April 27, 2012
National Arbor Day at the VCU Rice Center
With thanks to the National Arbor Day Foundation and its Tree Campus USA program sponsored by Toyota, a record was made with 290 trees being planted at the VCU Rice Center. These trees were predominantly planted along the mud flats and upland of Kimages Creek. The majority were wetland trees but species included Bald Cyprus, Sycamore, White Oak, Willow Oak, Swamp Chestnut Oak, Black Gum (or Tupelo), River Birch, and Red Maple. The mud flats certainly made for interesting and messy work for the many enthusiastic volunteers. These volunteers included approximately 50 Green Unity members (VCU's student environmental group) as well as Ecological Service Learning students along with community members from the Richmond Tree Stewards, the Va. Department of Forestry, the Va. Department of Conservation and Recreation.
This effort, led by the VCU Office of Sustainability Director Jacek Ghosh and Brantley Tyndall, exemplifies their commitment to improving the university, and has built upon last year's first Arbor Day at VCU when just five native trees were planted on the Monroe Park Campus. Dr. Thomas Huff , Vice Provost for Life Sciences, and Daniel Fort, VCU Rice Center Chairman of the Board, welcomed volunteers along with Randy Gordon from the National Arbor Foundation. Dr. Ed Crawford, Assistant Professor of Biology, spoke on the ecological importance of trees, their role in the wetlands and in protecting the watershed, and then volunteers were given a lesson on effective hole digging by Paul Thrift, Superintendent of Grounds with a proper tree planting demonstration of a ceremonial White Oak.
February 17, 2012
The VCU Rice Center raises awareness in California
A reception was held on Friday, February 17 at the Environmental Nature Center in Newport Beach for VCU alums and friends to raise awareness for the VCU Rice Center. Supporters of the center in attendance included notable area philanthropists Dick and Olga Robertson with their daughter Sophia, Al and Deeann Baldwin as well as Dean and Suzanne Plant with their son, Slater, grandson of one of the founding members of the Rice board of Trustees, Dr. Robert Harman. There to represent the Rice family was Walter and Inger’s niece, Taya Paige, and her family, who reside in Orange County.
February 13, 2012
Daniel Fort, Chairman of the VCU Rice Center, thanks MeadWestvaco for their $1M gift to the VCU Rice Center
Dr. Daniel Fort wrote an opinion piece for the Richmond Times-Dispatch on MeadWestvaco's gift to support research at the VCU Rice Center and the importance of this donation not just to VCU, but also to the community as a whole and as an investment in education, the environment, the commonwealth and beyond.
“Richmond can surely be proud to be the beneficiary of MWV's largess and foresight, to share the city as home and headquarters for the company, and to share in thoughtful intelligent and informed national and intrernational environmenal leadership,” he writes.
February 1, 2012
VCU Rice Center Receives Gift from MWV Foundation to Support Environmental Research
Sathya Achia Abraham
VCU Communications and Public Relations
Virginia Commonwealth University has received a $1 million gift from the MeadWestvaco Foundation to develop a laboratory space at the VCU Rice Center dedicated to understanding the science of rivers and the environment.
The donation will help a new laboratory, which will be housed within the newly planned 10,000-square-foot research building at the Rice Center. The new laboratory will also be named for MWV.
Through the new research building, scientists will work with partnering agencies and researchers to study a broad range of water resources issues, including water pollution monitoring and remediation, nutrient and carbon cycles important to the study of climate change, microbial processes and the impacts of sea level rise on rivers and the communities that economically depend on them. The laboratory will offer emerging technologies and sophisticated analytical instruments to conduct this work.
The MeadWestvaco Foundation partners with both national and local organizations in MWV communities. And through the foundation’s purposeful involvement since 2003, these programs have benefited from more than $36 million in strategic grants. In addition, employees have given more than 572,000 hours to more than 3,000 programs.
“This generous gift will help the Rice Center in its continuing mission to further knowledge of the importance of water resources to our society and environment,” said Leonard Smock, Ph.D., director of the VCU Rice Center.
