PRESS RELEASE
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Junly 17, 2024
MEDIA CONTACTS:
Ashleigh Moody
James River Association
(e) amoody@thejamesriver.org (c) 804.304.7430
Angie Williams, Senior Digital Marketing Manager
James River Association
(e) awilliams@thejamesriver.org (c)
James A. Buzzard River Education Center Opens in Richmond
The James River Association’s newest education center will be a hub for environmental education in the River City.
Richmond, VA – Today, the James River Association (JRA) celebrated the grand opening of the James A. Buzzard River Education Center along Richmond’s historic riverfront adjacent to the Great Shiplock.
Located on .85 acres on Dock Street, the new center is surrounded by the recently opened Dock Street Park. The James A. Buzzard River Education Center will serve as an environmental education hub for the students of Greater Richmond, as well as providing improved river access for visitors to the region and the community at-large.
“The James A. Buzzard River Education Center embodies our dedication to achieving a fully healthy James River and helping communities benefit from the river” said Bill Street, President and CEO of JRA. “By offering hands-on learning experiences, we are empowering the next generation of citizen leaders to understand and conserve our precious river ecosystem.”
JRA has conducted environmental education programs for school groups for over 25 years and this year engaged over 20,000 students through their programs that span the full length of the James River. The new Center will enhance JRA’s programs for Richmond region schools through dynamic indoor education labs, outdoor classrooms, as well as close proximity to the tidal James River, the woods on Chapel Island and the surrounding Dock Street Park.
“The opening of the James A. Buzzard River Education Center is the culmination of a years-long dream to provide an area where the students of Greater Richmond can have meaningful river experiences while also learning critical academic lessons,” expressed Shawn Ralston, Vice President of Programs for JRA. Ralston noted the center’s experiential facilities, including a “riverquarium” and interactive technology, envisioning its potential to inspire students from around the region. The indoor education labs and sheltered outdoor classrooms will make it possible for JRA to conduct education programs throughout the year and during inclement weather.
As part of JRA’s commitment to environmental resilience, the James A. Buzzard River Education Center has been built to exceed both the Virginia Flood Risk Management Standard and the City of Richmond Floodplain Ordinance. Additionally, the entire campus of the James A. Buzzard River Education Center features environmentally-conscious details, including a green roof, living walls, native landscaping, and a permeable bus loop and driveway. These design choices not only benefit the building and the James River, but also serve as a demonstration area for JRA community conservation initiatives including River Hero Homes and Greening Richmond’s Public Libraries.
As part of the James A. Buzzard River Education Center, JRA was able to reroute the Virginia Capital Trail off of Dock Street, as well as help in the collaborative effort with the Capital Region Land Conservancy, The Conservation Fund, and the City of Richmond to permanently protect the “view that named Richmond.” Additionally, JRA is working with the City’s James River Park System to add a canoe and kayak launch to the 400-foot dock located at Dock Street Park.
“While the James River Association works across the watershed to protect and connect people to the river, the establishment of the James A. Buzzard River Education Center emphasizes our commitment to the people of Richmond,” said Justin Doyle, Director of Community Conservation for JRA. Doyle celebrated the focus on conservation landscaping around the property and the opportunities the Center will provide for JRA’s numerous volunteer programs.
The Grand Opening event featured a ribbon cutting ceremony, tours of the facility, and speeches from officials including: Senator Tim Kaine, Mayor Levar Stoney, Delegate Rae Cousins, Councilmember Cynthia Newbille, and Secretary of Natural and Historic Resources Travis Voyles.
“One of my favorite things about living in Richmond is how easy it is to enjoy the James River. I’m thrilled that the James A. Buzzard River Education Center is opening to provide the Richmond community and its visitors with a place to learn about and experience the river’s rich history and ecosystems,” said U.S. Senator Tim Kaine. “I’m so proud that there’s been tremendous progress toward cleaning the river up—thanks in part to the extraordinary efforts of the James River Association—and I look forward to continuing to partner with JRA to ensure the river can be enjoyed by all for generations to come.”
“This Center is the first of its kind in the City of Richmond,” said Mayor Levar Stoney. “Richmond is blessed with an abundance of natural beauties, and I’m thrilled that our students and residents now have the opportunity to use it as their backdrop for learning—to actually have class on the James River—and learn from their immediate surroundings. It’s another demonstration of our community’s commitment to activating our riverfront for ALL to enjoy for many years to come.”
“Achieving our shared goals can only be done with the support and collaboration from many partners across the Commonwealth. The establishment of the James A. Buzzard River Education Center showcases JRA’s commitment to developing the next generation of Virginians, who will continue to conserve and protect Virginia’s amazing natural resources, said Secretary of Natural and Historic Resources Travis Voyles.”
“With the opening of the James A. Buzzard River Education Center, kids will be able to see the impacts of climate change and pollution not in a book, but in their own backyard, instilling in them a sense of responsibility and stewardship of the world around them. Environmental education is a key component of a well-rounded education, and I am grateful for the services that this new center will provide for all of Richmond’s students, said Virginia State Delegate Rae Cousins.”
“I would like to express my profound appreciation to the James River Association Board of Directors and staff for bringing together this phenomenal resource, for our students and our community. We have 22,000 students in our Richmond Public Schools and giving them the ability to touch, feel, and experience the James River, what I consider the jewel of our city, is a tremendous opportunity. Many times our children never experience the river within the entirety of their school years. This center gives them the chance to connect with nature around them and new career opportunities. I was an adult the first time I was able to experience the river with white water rafting and I don’t want our children to have to wait that long to understand the benefits of our river. I am very thankful for the opportunities and the connection that this center will offer to our community, our city, our region, and our commonwealth, said Councilmember Cynthia Newbille.”
The James A. Buzzard River Education Center is the second of three new JRA river centers to
be opened across the watershed as part of its $25 million James Changer Campaign (https://www.jameschanger.org/). In 2023, JRA opened the Upper James River Center in the Greater Lynchburg Area and hopes to begin enhancements to its Lower James River Center in Williamsburg in the coming months. Through the James Changer Campaign, JRA also added the Longview, a 50-foot floating classroom, to its fleet of education vessels. JRA opened its first education facility, the James River Ecology School, in 2013 on Presquile National Wildlife Refuge.
ABOUT JAMES RIVER ASSOCIATION: The James River Association is a member-supported nonprofit organization founded in 1976 to serve as a guardian and voice for the James River. Throughout the James River’s 10,000 square mile watershed, the James River Association works toward its vision of a fully healthy James River supporting thriving communities. The James River Association believes that “when you change the James, the James changes you”. With offices in Lynchburg, Richmond, Williamsburg, and Scottsville, the James River Association is committed to protecting the James River and connecting people to it. For more information visit www.thejamesriver.org.