James River Park System Oral Histories

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  Ana Edwards interview (2024-04-19)

  Ana Edwards is a public historian and assistant professor in VCU’s Deptartment of African American Studies. As founding chair of the Defenders’ Sacred Ground Historical Reclamation Project (2004), and in collaboration with other community organizations, she contributed to the popularization of Gabriel’s Rebellion, reclamation of Richmond's first municipal African Burial Ground and helped lead the community campaign to establish a Memorial Park in Shockoe Bottom–a 10-acre area that was central to the city’s role as the epicenter of the US domestic slave trade.
  Edwards speaks about her childhood in Los Angeles, California, growing up with a Black father and white mother, her academic family, her Norwegian heritage, the Virginia town of Norge, what Richmond was like when Edwards first moved there in 1988, the landscape of art at VCU in the late 1980s and early 1990s, the recovery of the African Burial Ground using public strategic planning documents from VCU, the history of monument making following the United States Civil War in Richmond and post-2020 changes to the monument landscape, the in-progress Shockoe Memorial Park, who gets to tell history, the role of white women in preserving the idea of the Lost Cause of the Civil War, the way the James River manifests in the story of Gabriel’s Rebellion, the Richmond Slave Trail Commission, how people are interested in learning the true history of the places they visit and inhabit, VCU’s racial literacy curriculum, the river’s psychological effects, themes of water in art, Edwards’s first time in the James River, the overlap between public history and environmental history, the role of sentimentality in environmental conservation, survival in an uncertain world, and restoring natural habitats.

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  Andrew Alli interview (2024-04-18)

  Andrew Alli is a Richmond native with a deep love for the outdoors. He is a VCU graduate with a bachelor’s degree in Environmental Studies. He has been working with the City of Richmond Department of Parks and Recreation where he is the current Trails and Greenways Superintendent. When he is not working, he can be found enjoying the Richmond trails and touring as a professional blues harmonica player.
  In this interview, Alli speaks about his childhood experiences with outdoor recreation in Richmond, his work as the Trails and Greenways Superintendent for the James River Parks System, what JRPS trail maintenance work involves, the challenges of public outreach and providing access, the expansion of green spaces in Richmond, environmental easements, a holistic approach to environmental consciousness, use of parks during the Covid-19 pandemic, community health, garnering a sense of respect and responsibility for shared outdoor spaces, incorporating parks support into city development, JRPS educational programs, and the relationships children can build with parks systems to become lifelong users.

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  Joey Parent interview (2024-04-16)

  Joey Parent was born and raised in the Blue Ridge Mountains of Virginia. He started exploring rivers and trails on an old BMX bike that his father pulled out of a dumpster and a hand-me down canoe that his mother gave him. Since then, the gear has gotten nicer and the trips have gotten longer, but a yearning to explore has remained the same. A graduate of Virginia Commonwealth University's Photography and Film Department (2005), Joey currently directs the Outdoor Adventure Program at VCU where he hopes to inspire others to live their own adventures.
  In this interview, Parent speaks about growing up in Central Virginia whitewater kayaking, his work as Senior Assistant Director for Outdoor Leadership, teaching for VCU’s Center for Environmental Studies, his first time paddling on the James River, seasonal changes on the river, spreading out the utilization of the parks, perceptions and realities of a city park system, who does and does not feel welcomed in the parks, how painful history can impact park use, preservation versus conservation, whose vision of the park is being preserved, how park exposure creates environmentalists, the challenges of the park, undoing historical discrimination in the outdoors, and balancing use of the park with preservation.

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  Tim Barry interview (2024-04-15)

  Tim Barry is a Richmond musician, explorer, wanderer, traveler and James River enthusiast.
  In this interview, Barry speaks about his childhood experiences growing up in Virginia and London in a military family, his relationship with the James River, living in the Oregon Hill and Spring Hill neighborhoods of Richmond, the specialized knowledge Barry and his colleagues have acquired after years of working for JRPS, the impacts of technology and social media on peoples’ relationships to the parks, how social media and the Covid-19 pandemic have changed the landscape of popular river gathering spots, how JRPS has changed over time, the effects the growth of human interest in park usage has on the wildlife population, the branding of Richmond as “RVA,” public safety in the parks, environmental conservation and the globalization of the movement, acting locally, and Richmond’s unique approach to parks access and the history behind it.

