6th Annual 2024 Buffer Summit & Celebration

October 23rd | 9 am – 3:30 pm

Join Consortium partners to inspire new connections and opportunities around nurturing streamside ecosystems for a vibrant future.

Morning Presentations: 9 am – 12:30 pm

Registration + Refreshments

• Welcome + Introductions

James River Buffer Update from DEQ

• Hear from Kevin McLean with VA Department of Environmental Quality on progress toward reaching Virginia’s goals for riparian buffers.

Nurturing our Buffers Over Time

• Bobby Whitescarver with Whitescarver Natural Resources Management will share the importance of caring for buffers, how maintaining buffers has changed over time, and what’s on the horizon.

Strategies for Maintaining Buffers

• Gather in small groups with fellow Consortium members to brainstorm strategies to address maintenance challenges and opportunities.

Capturing Our Relationship with Nature

• Em White will share her story and how she uses vintage photographic processes to explore our connection with the natural world.

Lunch: 12:30 – 1:15 pm

Afternoon Activities: 1:30 – 3:30 pm

Please join us for indoor and outdoor activities to celebrate and explore riparian buffers, including:

• Riparian Tree ID walk with Patti Nylander, Virginia Department of Forestry
• Maymont Bioretention Tour and Riparian Walk with Sean Proietti, Maymont
• Buffer Establishment with John Munsell, Virginia Tech
• Benthic Monitoring with Maggie Dombroski, Izaak Walton League of America
• Buffers 101 with David Wise, Stroud Water Research Center
• Sign up for a mentor session with a buffer pro
• Network and connect with fellow Consortium members