Back in October, the Friends of the James River Park launched a cool initiative called Science in the Park. The effort is a collaboration between VCU’s Rice Center Environmental Outreach Education, the VCU Biology Department, Ralph White, the Friends of the James River Park, the James River Park System and others.

The bridge from Pony Pasture to the Wetlands.

The idea, according to the Friends, is to provide “science-focused educational materials about the geology, habitats, and flora and fauna of the James River Park System in Richmond, VA. We hope to enrich the Park experience for local and regional school systems, communities, visitors and regular users of the park through web-based, self-directed explorations, guides, videos, and lesson plans.”

When you go to the main “Science in the Park” page, you can click on Geology, Flora and Fauna and Rock Pools. Each has a wealth of information about these areas that so many of us spend time in but might not know much about. Recently, the Friends have begun releasing videos that accompany the science tours and highlight a particularly interesting plant, animal, feature, etc. Check out the video at the top of the page by local filmmaker Melissa Lesh on the elusive fairy shrimp of Pony Pasture Park. Go to the Friends of the James River Park Facebook page to see more videos.