According to Smock, the laboratory will enhance ongoing VCU studies, allow institute researchers to pursue new grants and contracts and open new avenues for collaborative studies with agency and industry personnel.
“Overall, the laboratory will provide a service that will improve environmental quality throughout the region and beyond,” he said.
“The MeadWestvaco Foundation is pleased to support the VCU Rice Center and construction of its new environmental analysis lab,” said Linda V. Schreiner, MWV senior vice president.
“Education, environmental stewardship and sustainability are long-standing MWV core values. With a view of the beautiful James River from our world headquarters in downtown Richmond, we are reminded every day of how essential healthy rivers and robust water resources are not only to MWV’s business, but also to our communities. We hope today’s gift will inspire others to follow suit and help in continuing the important work being done by the VCU Rice Center,” she said.
The new research building is the central focus of Rice Center’s newly launched $10,000,000 capital campaign. The campaign will fund this research building along with an overnight facility to accommodate 25-30 visiting researchers and students. In addition the campaign will provide resources for research equipment and graduate student scholarships.
In 2009, the Walter L. Rice Education building at the Rice Center became the first building in Virginia to be awarded the U.S. Green Building Council’s LEED platinum certification, the highest sustainability rating possible. VCU plans for the new research building to be built at the platinum level LEED certification level at a minimum, but expects to reach a Net Zero Energy level, continuing the example of excellence in environmental sustainability.
The Inger and Walter Rice Center for Environmental Life Sciences is devoted to a broad array of environmental research, teaching and public service. Located on nearly 500 acres along the historic James River, midway between Richmond and Williamsburg, the Rice Center is rich in natural and cultural resources that provide VCU researchers and scientists from other institutions and agencies a unique location to advance the science essential to developing a sustainable balance between the natural environment and human activity.
For more information on the many ways in which the MeadWestvaco Foundation gives back, please visit www.mwvfoundation.com.
Click here to hear a WCVE Science Matters Report from Charles Fishburne.
January 31, 2012
Water Matters at the Rice Center
The Rice Center for Environmental Life Sciences is Virginia Commonwealth University’s large outdoor laboratory devoted to environmental research. Located on 494 acres along the James River, the Rice Center is a place where scientists study the role of conservation in helping to protect our rivers and wetlands. This unique field station on the James is in an area rich in natural and cultural resources and is an ideal place to teach how we all can become better stewards of our natural resources.
Watch this video to discover how the Rice Center is making a difference. WCVE Public Radio’s Charles Fishburne reports.
Scientists from VCU and many other institutions conduct research on a wide variety of topics with a primary focus being large river ecosystems and their surrounding wetlands and habitats. Some recent studies include:
- Wetlands restoration
- Restoration of Atlantic sturgeon in Virginia’s coastal waters
- Nutrient dynamics and the role of plankton in the food chains of the James River
- The ecology of the freshwater tidal creeks along the river
Scientists from the Rice Center believe the best way to involve students in the investigation of their world is by being outside - and the Rice Center is a perfect outdoor learning facility. Educational programs are offered throughout the year for undergraduate and graduate students as well as students in grades K-12. Additionally, the Rice Center's teacher programs are a wonderful opportunity for teachers from across the nation to participate in unique workshops where they explore the James River and the diversity of Virginia’s wildlife, all while earning graduate credit through VCU.
For more information on research and program opportunities visit The Rice Center’s website.
January 27, 2012
VCU Symposium Raises Awareness about the Conservation and Management of Vernal Pools
There is a local, regional and national need to raise public awareness of vernal pools – fascinating aquatic habitats that are critical for certain species of amphibians – according to preliminary data from a collaborative research effort by Virginia Commonwealth University, the College of William & Mary, state agencies and a statewide volunteer network of citizen scientists.
Many species that breed in these pools live their adult lives in forested habitat, so maintaining these ecosystems requires careful management of both the pools and the surrounding terrestrial forests in order to maintain regional biodiversity.
Top right: Anne Wright of VCU reviews findings from a collaborative study about vernal pool ecology during the Vernal Pool Party held at the VCU Rice Center. Image courtesy of Holly S. Houtz/VCU.