Friends of Dragon Run, a nonprofit organization dedicated to conservation on the Middle Peninsula, recently hosted a group of conservation leaders from around the globe.
These early- and mid-career professionals, known as Conservation Catalyst Fellows, were part of a three-week leadership academy organized by The Institute for Integrative Conservation at William & Mary, directed by Dr. Robert Rose.
The academy aims to foster leadership skills, facilitate knowledge sharing, and cultivate a global network of inclusive and innovative conservation advocates. As a capstone to their program, the Fellows embarked on an exploratory paddling trip down Dragon Run on June 28.
Dragon Run is one of the most northern bald cypress swamps in eastern North America. The Dragon, whose headwaters are in Essex County, meanders through King and Queen, Middlesex, and Gloucester counties before emptying into the Piankatank River. It is the most well-preserved waterway within the Chesapeake Bay watershed.
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