Quick Update

Surveying is now complete and my focus will now be creating a scientific work. Expect updates later into the summer.

Interesting Tidbits about Charles Glen

-The community was originally developed during WWII, but was recently 'regentified'
- Many residents voiced concerns about recycling; namely that you need to call Waste Management to get a bin, the service only comes every other week, and that all types of items (paper, plastic, aluminum) are placed together.
- Most citizens are unaware of the watershed being a part of their community. I was informed that part of the hospital is actually affecting parts of a stream past the Crestview Elementary School in a recent expansion project. However, citizens have expressed strong willingness to take part in conservation/cleaning purposes if they were aware of a program, problem, or a community commitment.
- The community appears to be relatively young, comprised of young families or individuals who recently moved into the town.
- The survey's ethnic makeup is predominately Caucasian, as of right now, with surveyed individuals of color thus far totaling near 30%

Message to Residents of Charles Glen

I just would like to thanks the community of Charles Glen for their hospitable responses to my survey over the past week and a half. Tonight I got 13 surveys done, doubling the amount done last week and achieving my goal of completing 25 total surveys this week. I have many interesting facts to post and will do so tomorrow morning. I will be back to Charles Glen and do another round of surveys tomorrow evening.

Again, thanks to all who participated tonight!

General Update

Work today is just getting underway. My first task was to take the 13 surveys done thus far and input them into SPSS. I have just finished doing this and have gained unique preliminary perspective into many areas of my survey. I will not be checking often, because this may slant my expectations and translate into human error later into the project.

Interestingly enough the manipulations are generating results. Individuals with an activated regional identity, as opposed to neighborhood identity, are generating stronger correlations to increased connectivity to those in their neighborhood and region. Only more surveys will result in better understanding of this relationship.

I will be attempting to do surveys later in the day (from 5pm-7pm) in order to see if this cuts the amount of unanswered doors *which is a lot* and increases the amount of surveys collected. I'm hoping to get 25 surveys done before going home for the July 4th holiday. Well, time to get moving and hopefully I'll get the update about the Chesapeake Bay Foundation later tonight.

Westhampton Lake Update

Well, I didn't believe it when I heard it, but it turns out the Westhampton Lake gets drained every summer. What surprises me the most is that the lake appeared healthy by all accounts; it didn't have a lot of algae and it had numerous plant and animals who's existence depends on the lake. Also, the drained lake reveals little to no trash at the bottom despite student speculation.
While a large portion of lake is still intact I will continue monitoring and reveal any new observations in later posts.

1st day of Surveying

Today I was out and about doing survey work. The area chosen for today was Charles Glen, north of the UR campus. Survey work is no easy feat, for numerous reasons like weather and the time of the survey occurring during the workday. I got 7 surveys done today, and learned seven unique perspectives. I will continue survey work tomorrow.

In other news, the Westhampton Lake is being drained. I will upload photos, impressions, and local impact later.

Overdue James River Update

Here are some pics taken at the James River. I had a blast and the water felt great. Not only did the Pony Pasture area have little trash, but community organizations were also doing a river cleanup.

Tomorrow I will do another physical survey with Dr. Forsyth and also scope areas which I will be running my survey.

SPSS

Today I set up the SPSS with all of the survey questions. SPSS is an awesome program which is very useful, especially in the field of statistics. I have never been one interested in mathematics, but this program makes everything very simple and easily obtained. Once I finish some surveys all I have to do is enter the number choices for each question and *POOF* instant results, correlations, and graphs.

I still have to call WM (which I'll do now) to inquire about recycling bins and the rest of the day will spent on practice surveys.

Update

Today Dr. Forsyth and I went over our revised survey. The survey itself is almost done, and practice surveys will be administered later this week followed by the actual study. I also learned the in and outs of SPSS (a computer program which correlates and manages data). I will input all the survey questions etc. into this service tomorrow. Later today I will call WM (Waste Management) to inquire about obtaining recycling bins to be handed out during the survey.

In other news, I went to the James River for some recreational time on Friday with friends and will update impressions and photos later today.

