Dan River Sojourn!

Join fellow paddlers on a fascinating passage through time down the Dan River.

This 22-mile trip takes you through a Triassic basin where history is written in and on the landscape. From the days of the dinosaurs to Native Americans to our own imprint shown in nineteenth century commercial navigation, you will see and touch it all during this two-day adventure.

Assemble at Lindsay Bridge in Madison, NC by 5:00 pm on Friday, July 16, to unload camping and paddling gear. Shuttle to Settles Bridge and/or Eden is at 6:00 pm. Anticipated return to the Lindsey Bridge campsite is 7:00 pm. Each day's paddle adventure will begin at 9:00 am and conclude by 5:00 pm. Enjoy special programs highlighting the history of the Dan River region and related topics.

Limited to 100 participants, so reserve your spot early!

Registration Deadline is July 1

Get on the River !

Looking for a chance to get on the water and learn some new skills ?
Completely new to paddling?
Not to worry, there are opportunities
for everyone on the Smith River !

Guided Trips & Lesson

Presented in partnership with Smith River Outfitters

and Martinsville Parks and Recreation

SMITH RIVER FAMILY FUN FLOATS

May 31^st, June 26^th, July 24^th, Aug 28^th (all floats are 1-4 p.m.)

Join us for a fun and relaxing day on the Smith River. Whether you’ve never been in a canoe or kayak before or have been doing it all your life, you can be sure this trip will be fun and exciting.  Space is limited so please sign up.   Cost for Rentals with all equipment: $45 per boat for canoes (two people) and $35 for single kayaks. Cost of a shuttle for those with own equipment $10.

Overnight River Float 

Aug 14^th @ 1 p.m. to Aug 15th @ 12 p.m.   

Paddle from the South Martinsville river access to the Smith River Sports Complex river access on Saturday.  Your camping gear will be shuttled by the Martinsville Parks and Recreation Department to the Sports complex where dinner will be provided along with a campfire that evening.  We will camp there and have breakfast provided by Martinsville Parks and Recreation the next day then continue paddling to the Mitchell Bridge on Sunday.  

$45 per person. 

BEGINNER KAYAK CLASS

June 19^th , July 10^th , Aug 7^th  (all classes are 1-4 p.m.)

Join instructor Eric Juday from the American Canoe Association (ACA) to learn the basics of kayaking.  In this workshop students are given an introduction to kayaking and presented with equipment and skills. No experience needed and all equipment is provided. Classes will be held at the South Martinsville river access and Doe Run Park. $35 per person. 

INTERMEDIATE KAKAK CLASS

June 20^th , July 11^th  (all classes are 1-4 p.m.)

Learn paddling techniques for maneuvering on Class II rivers as we paddle from the South Martinsville river access to the Smith River Sports Complex river access. Some prior experience required. $45 per person; boat rentals are an additional $20.

Space is limited!

Contact us to register or for more information and ask about our group discounts:

276-252-0701

www.smithriveradventureoutfitters.com

 live2pdl@yahoo.com                                                     

Smith River Mini-Triathlon-June 5th

DO IT FOR FITNESS, DO IT FOR FUN, DO IT SOLO, DO IT AS A TEAM....BUT JUST DO IT!  

 Run: 1.2 miles along the beautiful Smith River 

Paddle: 1.2 miles on the Smith River's class I rapids. Bike: 2.5 miles on the trail

Awards for 1st, 2nd, 3rd place finishers. All pre-registered participants receive a T-shirt. Classes: Solo-Youth, Male, & Female. Team-All Male, All Female, Coed different age increments. Call 403-5140 for more inf. Registration brochures are online at www.martinsville-va.gov/Parks-and-Recreation.html or call us for a registration brochure. 

