Local teachers complete first Dragon Run in-service

While it may have looked like a fun day kayaking with friends, educators from Gloucester, Mathews and Middlesex counties were actually at work, taking part in a three-day professional in-service program.

Teachers and FODR volunteer instructors are shown in a group photo. They are, from left, Terry Skinner, Jennifer Patterson, Jack Kauffman, Judy Green, Carol Kauffman, Natalie Fleet, Stephanie Bowen, Stephanie Sowers, Susan Walton-Fary, Natalie Smith, Sherry Rollins, Molly Broderson and Bambi Thompson.

The first Dragon Run Environmental Academy Mentorship, or DREAM, was sponsored by the Friends of the Dragon Run and made possible through a grant from Dominion Energy.

The teachers explored the Dragon Run watershed in kayaks, on foot (hiking trails), and conducted water quality experiments. Instructors for DREAM included Friends of Dragon Run volunteers. Instruction was based on the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) Meaningful Watershed Educational Experience (MWEE) program.
The teachers will share information they learned with their seventh-grade students during the 2023-2024 school year. The Friends of Dragon Run will continue to be a mentorship resource for the teachers for pursuing MWEE-based programs.

Friends of Dragon Run is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit corporation. Its mission is to protect, preserve, and encourage the wise use of the Dragon Run watershed, fulfilling its mission through education, stewardship and citizen science. For more information about Dragon Run and to join the FODR activities, visit DragonRun.org.