Friends of Dragon Run

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Gloucester, VA
Friends of Dragon Run

Our organization strives to protect the biodiverse watershed of the Dragon Run.

Join us for a kayak trip on the Dragon, or become a member to get involved in a variety of activities we have to offer!

06/12/2026

Want views of the Dragon Run like this? Summer Paddle Season registration opens TOMORROW at 9am!! This year our season runs from July 15-July 26.

To register, head to our homepage at https://dragonrun.org/events/

05/09/2026

Today is International Migratory Bird Day! We take the time today to recognize all the species of birds around the world that are making (or have already made) their annual journey from wintering locations to their breeding grounds.

Did you know that to date, the Dragon Run Watershed has been documented to support 158 species of birds, the overwhelming majority of which are migratory species? We suspect the true number of birds to utilize our watershed for at least some portion of their life is likely over 180!

Whether they are long-distance migrants that cover thousands of miles in one year, or short-distance migrants that only move from the higher elevations of Virginia into the Coastal Plain and back, all of these species are equally special.

What bird species have you spotted today? Our Teta Kain Nature Preserve is an excellent place for you to take a short stroll and enjoy the beauty of the birds in our watershed!

📸 Prothonotary Warbler, Winter Wren, Yellow-breasted Chat, and Solitary Sandpiper

04/22/2026

Happy Earth Day 🌎 Here are a few reasons why we love our little slice of our amazing planet:

Eastern Tiger Swallowtails nectaring on Buttonbush, Northern Blue Flag Iris luring pollinators with its purple beauty, Box Turtles in all of their shades of yellow and orange, and the ethereal Fringe Tree flowering in bottomland forests. And to think, this is just a small fraction of the biodiversity throughout our watershed!

Stay tuned for upcoming member events and other opportunities to witness our watershed first-hand!

04/18/2026

Join FODR on Sunday, April 26 for our next general membership meeting!

At 7pm, Lisa Deaton will give a Zoom presentation on Fire Ecology. Lisa Deaton has worked as an Area Forester for the Virginia Department of Forestry based in Gloucester for the past 10 years. She spent her first 15 years with the Department serving as the Virginia Project Learning Tree State Coordinator and coordinating forest education activities at the New Kent Forestry Center. Lisa holds a B.S. in Forestry and Wildlife from Virginia Tech and is our local Area Forester representing the Virginia Department of Forestry. She will review the history of wildfire in Virginia and discuss how prescribed fire affects local ecosystems on the Middle Peninsula.

This meeting is open to all. Head to our website for the meeting link under the Events Page! We hope you’ll join us! 🔥

03/25/2026

We still have space left in our Spring Paddle schedule! Head to our website to check out what dates still have availability: https://dragonrun.org

We hope to see you on the water! 🛶

03/12/2026

It's that time of year again! Our spring paddle season is almost here, and registration is just around the corner. This Saturday, March 14, at 9am our registration opens. The link to sign up will be on our homepage: https://dragonrun.org/events/ This year our paddle season will run from April 15 to May 19.

We will be guiding every day from our home base at Big Island Complex in King and Queen County. Paddles start at 10am, and all gear will be provided for a $60 donation. For more information on our spring paddle season, check out the link:https://dragonrun.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/2026-Spring-Paddle-Trip-Info-for-website.docx.pdf

We hope to see you on the water! 🛶

03/09/2026

Exciting news! Our next member event is almost here. A Spring Equinox Nature Walk is planned for March 29 from 1-3pm. This hike will be at a new location by Ware's Bridge. We will have two hike options for members: a longer and faster-paced hike, and a shorter, slower hike that's perfect for stopping to take in all the emerging plants and wildlife you encounter. As usual, members are allowed to bring their children and guests. We can't wait to see you there!

To sign up and for more information, head to our webpage at https://www.dragonrun.org/

Not a member but interested in becoming one? Head to our membership page to join now! https://www.dragonrun.org/membership.html

03/06/2026

We are working just as hard as our Dragon Run beavers do to get our new website up and running. But like the beavers, we are going to experience hiccups along the way. Some pages may be temporarily unavailable during this transition time, but keep checking back as they will be up and running better than before! We appreciate your patience.

📸 Anne Parker

02/07/2026

The 2026 Wildflower of the Year has officially been announced by the Virginia Native Plant Society . Meet Ghost Pipes, Monotropa uniflora! This spooky plant that lacks chlorophyll can be found all across the Dragon Run Watershed in mesic to dry forests. Read more about the WOTY on the VNPS website:
https://vnps.org/wildflower-of-the-year-2026-ghost-pipes-monotropa-uniflora/

Keep an eye out for this unique plant this year while you hike in the woods 👀👻

📸 Maeve Coker

01/18/2026

2025 was a big year for our organization. Not only did we celebrate 40 years of protecting the Dragon Run, but we also launched our first major fundraising campaign for land acquisition in a long time.

At the start of last year, we set an ambitious goal of $100,000, much larger than any goal we had set before. We optimisticaly raised that goal to $175,000 when an offer on a large property in Middlesex County was accepted, even though we knew it would drain most of our financial reserves.

We never expected the generous support of our donors to go above and beyond our fundraising goals. By the end of last year, we were able to raise over $350,000! Because of the outstanding support of peple who care just as much as we do, FODR now owns and is able to protect nearly 700 more acres with almost 2 miles of frontage on the Dragon Run in an important habitat corridor. Not only is this land protected, but our organization can remain financially viable.

No words can express our gratitude for those who contributed. Thank you all!

Address

P. O. Box 882
Gloucester, VA
23061

Website

https://www.dragonrun.org/

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