COMMUNITY COLLECTION
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Our Community Collection is all about YOU. Maybe it’s your favorite memory of being on or near the river as a kid, or perhaps it’s why the river is so important to you now… it could be how the river makes you feel and why, or what purpose the river has served in your life and the lives of those around you.
We set out with a goal to gather as many stories as possible to highlight and represent the many voices of our watershed, and we are always looking for more! We hope you enjoy these personal tales by watching, listening, and reading submissions from across the James River watershed.
James River Poetry Contest
47 Years of Whitewater Paddling on the James
ESSAY by Charles Ware, Richmond, VA In August 1969, Hurricane Camille tracked into Virginia, dumping perhaps five feet of rain on…
Fireflies from Jars
MUSIC by Genevieve Wall, Richmond, VA I came to the James River in 2019. That Spring…
Spectacular Sighting
ESSAY by Janet Eddy, Ashland, VA The alarm woke me at 6am. I ate, jumped into…
The Riverwalk
ESSAY by Sydna Mundy, Lynchburg, VA I am eight years old as I search for sandy patches among the…
Journey with Friends
ESSAY by Sejal Kinker, Richmond, VA My favorite memory on…
Opportunity for Thanks
ESSAY by Jessica Pick, Richmond, VA Every Thanksgiving, my dad, my brother, and…
An Elevated Encounter
ESSAY by Carol Nitz, Henrico, VA Most every weekday morning and evening I have an elevated encounter with…
A homecoming
ESSAY by Michael Vanatta, Claremont, VA I grew up on the James about eight miles upriver and…
The Ancestors’ Garden
ESSAY by Sandra White, Charles City, VA I recently published a book, a memoir with stories created …
Sort by prompt
Using these prompts, James River lovers have shared essays, videos, audio recordings, poems, photographs and drawings that capture why the James River is important to them.