2024 Inside Business River Star Hall of Fame - Chesapeake Parks, Recreation and Tourism

If you enjoy deep woods and extensive trails along the Elizabeth River, it’s probably thanks to Chesapeake Parks, Recreation & Tourism. The
department has been adding large swaths of conserved land to its public parks for decades.
Most recently, Chesapeake opened 88-acre Newton Neck Park, dense forest along 5,000 feet of shore on the Southern Branch near the Dominion Boulevard Veterans Bridge. The Coastal Virginia Conservancy took the lead to obtain the land, but the city’s commitment to operate it as a public park was key.
Add that to the recently revitalized Elizabeth River Park, offering the only free fishing pier in the region (the city maintains a fishing license for this purpose). Then there’s the Dismal Swamp Canal Trail, 8.3 miles long; Indian River Park, 90 forested acres along the tributary’s headwaters, and a “Blueway Trail” for paddling at Western Branch Park.
“Chesapeake’s parks along the Elizabeth are some of its very best spaces for connecting people with the river, in ways that celebrate the river and the ecosystem,” says Marjorie Mayfield Jackson, Executive Director, Elizabeth River Project.
Chesapeake’s park department also strives for pollution prevention. Sustainability and stormwater control were a focus in the renovation of Elizabeth River Park and trails often are made with crushed recycled concrete. “Paddle for the Border,” drawing hundreds of paddlers, is among popular events to immerse the public in nature.
Learn more about the Elizabeth River Project's River Star Business program: elizabethriver...

[@davidgibson6238]

UA-cam presentation was well done but rushed and hard to understand at certain points. I would have liked to have seen a full transcript. Keep up the good work ERP and Chesapeake Parks and Rec. And thanks to the many volunteers!