DATE/TIME: Saturday, June 5, Registration and check in 9am-9:45am. Race starts at 10am 
                      11:15am-Awards ceremony at Trailhead
LOCATION: Fieldale Trail Head, (Off River Rd., Fieldale, VA)
FEE: $15 per participant, $20 fee day of the event Kayaks & Canoes available to rent - $15 - Smith River Outfitters, Must reserve by calling 252-0701 & they will be onsite. Click here for REGISTRATION BROCHURE

Charlie Poole Festival and Float

(Eden, NC) – The folks who come to the Fifteenth Anniversary Charlie Poole Music Festival, June 11-13, will have a surprise extra treat all ready for them. On Saturday morning they will have the opportunity to enjoy a float down a stretch of the beautiful unspoiled Smith and Dan Rivers, and still not miss any of the festival.
This special outing, beginning at 9 AM Saturday morning with transport from the Fairgrounds, has been arranged through the Dan River Basin Association. The Director, Katherine Mull, gives the following description of the event as planned:

Charlie Poole River Ramble

The Charlie Poole River Ramble, a leisurely two hour float, will be guided by Three Rivers Outfitters. The trip begins on the scenic Smith River, near the historic 1892 Spray Mercantile Building where paddlers will hear the stories of this once-thriving textile town.
Internationally renowned banjo musician Charlie Poole worked here at Spray Cotton Mills. In July 1925 Poole and his North Carolina Ramblers made their first recording with Columbia Records. Their record was a smash hit and sold an unheard of number, more than 100,000 copies.
Also nearby is the historic 1898 Nantucket Mill. Piedmont Folk Legacies and the National Banjo Initiative envision a new life for the mill as a National Banjo Center, museum, recording studio and performance venue.
After putting on the river at Spray Cotton Mills, paddlers will float under Island Ford Bridge near Spray Circle and past the new Island Ford Landing at Eden’s Smith River Greenway. About a mile downstream, after passing under the Kings Highway Bridge, paddlers will come upon a large rock formation on river left known as Bear Slide, a state Natural Heritage Area recognized for rare communities of wild flowers.
Paddlers can expect to see June wildflowers, water fowl and perhaps even Eden’s mascot, a river otter.
Past Bear Slide, where the Smith joins the Dan River, paddlers will turn upstream a short distance to view the impressive remains of the 1852 Leaksville Toll Bridge. After floating down to the nationally famous arched Mebane Bridge, paddlers will take out at the NC Wildlife Access on the Dan River where all will be shuttled back to the Charlie Poole Festival in time for lunch at the fairgrounds.
The Saturday morning expedition includes the boat rental and guide, transport to and from the Fairgrounds, a light breakfast, refreshments on the trip, and a voucher for lunch, all for $50 inclusive of the whole festival, Friday evening through Sunday morning. Space will be limited, so sign up early, on line, or just send your check to P.O. Box 867, Eden, NC 27289.
As usual, admission to the festival only is $15 for Friday evening or the Saturday afternoon and evening competition, or $25 for the whole weekend. Sunday morning activities are to be announced.
Basic camping is available, with bathrooms and showers, at a charge of $10 per night, $20 maximum, and campers will be welcome any time during the week preceding the festival. A group of 6 family and friends can get a weekend pass on line for $100, a substantial saving. Festival tickets and tickets for the River Ramble will be available on line, the latter to be limited in number– first come, first served.
A “Little Ramblers” children’s area, sponsored by Sheetz, will be another new addition. Food and other vendors will be on-site for the festival. Schedules and other information will be posted soon at www.charlie-poole.com. For further information call 336-623-1043.
This project receives support from the Rockingham County Arts Council and the NC Arts Council, an agency of the NC Department of Cultural Resources.

Enviro Expo at Philpot

You can count on the month of April for beautiful wildflowers, great trout fishing and the Environmental Expo at Philpott Lake. Hosted each year by the Friends of Philpott and the Army Corps of Engineers, the expo  kicks off Earth Week and showcases local non profit organizations, clubs and government agencies and their connection to preserving and promoting the areas natural resources.