Emails

Today I sent out a letter Dr. Forsyth and I created to gather additional materials to give survey participants. These organizations include the Chesapeake Bay Program, The Chesapeake Bay Organization, Waste Management, the James River Association, the Virginia Department of Conservation and Recreation, and numerous others. I'm currently awaiting response and will post as they come in. Here is the letter;

Dear ________:
My name is Garrett Schlein and I'm currently a rising junior at the University of Richmond. I am working with Don Forsyth in the Jepson School of Leadership on a research project titled, "Individual and Collective Environmentalism: An Application to Watershed Conservation". The goal of this research is to extend some intriguing initial findings about who is more likely express a willingness to get involved in protecting and enhancing the local watershed. Dr. Forsyth, in his earlier work, focused on the Upham Brook subwatershed, but in this project we are expanding our focus to consider the Richmond region. We are contacting you at this time for two reasons. First, as an organization that is extremely active in this area, we wanted to alert you to our project and its goals. Second, we are also seeking any information or public service materials you might have to distribute to the individuals we interview. We are conducting a small-scale door-to-door survey, asking residents 10-15 questions about their (a) knowledge of the watershed; (b) their behavioral intentions with regards to protecting the watershed; and (c) their sense of community identity. At the conclusion of the interview we would like to leave educational materials with the interviewees, and so are seeking any such materials you might have available.
Thank you for considering this request. I will contact you again in a week to answer any questions you might have. If it easier for you to contact me before then my contact information follows:
Garrett Schlein
UR 1838
28 Westhampton Way
University of Richmond, VA 23173
Also, if our project can in anyway be made more useful to you and your organization, please let us know.
Thank you for your assistance in my studies.
Garrett Schlein

Draft Survey 2

****Note; this is a draft survey. Questions and prompts have not been finalized.****
________________________________
Individual and Collective Environmentalism:
An Emphasis on the James River Watershed
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R1: Thank you for helping us. We are talking to people who are members of the Richmond Metropolitan community--people who live, work, and play in the Richmond Metropolitan area here in Virginia. In this survey, you represent your community. You are single individual, but you are also a part of this entire region here within the state ofVirgina. We'll take your ideas and comments and from them learn about the whole region.


N1: Thank you for helping us. We are talking to people who are members of this neighborhood, [insert name, xx]--people who live, work, and play in this neighborhood. In this survey, you represent your neighborhood. You are single individual, but you are also a part of this neighborhood here within the Richmond area. We'll take your ideas and comments and from them learn about the whole neighborhood.



R2: How long have you lived in the Richmond Region? Thinking about you and this region, how would you describe your connection to the Richmond? If one circle represents you, the individual, and the other represents the Richmond Region, how much do they overlap?



N2: How long have you lived in this neighborhood. Thinking about you and your neighborhood, how would you describe your connection to xxx? If one circle represents you, the individual, and the other represents the neighborhood, how much do they overlap?
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Circle the picture that best describes your relationship with the community at large.
(S= Self; C=Community at Large)



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RN3: We are studying the land and water where you live. Before people built communities in this area of Virginia many streams, creeks, and brooks, crisscrossed the land. Some of these streams are still here, but builders replaced other waterways with drainage ditches and underground pipes. We want to know your opinion of the natural & manmade waterways that make up the watershed where you live

#1: When you think about your community how often do you think in terms of your neighborhood?

Very often Often Not Often Never Don’t Know

#2: When you think about your community how often do you think in terms of the Greater Richmond Metropolitan Region?

Very often Often Not Often Never Don’t Know

#3: Do you personally think its important to keep streams, ditches, and waterways in your area clean and unpolluted?

Very Important Somewhat Important Not Important

#4: Would you be willing to get involved in helping clean up the creeks and streams where you live?

Definitely Probably Maybe Probably Not Definitely Not

#5: In the last 12 months did you participate or volunteer with any local organization or group?

Yes No Don’t Know

#6: In the last 12 months did you work with or did a child living there participate in a youth/recreational sports league?

Yes No Don’t Know

#7: How well did you think people are working together to improve the Greater Richmond Region?

Excellent Good Fair Poor Don’t Know

#8: In what year did you move to this [city/county]? __________________


#9: How likely is it that you will move from your current residence, and if so when do you think you might move?

