Blair Blanchette of CBF Addresses the Health of the Chesapeake Bay 5/16/18

The May 16th open meeting of Rappahannock Indivisible--We the People (RI-WtP) will focus on the immediate Northern Neck environment, specifically on the health of the Chesapeake Bay and how local citizens can have a positive impact on its health.

RI-WtP’s speaker is Blair Blanchette, Virginia Grassroots Coordinator for the Chesapeake Bay Foundation (CBF).

Home to more than 18 million people and 3,600 species of plants and animals, the Chesapeake Bay watershed is a vast, rich, and complex system. “The issues the Bay faces, from polluted runoff to dead zones, are equally complex. In many ways, the health of the Chesapeake Bay is tied to the health and well-being of our Northern Neck community,” said RI-WtP coordinator Diana Jameson.

Blanchette will discuss the major pollution sources and solutions in our waterways and the federal and state efforts to reduce pollution. She also will discuss how we as citizens can be engaged in the cleanup of the Chesapeake and the watershed as a whole.

Blanchette began her love affair with the environment as a child in the foothills of the Blue Ridge. After many summers of kayaking, hiking, and fishing in the James River watershed, she graduated from the University of Virginia in 2014 with a degree in environmental science. Prior to joining CBF, she served an internship with the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation, focusing on rare trout species in the Sierra Nevada.

Blanchette’s current work focuses on developing relationships with the public and rallying advocates for Bay water quality issues in the greater Richmond area. In addition to garnering advocacy support and hosting volunteer programs, Blanchette oversees a wide variety of signature CBF programs, including the VoiCeS adult education course and Grasses for the Masses, a citizen restoration effort of freshwater underwater grasses.

The May 16th meeting will begin at 7 p.m. at the Unitarian Universalist Society of the Rappahannock, 266 James Wharf Road, White Stone. All members of the community are welcome to attend.

Media contact

Mari Bonomi

804-436-9210