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  Greg Velzy interview (2024-04-12)

  In addition to being a Board Member for the Friends of James River Park, Greg Velzy is the longest serving Board Member of the James River Outdoor Coalition, Chair of the Falls of the James Scenic River Advisory Committee, and Council Member of the James River Advisory Council. Why is he so busy? Because his 50 years in Richmond have made him fall in love with the river and our Park. Greg enjoys the Park for hiking, running, and especially paddling. Like many of us, he admires the “Grass Roots” nature of the support for the Park. He considers himself one of many who are inspired to contribute to the health of the James River Park System. He also told us that one need not found an organization or join a non-profit to make a difference. The average Park user can exact change during a simple visit by stopping for just a second and picking up a piece of trash.
  In this interview, Velzy speaks about his childhood in Richmond, his favorite places for various park activities, the downsides of having more people interested in using the parks, how park users should be communicated with, the significance of exploration and discovery for parks users, balancing preservation and access to parks, how attitudes towards the park have changed since the 1970s, the relationship between JRPS, Friends of the James River Park, and the city government, his involvement with the James River Outdoor Coalition, the significance of the James River to both indigenous, colonial, and U.S. history of the region, the joys of seeing kids build confidence through parks activities, how to get a more diverse perspective in park signage, and how to work with private landowners to grow park conservation efforts.
  Please note: There are high winds in this audio recording, some parts of the audio are difficult to hear and the transcription may not be entirely accurate.

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  Tricia Pearsall interview (2024-04-12)

  About Tricia, in her own words: "The James River Park and the James River and its banks have been a part of my Richmond life from the time I moved here in the late 1960s. We’d explore along the river in the Park, and I’d take my kids snorkeling and swimming in the River. Later, I guided river camps for kids, and led history hikes for all ages along the river. I now serve on the Historic Falls of the James Scenic River Advisory Committee and the Board of the James River Outdoor Coalition. As I approach my 8th decade, I remember when we excitedly explored by few, if any, paths, discovered and marveled at all James River Park natural lands and animals. Now I’m advocating furiously to protect the degradation of biomass and loss of habitat caused by too many paths or trails and over use. The river and the JRP park are RVA and must remain a priority in protection management and funding. I only hope tomorrow’s children get to experience the JRP as we have. Now retired, I have been an experiential education teacher and administrator at St. Catherine’s School, an adult ESL teacher at Richmond Public Schools, and a kayak and backpack instructor with Chesterfield County Parks and Recreation."
  In this interview, Pearsall speaks about her childhood in North Carolina, attending Randolph Macon Women’s College, graduating with a chemistry degree, moving to Richmond to work for the American Tobacco Company, falling in love with backpacking and wilderness at Girl Scout camp in North Carolina, racing sailboats in Richmond, canoeing and kayaking, becoming involved with river protection through her father-in-law’s campaign against a Southside freeway, the state of the parks in the 1970s and 1980s, the Hurricane Agnes flood of 1972, the turn towards environmental conservation in the 1960s and 1970s including the Clean Water Act, the growth of state and federal parks, how humans disrupt wilderness, conservation versus accessibility, how to approach parks education, the origin of the Richmond Slave Trail, having a shared vision for parks management, how to stop overuse of trails, how race and immigration status can impact experiences of the parks, how park user diversity needs to be reflected in management, how Richmond should center the river and parks, and how we can be better stewards for the parks.

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  Giles Garrison interview (2024-04-09)

  Giles Garrison is the Superintendent of James River Park System, a City of Richmond park division, comprised of over 600 acres of urban trail, natural wetlands, historic works of civic architecture, and native inhabitants including osprey, bald eagle, sturgeon, and longnose gar to name a few. Previous to this role, Giles served as the City of Richmond Department of Parks, Recreation & Community Facilities workforce development program supervisor and community engagement liaison. Before joining the City, she was the director of Groundwork RVA, a nonprofit dedicated to helping teens develop the skills to make positive changes to green spaces in their communities. A Richmonder from the beginning, Giles attended Governor’s School and Williams College and received a Masters of Urban and Regional Planning at Virginia Commonwealth University. She is thrilled to be raising her one year old within a short walk of JRPS with her husband Evan.
  I this interview, Garrison speaks about her childhood in Richmond, growing up in the Forest Hill and Ginter Park neighborhoods, enjoying the parks as a child and teen as a “river rat”, how those experiences have impacted her work as Superintendent of JRPS, the differing ways people experience the parks, her thoughts on environmental conservation, educating the public and elected officials about environmental needs, the amount of labor it takes to fund parks projects, balancing conserving ecosystems and creating parks space that can handle large amount visitors, taking business calls on the trails, building avenues for communication between JRPS and the public, how historic districting can impact which history is remembered, future plans for natural resource management growth at JRPS, and whether parks employees are park managers or advocates.