Very Likely Likely Unlikely Very Unlikely Don’t Know

Date:_______________________

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RN4: Please tell us what you think about the waterways, creeks, drainage ditches, rivers and so
on in the JRW (James River Watershed) by circling the letters to indicate your agreement or disagreement with each statement. If you wish to answer ‘Don’t Know’, then mark an X through the item
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Sd = Strongly Disagree SA=Strongly Agree
D=Disagree N=Neutral A=Agree
---------------------------------------------

#10: I am satisfied with the quality of the water in the James River Watershed

Sd D N A Sa

#11: Protecting the James River Watershed will make my community a better place to live

Sd D N A Sa

#12: I would be proud to get involved in cleaning the James River Watershed

Sd D N A Sa

#13: Most of the people in my community feel the same way I do on JRW issues

Sd D N A Sa


#14: It isn’t my responsibility to protect the JRW

Sd D N A Sa


#15: Cities and counties are responsible for protecting the JRW

Sd D N A Sa

#16: Much of the pollution in the JRW is being done by people who live in communities other than mine

Sd D N A Sa

#17: I would feel that I let down my community if I polluted the JRW

Sd D N A Sa


#18: Other members of the community are NOT doing their fair share in protecting the JRW

Sd D N A Sa

#19: I would be willing to get involved in preserving the JRW

Sd D N A Sa

Great Website!

Check out this site!
http://www.dcr.virginia.gov/soil_&_water/index.shtml
Here's a sample of what you can find there...
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Ever heard of a "watershed"?
Although everyone lives in a watershed, most people don't know the actual meaning of the word. Put simply, a watershed is all the land that drains into a given body of water. This body of water can be a creek, pond, river or ocean. Generally speaking, the larger the body of water, the larger its watershed. The Chesapeake Bay watershed, for example, covers 64,000 square miles and drains from six states including 60 percent of Virginia.
This map depicts the major rivers' watersheds in the Old Dominion. One thing all of these watersheds have in common is people, and where you have people, you have land-disturbance. When people alter land - to farm, to build, to landscape, for transportation, etc. - they must ensure that changes don't cause runoff pollution for other people or plants and animals downstream that depend on clean, usable water.
The technical term for this type of pollution is nonpoint source pollution (NPS), and it's a thread you'll find common to nearly every page in the soil and water conservation section of DCR's website. Regardless of the watershed in which you live - and each watershed has unique NPS pollution problems - there are many ways all of us, from farmers to elementary school children, can prevent such pollution to keep Virginia's creeks, rivers and bays clean and productive. Click here to learn simple ways to reduce the threat of NPS pollution and make Virginia an even better place to live.
If you'd like to learn more about Virginia's watersheds, there's plenty of material available from DCR to help you promote watershed awareness. A 10-minute video, Watershed Connections, brochure, large poster of the state's watersheds, kids' conservation activities booklet, bumper stickers and watershed yellow pages for the major river basins are yours for the asking. Just call toll-free 1-877-42WATER or your local DCR watershed office. Click here to download a copy of Watershed Connections, a brochure that details ways you can help your watershed (PDF, 500K). To learn about the more technical aspects of hydrologic unit delineation and notation, please click here.
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Also look into the adopt a stream program (link at the bottom of the page) among others for ways in which you can help the James River Watershed!

Physical Survey #2

During my 2nd Physical Survey, I looked at a part of the watershed that extended beyond the boundaries of the University of Richmond. Dr. Forsyth accompanied me to see where the water from the Westhampton Lake entered the James River.
^--- In this map the yellow dot represents our starting point, the blue line is either the path taken through or near the body of water, and the green represents the final area of observation.
^--- This photo takes place on UR Drive(the bridge). This is directly past the coal plant. Numerous types of fish were seen in pools before the bridge and the blue heron was seen past the bridge. The water was still relatively clear and the ground was rocky.


^---This photo depicts the watershed directly beyond the bridge. To the left of the RP Zone seen here is the Country Club of Virgina and to the right is University Facilities. The ground beneath the water was still rocky, but the areas without rocks were surprisingly sandy. Beyond the large rock near the center of the picture the water level increases dramatically (between 8-15 feet). This really hampered my desire to walk the stream since the banks were 15+ feet steep (and higher still further along)
^--- Dr. Forsyth near a storm drain. These dump plenty of runoff tainted waters into the stream, further impairing its health and adding to the seemingly unnatural depth and erosion taking place in the stream.

^--- This photo demonstrates the growing width of the stream and the sharp incline of the banks. One theory is that erosion has caused the banks to slide into the river, thus accounting for the smooth/ sandy texture of the soil and also the lack of old tree growth near the water's edge. Noticeably absent is any aquatic plant life or fish (which were seen before the bridge).

