in Bryan Park on Saturday,
Feb 23th
S everal
able-bodied
folks helped with setting the trees
in the holes (which the city dug in advance),
filling them with dirt, then mulching.
A city water truck was used to water
each tree in.
November 3, 2007 was the date of the
First Ever Bryan Park Tournament
We are pleased to announce that all 18 holes are now open at Bryan
Park. Two work weekends in a row were followed by the grand opening
tournament on Nov. 3rd. Close to 60 people signed up for the event,
which included 18 holes from the gold tees in the morning, and 18
more from the blue tees in the afternoon. It was a big success, with
donated prizes and ribbons and food, and $600 was raised for the
FoBP.
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 Red Maple Grove
In November of 2006, Friends
of Bryan Park planted
a Red Maple “Grove” near the Gatekeeper's House, as a
memorial to Helen Bryan Norman, who
passed away at the
age of 92, in December 2004.
She was the granddaughter of
Joseph and Belle Stewart Bryan, and
an avid gardener and
park-lover.
Benches
and a marker honoring Ms. Norman have been added to the
Grove.
Designated members
of FoBP have been watering the maples on a regular basis since the
grove was planted. We have used "gator bags" that we bought
for this purpose.
This
memorial grove is on the hill above the lower pond and across the
road from the
west side of the Gatekeeper's House.
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Mission Accomplished-March
3, 2007 Work Party
Eleven FoBP volunteers cleared 53
bags of trash, plus tires and other bulky debris,
from
the Kenmore site. Just before the flooding
rain on March 16, the City and the County worked
wonderfully together to clear the log jam. Trash
and loose logs were kept
from moving into of the
park.
Friends of Bryan Park
is grateful to the County of Henrico and the City of
Richmond for doing such an amazing job. Thank you!
Go to the
Gallery for photos. |
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Here is the original background
information about this project written before the
March 3 Work Party:
There is a
log jam
on Upham Brook at the west (dead) end of
Kenmore Road. The jam has been
holding back a considerable amount of
trash and debris.
The brook flows into the western end of the
Bryan Park's upper pond.
In
mid March,
to alleviate a flooding issue,
Henrico County will clear the jam.
We have until then to remove upstream
trash and keep it from moving into the Bryan
Park lakes and ultimately the Bay.
Richmond City Department of Public Works
crews will haul off the logs which make up
the jam. Henrico's plan was to leave the
logs in the flood plain after removing them
from the brook. Log movement downstream
with the next good rain would have caused a
mounding of log debris at the spillway and
along the shoreline of Bryan Park.
At the next big rain, an unbelievable
amount of trash will float into the
park.
Henrico County has graciously held off on
this project so that we can make a bad
situation better, by cleaning up this area
before the County clears the jam. The City
is making a wonderful contribution by
hauling off the logs.
This
is a win-win situation and a terrific
example of regional cooperation.
Directions to the site:
Kenmore Road is the third road north of and
running parallel to the Bryan Park lakes.
Take Kenmore toward Staples Mill Road to the
dead end.
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