Richmond, VA (06/22/04) - Paddlers from across the region will join local communities and elected officials in the 2004 James River Sojourn - a weekend paddling expedition organized by the Alliance for the Chesapeake Bay to raise local awareness about the need to protect and restore the James River and the Chesapeake Bay.

The Sojourn begins June 25 in Howardsville in Nelson County and continues 25 miles downstream to the Solite Corporation Plant near Bremo Bluff on June 27. Throughout the weekend, more than one hundred paddlers will take part in educational programs, archeological mapping exercises, riverside camping, and meeting with elected officials to discuss improving the James River and its watershed.

Since 1990, the Alliance has worked with local river conservation organizations across the Bay watershed to hold week-long paddling and camping trips that celebrate the rich history and ecology of the rivers that make the Chesapeake Bay watershed unique. Throughout the week, Sojourners build comradery through daily paddles and programs and share new experiences with other on the trip. Each day, paddlers cover about ten miles of river. Each evening the Alliance and partner organizations coordinate environmental programs designed to educated paddlers and their guests about the river’s importance to local communities and the Bay region as a whole.

“This year’s James River Sojourn will allow paddlers to take in the unique history and topography of one of Virginia’s most beautiful stretches of water,” said James River Sojourn coordinator Hadley Milliken. “Not only will paddlers wrap themselves in the scenery of the James, they will learn about local conservation efforts in their area.”

The public is invited to participate in the evening programs and meet with Sojourners as they work their way downriver. Evening programs educate paddlers and members of local communities about the importance to protect and restore the James River and the Chesapeake Bay.

The 2004 James River Sojourn is sponsored by Honeywell, Blue Ridge Mountain Sports, and James River Association. Additional support and planning assistance is also provided by Eclipse Event Specialists Inc., Horse Shoe Flats Campground, James River Advisory Council, Lender’s Fresh Bagels, Mattaponi Canoe and Kayak/ Flatwater Discoveries, National Park Service’s River and Trails Program, Obsidian Inc., Phillip Morris, Scottsville Museum, Sam’s Club, Solite Corporation, Town of Scottsville, Virginia Department of Conservation and Recreation, Virginia Department of Game and Inland Fisheries, Virginia Department of Transportation.

Founded in 1971, the Alliance for the Chesapeake Bay serves as the Voice of the Bay by building partnerships to improve the health of the Chesapeake and its rivers.

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Note to media: Journalists are encouraged to paddle part of the Sojourn with us…the James River is quickly becoming a celebrated tradition that is best experienced from a canoe or kayak.