<--This is one example of how the University of Richmond is harming the watershed. This picture takes place near the auxiliary parking lot near the 1600 block of apartments. This photo doesn't do justice to the black shinny silt that lined the edge of the parking lot. Runoff would move the silt down this drainage sieve into the stream (such as the night before due to heavy rain). Dr. Forsyth suggested that much of the soil is highly combined with oil thus resulting in its shinny color.
^-- This photo shows how the Country Club impacts the stream as well. Super rich nutrients are carried by runoff from this and many other drains and sieve into the stream. Golf courses are notoriously a strong cause of nitrates entering water systems (due to fertilizers on greens)

^--This photo references where the stream exits the Country Club/UR campus and moves closer to the James River.


^--- Dr. Forsyth near where the stream exits the UR campus along the edge of Henrico County. The river gets noticeably thinner here as rocks diverts the water under the road. Past the tree in the photo the river is near 25-30 feet across. To the right of this photo is a dead RP zone (old dead tress, lack of diversity in plant life other than a few types of tall grasses). Why this must be is any one's guess, but we think it may be an old development site which was abandoned.

<- This photo shows what happens when the stream reaches the other side of the road (near the Starbucks across from the River Road Shopping Center). Unlike previous assessments that the stream would deposit straight into the James, we believe this may be the James River/Kahawha Canal, (still part of the James River which runs parallel to the main river) which rejoins the larger part of the river near William's Island. The RP Zone here is better than near the streams (evident by the lack of erosion from the banks to the river, large trees, and apparent life within the river suggested by lots of bubbles in the water).




^-- These two photos show two sides of the River on a bridge near private residences. While the RP Zone is great and the 1st picture seems picturesque, the 2nd photo suggests the truth about fast moving rivers, which isn't evident to the naked eye. A felled tree acts as a stopping point, collecting trash, algae, and other objects. This shows that pollution does exist in the river, and that it gets caught in places where it cannot keep being moved by the river.

____________________
Mis: The importance of proper footware and apparel cannot be stressed enough for doing these surveys!I made the mistake of travesing the watershed with shorts and sandles. While I thought this would be ideal for wading in the water, the depth of the water surprised me and this course of action was made impossible. Thus, I had two options; one being walking around the Riparian Zone and the other being to traverse through the posion ivy infected RP. Needless to say I did a little of both. After my survey I made sure to not only apply generous amounts of soap to prevent poision ivy, but also do tick searches. While physical surveys are not necessarily part of my research, understanding the watershed is. Next time I do another physical survey jeans and water proof boots are a must.
***and I'm keeping my fingers crossed I'm not going to be buying calmine lotion anytime soon haha***

Week 2 Update

Today Dr. Forsyth and I focused our efforts on editing the draft survey. The number of questions has increased to around 20 and the wording is being worked upon. Each survey will have to be presented in a precise and consistent manner so enunciation and presentation is key. This will be practiced before actual survey work commences.

In other news, on Friday I spent the day reviewing literature related to the survey and will be working to create 1pg summaries of each. This will be useful not only to individuals viewing this site, but also in application to creating a publishable scientific work. This too will occur later into the research process.

In about twenty mins. , Dr. Forsyth and I will begin what will be my second (and his first) physical survey. This will occur from the end of the Westhampton Lake to a creek (unidentifiable on my large map) to the James River. We will examine the stream I have dubbed "Orange Stink"(see Thursday's post) and the coal plant onwards, which leads South or away from campus.

My lab photos!

This is my lab space at Jepson, its actually really comfortable

Physical Survey #1: Westhampton Lake

The past two days I have been working very hard to accomplish my first physical survey. A physical survey is a means of judging the general welfare of a water system without any equipment other than a pen, paper, and in my case a camera. My physical survey will be broken into components set forth by the Chesapeake Bay Program's (CBP) assessment process.

For my first assignment I wanted to look at a feature that is central to the University of Richmond campus, Westhampton Lake. I would like to preface my discussion with a common perception of students of the UR campus that the lake is either radioactive or a bio hazard. One always hears rumors of individuals who cross the lake who, are within hours, sick with serious infections. Speaking to a Bio student yesterday, who has done field tests on the lake, has found that it meets all standards for a recreational/healthy lake. However, she cautioned me not to drink the water, since it may have E. Coli and other potentially harmful bacterium in it.