The theme for this years event : "Be Water and Energy Wise."
FOP's own Linda Drage is the ringmaster for this event and once again she and her group pulled together a diverse selection of groups and agencies with environmental concerns and solutions.
Linda estimated crowd attendance at over 400 !
There was music, food and fun and a wonderful opportunity to learn about all the groups that are working to promote and protect our fabulous natural and cultural resources here in Southern Virginia.
Thanks to Friends and Phipott and the Army Corps of Engineers for hosting another great event !

Dan River Basin board member Ellen Jessee speaks with Danny Martin at the DRBA display

Al Kitterage and Darrin Doss demonstrate fly tying techniques at the Trout Unlimited Display.  Darrin took a mayfly from the tub-o-bugs and put it in a petri dish alongside a pheasant tail nymph he had just tied to show how fly fishermen tie flies that mimic the aquatic insects in the stream.

We were fortunate to have Mary Dail and Mike Hutchins from the DEQ come down and partner with DRBA on the macro invertebrate display.  They had an additional "Tub-O- Bugs" complete with water monitoring equipment set up to show the public how the recent water quality studies were conducted on the Smith River.

Mary Dail of DEQ explains how macro invertebrate populations are an indicator or water quality in our rivers and streams.

 Some future environmentalist get a closer look at a Helgramite at DRBA's "Tub-O-Bugs"

My, they do grow up fast don't they ?  Here's former DRBA staff member Jennifer Doss and with Hunter, who had a great time with the tub-o-bugs and all the animals at the expo !

Linda Drage Radio Interview

Linda Drage, Friends of Philpott, will be the featured guest on DRBA's radio program tomorrow morning from 8:30 a.m. to 9:00 a.m., streaming live online at http://www.wloewmyn.com. Also on the dial at am 1490 and am 1420.

She'll be discussing Friends of Philpott's 4th Annual Environmental Education Expo coming up this Saturday,as well as exciting plans for a state-of-the-art handicap accessible park at Philpott Lake slated for completion by next spring.

Linda has more than 35 years experience working with non-profits and represented five U.S. states and part of Canada as a member of the Board of Directors for Parents Without Partners. Currently, she is a member of a number of local organizations and serves as the Henry County President for Friends of Philpott (for which she is a founding member); Consulting Director for the Henry County Bike Club; and President of Holy Trinity Lutheran Church Council.

Seeking Volunteer Coordinator

____________________________________________

Do you have a passion for preserving and protecting local rivers, natural areas and cultural landscapes for future generations? The Dan River Basin Association (DRBA) is seeking a dedicated volunteer to fill our Volunteer Coordinator position. This position will allow the right candidate to make a significant difference across the region.

The Volunteer Coordinator will work with DRBA staff to enlist volunteers and coordinate the activities of other community volunteers across the Dan River region in NC and Virginia. While this is a volunteer position, DRBA is offering a monthly stipend to help compensate for the volunteer’s mileage, cell phone use, and meal expenses. The Volunteer Coordinator will have access to office space, including a computer and internet. This highly visible position is ideal for someone who enjoys working as part of a team and who seeks to establish a track record, build a network, and make a measurable difference for the Dan River region.

 Specific duties include working with the DRBA team to:

 Coordinate recruitment, screening and training of DRBA volunteers;

Provide encouragement, feedback and support to volunteers;

Track volunteer hours and periodically evaluate volunteer performance;

Conduct regularly scheduled meetings with volunteers to foster teamwork;

Schedule volunteers for activities such as festivals, stream monitoring, children’s environmental education programs, and more;

Help coordinate and otherwise assist in media relations, including press releases.

Qualifications include:

Enjoy working with and motivating people of all ages

Interest in DRBA’s work in recreation, education and stewardship

Demonstrated leadership skills, enthusiasm and ability to inspire others;

Positive attitude and successful experience in working with people of all demographic groups;

Demonstrated team player, with commitment to the mission and values of the Dan River Basin Association;

Experience in Microsoft Office, Excel, internet and e-mail;

Valid driver’s license, ability to travel and volunteer during evenings and weekends as needed.

To Apply

Please e-mail letter of interest, three references and resume to drba.nc@danriver.org.