VCU Rice Rivers Center

Home
United States
Charles City, VA
VCU Rice Rivers Center

Directions Website

VCU Rice Rivers Center is a 360-acre research field station on the James River dedicated to environmental restoration and academic collaboration.

Our state-of-the-art campus features a modern research facility, a 50-person conference room for retreats or trainings, and overnight accommodations for up to 22 guests.

10/05/2026

Last week, we had the pleasure of exploring the Rice Rivers Center’s woods to collect soil samples for Professor Laura Battaglia and student research assistant Alyson Kentner Leary from the VCUarts Department of Interior Design.

The samples will support their material study of sun-dried brick using locally sourced clay earth. During the outing, ecologist Dr. Chris Gough answered questions and provided valuable insights into soil science and sampling techniques.

10/02/2026

NEW DATE FOR THE OPEN HOUSE EVENT
Sunday, October 25th, 1-4pm
at the Rice Rivers Center
3701 John Tyler Memorial Hwy,
Charles City, VA 23030

Please RSVP to our free, open to the public, Open House Event

RSVP Link:
https://give.vcu.edu/events/school-of-life-sciences-and-sustainability-open-house-at-rice-rivers-center

Or take a screenshot of this post, open your phone’s photo gallery, press and hold the QR-code and tap “open link”

09/28/2026

Last week, we were privileged to host a retired faculty and alumni luncheon at the Rice Rivers Center!

Jason Chestnutt from Planned Giving kicked off the event before Dr. Ed Crawford shared an inspiring overview of the center’s history and research. Following lunch, guests toured our Boat House & Pier, Kimages Creek Outdoor Classroom, and Research Facility—learning firsthand about our work in algal blooms, drones, avian ecology, water quality, wetland restoration, and student engagement.

A huge thank you to everyone who attended and to the team who made it such a special day!

09/18/2026

Douglas Giles, a graduate student in the School of Life Sciences & Sustainability, is working with Gough Lab Field Technician Trevor Gress to study tidal wetland carbon cycling at Kimages and Harris Creek. Using a LiCor 7810 trace gas analyzer, Giles is tracking fluctuations in carbon dioxide (CO2), methane (CH4), and water v***r (H2O). During active growth, wetland plants pull CO2 from the air and store it in the soil. Conversely, flooding creates oxygen-depleted soil conditions that trigger specialized microbes to generate CH4. By monitoring these gas dynamics, Giles aims to compare the greenhouse gas fluxes and overall ecosystem function of an intact versus restored tidal freshwater wetland.

Swipe to see methane being released from Harris Creek.

09/14/2026

A great day of outreach at the 3rd annual James River Association EcoFest! Faculty from the School of Life Sciences and the Rice Rivers Center joined local partners this past Saturday to educate the Richmond community on our ongoing research and environmental initiatives. Collaborative events like EcoFest allow us to bridge the gap between academic research and community action, ensuring a healthier future for our shared ecosystems.

09/08/2026

Join us for the VCU School of Life Sciences and Sustainability & Rice Rivers Center Open House! 🌿📅 Date: October 4th
🕐 Time: 1:00 PM – 4:00 PM (Drop in anytime!)
📍 Location: VCU Rice Rivers Center

Come out for a free, family-friendly afternoon by the water. The afternoon is yours to scope out our amazing field station, take a tour of the buildings and docks, go bird watching, and connect directly with our community.

This joint event is the perfect chance to meet our faculty and students and see firsthand how VCU’s School of Life Sciences and Sustainability is driving impactful environmental research.

Discover how our team monitors river health, protects local ecosystems, and leads vital conservation efforts right here along the James River.

We are excited to welcome you! 😊

RSVP: https://lnkd.in/eMqiruvM OR take a screenshot of this photo, then press and hold it to open for link!

09/03/2026

Scientists at Virginia Commonwealth University are using cutting-edge tracking technology to help the endangered Atlantic sturgeon recover in Virginia’s James River.

Dubbed “fossil fish” because they date back to the Jurassic period, these massive river giants can grow up to 13 feet long and weigh 800 pounds. Lead researcher Dr. Matt Balazik of VCU Rice Rivers Center and his team have tagged over 2,350 sturgeons to map out their migrations and protect them from modern threats like commercial ship strikes. While a 40-year harvest ban has given the population a fighting chance, recovery is slow because the fish take over a decade to reach maturity.

VCU’s ongoing research aims to shape future environmental policies to fully restore these prehistoric beasts to the Chesapeake ecosystem.

Full article: https://virginialiving.com/outdoors/how-vcu-scientists-are-helping-atlantic-sturgeon-recover-in-virginias-james-river/

08/31/2026

Christie Garcia, an undergraduate student in the VCU College of Engineering, conducted research on detecting microplastics using a spectrometer. Funded by the VCU Fellowship for Undergraduate Research, the project was guided by faculty mentor Christina Tang, Ph.D. (College of Engineering) and collaborator Ron Lopez, a Ph.D. candidate in the School of Life Sciences & Sustainability and research faculty at the Rice Rivers Center.

For the experiment, Garcia spiked four soil-filled mesocosms with microplastic pellets at concentrations of 0%, 10%, 15%, and 25%. The research team first quantified the microplastics using a handheld spectrometer, averaging measurements across a 9-quadrant grid for each mesocosm. Next, they flew a drone-mounted spectrometer over the mesocosms at an altitude of 26 meters. The spectrometers utilized shortwave infrared (SWIR) data to the spectral features of plastics. The spectral shape can be used to detect microplastic from the soil.

08/28/2026

Yesterday, the Virginia Sea Grant hosted their Graduate Research Fellows Orientation at the VCU Rice Rivers Center! 🌊

The fellows toured the facility and dove into the incredible research happening at the center. 🔬 A major highlight was an inspiring conversation between Executive Director Chris Gough, Ph.D., and VA Sea Grant Director Mona Behl, Ph.D. They shared invaluable insights on leadership, career paths, core values, culture, vision, and mentorship.

Excited to see where this cohort’s research journeys take them! ✨

Address

3701 John Tyler Memorial Highway
Charles City, VA
23030

Website

http://ricerivers.vcu.edu/, https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSf-lrTpu1iBK3bGWgli5gA465-oCaWy3ekReYCHCkwR45qVxg/v

Alerts

Be the first to know and let us send you an email when VCU Rice Rivers Center posts news and promotions. Your email address will not be used for any other purpose, and you can unsubscribe at any time.

Want your organization to be the top-listed non profit organization in Charles City?