With these thoughts in mind, I began my physical survey...
__________________________________________________________
Name of Body of Water: Westhampton Lake Date: May 30th, 2007
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Riparian Zone & Erosion: A riparian zone is an important feature to most watersheds. The RP Zone is the interface between land and a flowing water body. The word Riparian, includes the Latin prefix ripa, meaning riverbank. This site often has numerous types of flora which can sustain numerous species of animals. The plants that compose the RP play a central role in filtering nitrates and runoff before it enters the water. The CBP feels there should be a minimum 35 feet to a RP Zone which slowly terraform from the water's edge to forest line.
^--- In this photo we are looking at one of the many streams that feeds into the Westhampton Lake near the Greek Row on River Road. The RP Zone is so thick that is almost impossible to get near the stream due to vegetation. This particular stream meets all of the CBP's criteria for a successful and healthy RP.


^--This RP (near DHall and the Tyler Haynes Commons on the Westhampton side of the lake) has numerous types of plants before reaching a paved path and then large trees and shrubs. While not the natural progression seen in the first shot, it still qualifies as a good RP.
^-- The Richmond side of the lake has the weakest, and at some points, nonexistent RP Zones. This photo shows the construction of Lakeview which slopes directly into the lake (to the left of the photo). Because of the lack of an RP zone, runoff has killed much of the grass near the lake. To prevent erosion this side of the lake has a man made approach... (see next photo)
^--The Richmond side of the lake uses large rocks along with netting below the soil to prevent erosion. This strategy is noticeable by the sharp drop of the land towards the water and the lack of a smooth transition to the water's edge evident elsewhere on the lake.

******RP overall analysis******

I was impressed with the RPs at the Westhampton Lake. The streams that deposit water into the lake all have fairly strong RPs. The Westhampton side of the lake, especially near the forested areas, is superb as well. However, the Richmond side of the lake's RP Zones should be the focus of repair and rejuvenation in order to create a more natural and effective natural barrier to prevent runoff and erosion to the lake.

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Litter: Litter was less of a problem then previously assumed. The objects that appeared most frequently at the observable water's edge were glass bottles, cans, baseballs, and tennis balls. The streams that feed the lake were noticeably cleaner, however a tire and Disney style hat were found at two separate points.

<- In this photo a plastic cup can be observed in the lake. While trash is presumable further and deeper in the lake, the water's edge was surprisingly not in bad condition.

***Trash Overall Analysis***

Trash does not appear to be a serious problem. As would be presumably suggested, regular cleanups of the water's edge would take care of a small portion of the problem. Also, more trash receptacles would provide a means to stop some of the littering along the lakeside.
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Point Source Pollution: PSP observes a direct point of pollutants entering a body of water. This is often characterised by pipes dumping a substance or pollutant into a body of water. Surprisingly, there are two point source pollution locations on campus.

^--While I have no field test to confirm, it goes without saying that any sort of power plant will generate pollution. Our campus's coal plant is only used at certain hours, but does contribute to air pollution. Also, the copious amount of coal near the water may have an effect, primarily due to a small RP Zone separating the coal from the stream. Runoff would be the main area of concern here. It is interesting to note that this PSP affects the water leaving the lake, so no effects are truly felt in the Westhampton Lake.

^-- This stream I have temporarily dubbed 'Orange Stink'. If you're wondering why, the title sums it up. It is both a strange orange color and has a pungent odor. This stream enters right near the coal plant from what appears to be a suburban area near the golf course (which is adjoining campus). If I get the means I really want to run field tests on this site to see if the cause is pollution, chemicals, or a strange biological feature.

***PSP Overall Analysis***

While I cannot come to any confirmed conclusions, I strongly feel investigation of these two sites is of high importance to my study. If these sites do prove to be contributing substansial amounts of pollution to the water it would mean problems for many other points down the stream/river exiting the Westhampton Lake.

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Species Observed & Forests:

Birds: Great Blue Heron, Goose (Canadian & Domesticated), Ducks (Mallard), Robin, Crow, Dunking Water Bird (needs id & photo).......three sets of hatching's: Duck, Canadian Goose, Canadian Goose

Mammals: Squirrel

Reptiles: Snapping Turtle

Amphibians: Frog, Tadpoles

Fish: Sunnies, Minnows

Insects: Snails, Mosquito, Butterfly (yellow and dark with blue spots), Gnats, Ants

Trees: (MANY) at least 4 types of pine, lots of deciduous (beech & maple among others)

Plants: Far too many to count or quantify with my knowledge, much more than originally anticipated

