Before the time got entirely away from me, I wanted to highlight some recent award recipients who deserve recognition for their tireless efforts to improve the James River.

The Friends of the James River Park’s ‘Heroes.’

Back on April 30, the Friends of the James River Park and the James River Advisory Council each honored people with separate awards, but they did it at the same place and time — at VCU’s Rice Rivers Center in Charles City County.

The Friends bestowed on Scott Turner, co-owner of TrueTimber Tree service and Riverside Outfitters; Anne Wright, a VCU biologist; and Dennis Bussey, who started the volunteer group James River Hikers, with their “Ralph White River Hero Award.” Both Turner and Bussey are RichmondOutside.com contributors. Ralph White was on hand to deliver the awards, which were re-named in his honor this year. In addition, attendees of the event had the opportunity to taste Legend Brewery’s new Z-Dam Ale before it went on sale to the general public.

Meanwhile, the James River Advisory Council was busy honoring with its “Steward of the River” award: Mark Battista, a Chesterfield County nbiologist; Bob Argabright, a volunteer with the Goodes Creek Watershed Coalition; Dick Gibbons, who volunteers with Scenic Virginia; George Bruner, the advisory council’s co-chair; and the Central Virginia Waste Management Authority, a regional agency involved in recycling.