The wild and wonderful historic James River stretches 340 miles from its headwaters to the Chesapeake Bay. This July, for the sixth year under the guidance of the James River Association (JRA), 27 students from across Virginia are embarking on an educational expedition down the James River for an amazing adventure that is sure to be an experience that each participant will remember forever.
The expedition began July 10 and is broken into three separate trips that will cover the majority of the James River watershed: the upper James, 70 miles; the middle James, 100 miles; and the lower James, 110 miles. Rising Meadowbrook High School sophomore Jacob Grabham is making preparations this week to join the final leg for what is described as a once-in-a-lifetime learning adventure that is focused on building confidence and leadership skills while understanding the importance of the river and the future challenges for keeping it healthy.
The young teen said that this summer has been his busiest ever and anticipates the expedition to be an adventure he will never forget.
“It [the trip]is really a neat opportunity,” Grabham said. “They [JRA] are giving us all we need and preparing us well. I will come home with a better understanding of the eco system [of the river]and it is the kind of trip where you make friends for life.”
Grabham just returned from a trip to Massasschuetts, and will have just returned from Florida a day before the expedition. He has already attended JROTC camp, and he will begin football camp as a kicker for Meadowbrook the day after the James River trek.
Grabham will join eight additional high school students from various high schools throughout the James River basin for the 110-mile canoe trip. The team will have ongoing challenges and adventures with the vastness of the waterway that is usually traveled by motor craft. They will be fighting white caps from both wind and tides, sometimes paddling against the tide. Although Grabham has never canoed the James, he has kayak experience and finds a good challenge in the lower James open waters. “I know how powerful water can be,” he said.
The Lower James Expedition team will start their trip Sunday, July 24 from the Virginia Commonwealth University Rice Rivers Center – a field station devoted to environmental research, teaching, and public service – and will meet family members in Hampton July 29. During the six-day expedition, a variety of activities are on offer, including water-quality testing, macro-invertebrate sampling, and wildlife identification. Their trip will also include stops at riverside farms and state parks; lectures from experts on the river’s history and ecology, along with a scheduled visit to the Jamestown and the Surry Nuclear Power Plant.
Grabham said there are seven duties assigned each day that will be taken on by the nine participants, and he is looking forward to the leadership role, with taking care of the toilets on the bottom of his list. Other duties include cooking, preparing the camp site, cleaning up, photographing the trip and keeping up with the blog.
His parents, Scott and Jeanine Grabham are very happy Jacob is able to make the trip. “I wish I could go with them,” Scott Grabham said. “It is an amazing opportunity. They are going to have a blast while learning about the river, which is the whole purpose of the trip.”
Students were selected through an open application process earlier this year, based on their interest in the watershed and desire to learn about the James River.
“We are thrilled to once again offer students a unique, hands-on experience that teaches them about the major role the river plays in our lives and educates them on the impact that they can have on maintaining its health,” said Nat Draper, Education Manager for the James River Association.
“We’re incredibly proud that they then take this knowledge back to their schools, families and communities to help ensure a healthy future for the James.”
Over the past five years, The James River Expedition has taken 137 students and 26 teachers from 34 schools in the James River watershed on the summer paddling trip of a lifetime.
To follow along visit their blog at http://jamesriverexpedition.blogspot.com/