***Species Observed Overall Impression***
Diversity is much more sophisticated than I originally thought. Also, bird flocks appear to have grown substantially since last year (especially seemingly non-migratory ducks). Fish appear all around lake, not just by gazebo as suggested by some.
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Lake Water:

Algae


^-- This is one example of algae in the lake. Yet this is restricted to the banks of the lake and appears to be simply a sign that the lake is alive and healthy.
^-- This photo was taken of the lake in the Fall of 2005. During this fall the lake was covered in a thick film of algae which created a malodorous smell and changed to very bright shades of green, blue, yello, and orange. The lake has not had a similar experience in the past two years.
Professor Chris Stevenson stated at that time, "The plain fact is that the lake is eutrophic (ie, highly productive). This is partly natural – lakes tend to become progressively more eutrophic as they age, and shallow lakes do so fairly quickly – but the process is accelerated by nutrient pollution. The source of the pollution is somewhat debatable. University Facilities claims that it is due to sources further up the watershed (eg, residences, Ukrops, etc) and not due to fertilizer used on University grounds. That’s perhaps debatable; I suspect both sources are important, though I can’t say for sure.So the only long term solution is to reduce nutrient pollution into the lake, and possibly treat the sediment (or dredge it) to get rid of the nutrients there (which can be re-released into the water). Anything else – including the aerators – is only treating the symptoms rather than the disease".

Muddy: Only at one point, where the streams enter the lake near where River Road and Richmond meet.

Odorous: 'Orange Stink' stream
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Well that sums it up! My first physical survey *whew* it took 3 hours to make this post. I learned where the lake needs improvement and also where it excels. Overall, I was very impressed with the state of the lake.

Rain Barrels!?

Ok I know this is a little off topic but I can't get over the idea of Rain Barrels! As stated in my previous post, runoff is a major cause of unnecessary sediment/fertilizers entering the JRW (James River Watershed). Here's a guide to rain barrels which describes how to take water that would normally spill off your roof/drainpipes and put it to good use. It's a simple and easy way to help the environment and also create successful gardens, etc. This would be a good idea for the University of Richmond, as well as any homeowner who wants to conserve water and protect our waterways!

The PDF is here: http://www.cbf.org/site/DocServer/rain_barrel_guide-web.pdf?docID=2868

James River Website and Data

The JRA (James River Association http://www.jamesriverassociation.org/home.html) is another organization who work to promote the environmental preservation and restoration of the JRW (James River Watershed). Did you know that 25% of Virginia is part of the James River Watershed and home to 1/3 of all Virginians? Here are some interesting data regarding the leading cause of pollution in the watershed and what individuals can do:

What can you do?
One of the most difficult things the river has to face is runoff pollution from lawns, farms, parking lots and development. The best thing that we can do to protect the James is to start at home. Here are some ways to minimize your impact on the River.

1. Lawn Fertilizer – minimize or eliminate lawn fertilizer. Some sources estimate that 40% of commercial fertilizer sold goes to non-agricultural uses. Mulching lawn clippings can retain nutrients on the lawn rather than removing them.

2. Roof runoff – direct down spouts to unpaved areas so rainwater can infiltrate into the ground rather than running off into a nearby stormdrain. Rain barrels and rain gardens can help hold initial runoff and use it productively for plants in your yard. In some developed areas, as much as 60% of the sediment pollution damaging streams results from increased runoff.

3. Conserve energy – There are many ways to save energy. As much as one-third of the damaging nitrogen entering Virginia’s rivers and the Chesapeake Bay comes from air pollution, of which power plants are a major source. Coal fired power plants also produce mercury that is the cause of widespread fish advisories.

4. Drive less – Combine errands into a single trip or use alternative transportation. Auto emissions is the other major source of air pollution that threatens Virginia’s rivers and the Chesapeake Bay

5. Talk to your elected officials – tell your state delegates and senators that clean water is important to you and that you want a dedicated funding source for clean water in the 2006 General Assembly. Citizens can play an important role to make sure Virginia’s rivers and Chesapeake Bay get the resources they need to be healthy.
(http://www.jamesriverassociation.org/getinvolved_whatcanyoudo.html)
Another Pic of the JRW (in green)

Does 'Fun' Impact our Environmental Behavior?

