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2008
EVENTS INFORMATION
March 13, 2008
“Back Bay Forum”
When: Thursday, March 13, 2008 from 8:30 a.m. until 2:30p.m.
Where: The Advanced Technology Center, Virginia Beach TCC Campus
We invite you to attend our 7th Back Bay Forum on Thursday, March 13, 2008.
Presentations from nationally renowned speakers will be conducted on research affecting the Back Bay watershed and the State of Back Bay. The $15 fee includes the program, lunch, morning break, and a CD of proceedings. For more information and reservations please contact the BBRF office at (757) 721-7666, e-mail bbrf@verizon.net.
“Back Bay Phragmites Action Committee: Progress Report”
On Wednesday, February 6, the Back Bay Restoration Foundation General Membership Meeting will be held at the Ashville Bridge Creek Environmental Education Center, 3024 Newbridge Road. Join us for a deli buffet at 7 p.m., followed by a presentation at 7:30. For directions call 426-3643 or 721-7666.
Our speaker will be Dorie Stolley, Biologist, from the Back Bay National Wildlife Refuge (BBNWR). Her topic will be the “Back Bay Phragmites Action Committee: A Progress Report”. Phragmites australis, also known as common reed, is a nonnative, invasive plant species that has infested many acres of coastal marshland along the eastern seaboard in the last few decades. Assistance is available to qualifying landowners for control of Phragmites using herbicide and prescribed fire or mowing. Specifically, landowners first must have a number of contiguous acres of Phragmites-infested property to qualify, rather than just small patches.
Phragmites has negative impacts in a variety of ways. Ecologically, it out-competes many native plant species forming dense monocultures that do not provide useful food or shelter for much wildlife or waterfowl, and that change the natural hydrology of an area. Additionally, in the autumn and winter, its dead stalks are a fire hazard and can spread fire rapidly. Also, as many home-owners recognize, the tall stalks block views to marshes, bays, and streams.
BBNWR, in cooperation with partners BBRF, the City of Virginia Beach, the Natural Heritage Program of the Department of Conservation and Recreation, USFWS - Region 5 South Fire Management, and False Cape State Park have partnered up to control Phragmites on the landscape. They are looking at the bigger picture – the Back Bay watershed. Until 2007 their control efforts have focused exclusively on the Refuge property. If you have property in the Back Bay watershed, please attend this presentation. Assistance may be available for you to do away with this pest on your property!
2007
EVENTS INFORMATION
February 07 - BBRF Membership Meeting
February 7
“Back Bay Phragmites Action Committee: Battling an Invasive Species”
On Wednesday, February 7, the Back Bay Restoration
Foundation General Membership Meeting will be held at the Ashville Bridge Creek
Environmental Education Center, 3024 Newbridge Road. Join us for a deli
buffet at 7 p.m., followed by a presentation at 7:30. For directions
call 426-3643 or 721-7666.
Our speakers will be Jared Brandwein, Back Bay National
Wildlife Refuge (BBNWR) Manager and Dorie Stolley, BBNWR Biologist. Their
topic will be the “Back Bay Phragmites Action Committee: Battling
an Invasive Species”. Phragmites australis, also known as
common reed, is a major invasive species that inhabits much of the coastal
marshland in the southeastern U. S.
Phragmites out competes many native species of vegetation,
thereby eradicating the habitat of many shorebirds and waterfowl. BBNWR,
in cooperation with partners BBRF, the City of Virginia Beach, the Natural
Heritage Program of the Department of Conservation and Recreation, USFWS -
Region 5 South Fire Management, and False Cape State Park are formulating a
plan to offer control of this species on private land in the Back Bay watershed. Until
now their eradication efforts have focused exclusively on the Refuge property. If
you have property in the Back Bay watershed which has ever increasing stands
of Phragmites, please attend this presentation. Assistance may be available
for you to eradicate this pest on your property.
March – Back Bay FORUM
April 07
BBRF Membership Meeting April 4
On Wednesday, April 4, the Back Bay Restoration Foundation
General Membership Meeting will be held at the Ashville Bridge Creek Environmental
Education Center, 3022 Newbridge Road. Join us for a deli buffet at 7
p.m., followed by a presentation at 7:30. For directions call 426-3643
or 721-7666.
