Member Highlight: Rivanna Conservation Alliance
For this Member Highlight, the Coalition's former Virginia State Lead, Pat Calvert, interviews Bailey Pleasant, Watershed Coordinator at the Rivanna Conservation Alliance. Their edited conversation follows.
What city and state is your organization located in?
Charlottesville, Virginia.
Tell us about your organization and your mission.
RCA formed in 2016 when two long-standing organizations joined together, marrying a scientifically-rigorous volunteer-supported water quality monitoring program with a grassroots focus on community outreach, education, stewardship, advocacy, and restoration. RCA’s programs are guided by a belief that healthy waterways and green spaces are essential to a vibrant and resilient community. Today, RCA serves as the local “voice of the river” and actively engages around 1,000 community volunteers each year.
What is one of your current projects you are the most excited about?
Our current project that I’m the most excited about is the Rivanna Forest Restoration Partnership, which is focused on improving riparian forest health through invasive plant management and native tree planting along the Rivanna River in Charlottesville. Along with protecting our existing tree canopy from invasives, we planted 1,800 new native trees and shrubs across four public properties along the river to strengthen the riparian buffer. Community members helped with the planting, and we will continue to maintain the trees with volunteer support. This effort not only builds a healthier forest but also creates a stronger community by fostering long-term stewardship.
What issue area do you hope to focus on in the future? How is it relevant for clean water restoration?
I hope that we can focus more on urban stormwater management. While resources exist for homeowners to do retrofit projects, there is a need to promote more on-site stormwater management for new infill construction. The City of Charlottesville is trying to encourage increased density through new zoning, and we are concerned about the impacts on our already degraded urban waterways. As more dense living spaces increase, so will impervious surfaces. Stormwater runoff and its related problems will only worsen if the community isn’t proactive about addressing it.
RCA Youth Paddling Program
What do you hope to gain from being a member of the Coalition/what do you appreciate about being a member of the Coalition?
I appreciate that being a member of the Coalition provides opportunities to connect with others involved in similar work. It’s easy to fall into a routine of only doing what we know, but hearing about different strategies and approaches used by others allows us to challenge our current knowledge and reflect. Could we change what we’re doing to become more efficient, thoughtful, or impactful? Without new perspectives, we risk remaining unchanged and missing out on improvement.