Why is it that protecting the environment is rarely our first priority, or for that matter our second or third? How is it we can drive to work and see polluted rivers and streets and continue our daily routine without a moments hesitation? There are actually numerous possible reasons for these phenomena, which are both surprising and understandable:

1. Which Came 1st, the Recycling or the 'Fun'?: Today I read a very interesting article titled 'Motivations and Behaviors That Support Recycling' by Carol M. Werner and Eeva Makela of the University of Utah, in which the two did survey work looking into individuals' perceptions and habits in relation to recycling. In particular, the two looked to see if those who made recycling more 'fun' were more environmentally conscious. Their results were surprising, they found that, "people who had strong personal attitudes favoring recycling or a strong social orientation towards recycling were most likely to describe ways in which they made it more interesting"(Werner & Makela 382). Thus, because we see recycling as a chore, we are less likely to embrace it, and likewise if we make recycling more fun a correlation exists showcasing more tendencies of being environmentally conscious.

2. Diffusion of Responsibility: Let's face it, the world is a BIG place. In fact, there are so many people around us, we sometimes feel our individual actions are insufficient or unnecessary. It appears to be a human tendency to feel that someone will do the right thing, often times for us. This process is called diffusion of responsibility. A classic example of distribution of responsibility is if an individual is hurt in a car accident near a little league baseball game. The study of group dynamics suggests that if one person is near the crash they will be obliged to aid the individual (call 911, provide first aid, etc.) whereas a group of individuals will be less likely to do the same. Some make the argument that others are more able to handle the situation while others assume someone else will help. The challenge of environmental action is that the environment affects everyone and individuals appear more likely to put the responsibility to clean or preserve the environment on their communities, states, nations, and leaders. My research in regards to the James River Watershed will examine which process is more feasible or practical to individuals (individual action, community action, or regional action). This insight may provide a key means to evaluate where environmental action should be targeted.

3. Danger Zone!: What is the most recent example of an environmental disaster you have seen on the news? Was it an oil liner which accidentally spilled tons of oil on a nature preserve? Or a quick moving forest fire threatening homes? How about a hurricane which causes water from sanitation sites and other chemically or biologically threatening sources to flood into a major metropolitan city? Of course you have! Our media picks up environmental stories that are of the most sensational or perilous immediate concern. After all who would want to hear a news story of how soil erosion is slowly killing rivers and streams over a ten to fifty year period? It's not that these issues aren't important...it's just they aren't important NOW. Paul Story and Donelson Forsyth examined this process in relation to watersheds in their article 'Watershed Conservation and Preservation: Environmental Engagement as a Prosocial Behavior'. They suggest that because awareness about the health of watersheds is not of direct concern to individuals, they are less likely to be environmentally prosocial in protecting these water systems. Since immediate results cannot be found in these large environmental systems Weick suggests a system of small wins, which builds individuals confidence and support for a environmental system. However, the flaw of this approach is not that it doesn't work, but that it provides what it states, a small win. I hope to see if individuals relate to their region or community more than individual environmental processes. If this is so, these larger entities can engage in larger win situation which will still provide the confidence and support of the small win system with larger effect.

Draft Survey #1

Here's my preliminary questionaire to be utilized in my studies:

Individual and Collective Environmentalism:
An Emphasis on the James River Watershed
___________________________________________________
Please tell us what you think about the waterways, creeks, drainage ditches, rivers and so on in the JRW (James River Watershed) by circling the letters to indicate your agreement or disagreement with each statement. If you wish to answer ‘Don’t Know’, then mark an X through the item
___________________________________________________________
Sd = Strongly Disagree SA=Strongly Agree
D=Disagree N=Neutral A=Agree
___________________________________________________________
#1: I am satisfied with the quality of the water in the (UBW) James River Watershed

Sd D N A Sa

#7: Protecting the (UBW) James River Watershed will make my community (region) a better place to live

Sd D N A Sa

#18: I would be proud to get involved in cleaning the (UBW) James River Watershed

Sd D N A Sa

#30: Most of the people in my community (region) feel the same way I do on (UBW) JRW issues

Sd D N A Sa

#39: It isn’t my responsibility to protect the (UBW) JRW

Sd D N A Sa

#57: City and county (regional) are responsible for protecting the (UBW) JRW

Sd D N A Sa

#61: Much of the pollution in the (UBW) JRW is being done by people who live in communities (regions) other than mine

Sd D N A Sa

#70: I would feel that I let down my community (region) if I polluted the (UBW) JRW