The topic is “Nutria—an Invasive and Destructive
Species”. Steve Kendrot is a Supervisory Wildlife Biologist for
the USDA Wildlife Services Program. In 2002 he joined the WS program in Maryland
where he has since managed a campaign to eradicate the highly invasive nutria
from Chesapeake Bay Coastal marshes. In four years nearly 10,000 nutria have
been eradicated from Wildlife Management Areas and private lands surrounding
those areas. Does Virginia need a nutria eradication program? Come
join the discussion. Steve began his career with Wildlife Services in
southeastern Virginia where he developed a wildlife hazard management plan
at Langley Air Force Base. He has a BS from the University of Maine and a MS
from the State University of New York College of Environmental Science and
Forestry.
Nutria—an Invasive and Destructive Species”, Steve Kendrot
In September 2002, USDA Wildlife Services initiated
the nutria eradication program in Dorchester County, Maryland. As of the close
of fiscal year 2006, the program has removed 9,966 nutria from more than 120,000
acres of marsh habitat in Southern Dorchester County. These control efforts
have focused on removing nutria from Blackwater National Wildlife Refuge, Fishing
Bay Wildlife Management Area and private lands surrounding those areas. More
than 160 private landowners in Dorchester County have cooperated with the program
by allowing USDA personnel to access private marsh. More than half of the nutria
removed have been taken on private lands, underscoring the importance of involving
landowners with the program.
We have seen a dramatic improvement in marsh health
throughout the Blackwater ecosystem following the removal of nutria. While
occasional nutria are captured throughout the depopulated zone as immigrants
move in to recolonize vacant habitats, the population has been reduced to the
point where their impact on the environment is negligible. Research conducted
by US Geological Survey personnel from the Patuxent Wildlife Research Center
has documented a profound response of marsh grasses to the removal of nutria.
More than 300 study plots that were largely denuded of vegetation at the onset
of the study in 2000 were almost entirely vegetated when revisited in 2004
and have continued to improve in health since then. We have anecdotal evidence
that there has been a pronounced increase in muskrat populations in areas were
nutria formerly competed with native furbearers. Our own observations are substantiated
by claims from local trappers that muskrat numbers are higher than they’ve
been in years.
Nearly all contiguous marsh habitat in the Fishing Bay/Blackwater River
drainage has been trapped at this point. While we will continue to
monitor those areas, we are now preparing to move into neighboring
counties where known populations exist. MTA members can provide assistance
by reporting captures and observations of nutria anywhere in Maryland
or Delaware to the project supervisor, Steve Kendrot, at 410-221-7857
or by email to skendrot@aphis.usda.gov
 
May 2007
BBRF Membership Meeting May
2
On Wednesday, May 2, the Back Bay Restoration Foundation
General Membership Meeting will be held at the Ashville Bridge Creek
Environmental Education Center, 3022 Newbridge Road. Join us for a
deli buffet at 7 p.m., followed by a presentation at 7:30. For directions
call 426-3643.
The topic is “Kayaking 101 and Places to Paddle in Back Bay”.
Lillie Gilbert, owner of Wild River Outfitters, is the presenter. She’ll
have a kayak in the room for demonstration purposes. Lillie will discuss
how to choose a kayak and basic equipment, outfitting a kayak for comfort
and safety, how to choose/use a paddle, local club info, launch/landing
techniques, dressing for paddling, transporting a kayak, and places
to paddle in Back Bay.
Lillie was instrumental in establishing the city’s Scenic Waterway
System and “Adopt-A-Waterway” program. A longtime paddle
sports instructor, the most interesting assignment that Lillie has
undertaken is the training of cast members of the motion picture, The
New World, released in 2005. Lillie even taught Colin Ferrell,
who portrays John Smith in the film, how to paddle a dugout canoe.
Author of three river guides, Lillie and Vickie Shufer are working
on a new book about the Back Bay watershed.
Lillie Gilbert, Wild River Outfitters
June – FLYWAY FEAST
September 5, 07: Ian Edwards, a State Erosion and Sediment Control
Inspector from DCR for the September membership meeting.
October 3: Skip Stiles speaking on the possible
effects of global warming on the Back Bay watershed. Skip is executive director
of Wetlands Watch, a Norfolk-based group working on wetlands protection throughout
the state. While working on projects to educate folks about alternatives to
bulkheads, they started looking at sea level rise and were really upended by
what we found. After about three months of research, we launched an effort
to advocate for a better response to sea level rise - for us it was the loss
of wetlands. For the cities of Hampton Roads, it could be a larger loss.
Skip has spoken on potential sea level rise and wetlands/coastal ecosystems
at the Hampton Roads League of Women Voters, the Chesapeake Bay Group
of the Sierra Club, and will be doing one for the Va Beach Audubon
in April. He has been meeting with local planners and the Northern
Neck Planning district commission on the topic.
2006
Events
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