Nansemond River Preservation Alliance

Conduct sampling and monitoring of the Nansemond River and Suffolks creeks in accordance with the VA Department of Environmental Quality Monitoring Program. NRPA volunteers are trained to conduct sampling for salinity clarity dissolved oxygen temperature and conducts tests for e.Coli. Data is entered into the VA DEQ database. Every two years the NRPA Water Quality Committee prepares and publishes the State of the Nansemond River Report and Report Card. The Report is distributed throughout the city region and state.

NRPA Watershed Community-Wide program targets all 94,000 Suffolks citizens to educate and encourage them to be environmental stewards through a variety of programs and hands-on activities. The programs and activities include presentations and exhibits at community events. Hands-on programs include: planting of native shrubs and maintenance of the NRPA Conservation Demonstration site Sleepy Hole Park oyster gardening oyster substrate research bacterial tracking research program oyster 30,000 restoration shoreline grasses research clean the river Community River Talk and HOA events.

NRPA Nansemond Watershed Initiative:K-12 Connecting the Classroom With the Environment Program NWI. The program completed its 11 year of educating Suffolk Public School and Nansemond Suffolk Academy students to be environmental stewards. 2023 NRPA continued the study segment for 3rd grade students -Watershed Explorers Program at 11 of the 11 elementary schools and 5 out of 5 middle schools and 2 of 4 highschools to reach approximately 2,300 students. . The sessions are aligned with the VA Standards of Learning objectives and provide meaningful and hands on experience in learning.