Sd D N A Sa

#83: Other members of the community (region) are NOT doing their fair share in protecting the (UBW) JRW

Sd D N A Sa

#84: I would be willing to get involved in preserving the (UBW) JRW

Sd D N A Sa

Background on Richmond's Water Supply

City of Richmond Department of Public Utilities


Here's the DPU's 2005 assessment of the drinking water in the Richmond area:
http://www.ci.richmond.va.us/Departments/publicutilities/docs/WaterQuality2005.pdf

Interestingly to note is that the amount of water being pumped has increased since 1999 (based on a brochure Dr. Forsyth has given me) and that Richmond's water supply is 100% up to US water standards. The DPU's website is; http://www.ci.richmond.va.us/DPU/

-The PDF is 4 pages long-

CBP (Chesapeake Bay Program)
http://www.chesapeakebay.net/
The CBP provides a wealth of knowledge about watersheds. A watershed is essentially a group of rivers, streams, etc. which feed into a larger body of water. My study observes the James River Watershed (near the bottom of the map) which eventually feeds into the Chesapeake Bay. As you can see the large extent of the watershed means large regions as well as local communities have a responsibility to preserve this natural feature.


Lets zoom into the James....

Richmond is in the Middle, so lets get closer


Zoom into Richmond..


Just to give you an idea of how this map relates to my current location, The University of Richmond is on the border of Henrico County and Richmond (upper portion of this map). Besides these maps, the CBP also provides valuable data regarding the James River Watershed.

Here are two charts, the one on the left is in reference to toxic releases from 1989-1999 while the right discusses the mode of pollutants affecting the James River Watershed in 1999. The actual amount of pollutants is near 3,000,000 lbs.

Toxic Releases 1989-1999

Goals and 1st Day Update

Ok, here is my first post regarding my research. Today I met with my faculty advisor/mentor Dr.Forsyth about our research project. While we have been meeting for numerous weeks before the closure of the Spring Term 06, today was our first day of the project itself. Needless to say, I am both excited and motivated to make this project a success.

The first thing we did today was to get a whiteboard and essentially plot out our goals and expectations for the project. As we speak I am in the Jepson lab room getting acquainted with my new lab for the summer. Below is the basic layout of our goals;
____________________________________________________
Immediate Goals:
- Generate Questions for Survey
- 1st Day Discussion with Professor Forsyth *
- More Accurate Timetable

Goals:
- Published Paper
- Observe Phenomena
- Report for CCE / Presentation (Jepson and CCE)
- Observe the Watershed (James River, streams, lakes, brooks, etc.)
- Gain Information from the CBF (Chesapeake Bay Foundation), CBP (Chesapeake Bay Program), DPU Richmond (Department of Public Utilities), Adopt a Stream

Action:
- Survey (phone and door to door)
- Physical Surveys
- Blog *
- Photo Journal
- Water Testing
- Contact Environmental Organizations
- Data Analysis
- Review of Literature

* Indicates Completed
________________________________________________________

My next course of action is to generate the survey questions. Of particular interest is an experimental condition, which will be revealed upon completion of the project, which will provide insight into the concept of social identification and individuals and communities commitment to environmental policies and action.

Communication with environmental organizations will be accomplished during the next few days. Hopefully this will provide with with additional data about the watershed as well as means to assess water quality. Through the nonprofit CBP, or Chesapeake Bay Program, I have obtained a thirty page report on how to conduct a successful physical survey. A physical survey is a interesting approach to gauging the water quality of the watershed. The main objective of this type of survey is being able to judge the quality of a body of water without any testing equipment. While I will not go into specifics now, it's a long yet surprisingly simple process for ordinary citizens to do, I will at a later date.

Also, I will be working to make this blog a easy way to keep up to date with my research and provide significant insight not only to the project, but to research experience here at UR (University of Richmond). Check back later to find a link regarding the social and living experience here.

I may have another update later today so stay posted!

Greetings!

Hey everyone, my name is Garrett Schlein and I'm currently a rising junior at the University of Richmond. This summer I am working in conjunction with the Center for Civic Engagement and the Jepson School to research how individuals and collectives perceive and implement environmental policy. In particular, my studies will focus on the James River Watershed and the greater metropolitan Richmond vicinity.

The purpose of this blog is to give you insight into my studies, progress, and findings. I hope to create a photo journal as well to give you a first hand glimpse at my studies and the watershed. I will be updating over the course of the summer so check back frequently.