Trash taints park’s natural beauty

Though summer is coming to an end, many people seeking reprieve from the concrete and heat head to Belle Isle and the James River Park System. Along with visitors comes trash and broken glass, which pose a risk to both people and the ecosystem.

Belle Isle, located on the James River, is a popular destination for many Richmond residents looking to enjoy the natural beauty of the river. Belle Isle is often showcased as the gem of the James River Parks, according to the James River Park Systems Web site. Despite this, many park visitors are wonder why the small island remains in such poor condition.

Park manager Ralph White stated in an e-mail that park maintenance takes place in two forms: routine trash and graffiti removal and infrastructure repair and emergency work. General site improvements, such as road grading and mowing, also fall into this category.

“We currently have only two maintenance workers in the park,” White stated in an e-mail. “We are down two people and have been for most of the summer. Normally, it takes a minimum of four full-time staff (members) to handle park maintenance in the spring and summer, our heavy use time.”

“There are a dozen litter-collection sites on the island, most are pairs of trash cans, but one site, Dead Rock, has six cans,” White stated.

The cans are put together in pairs so the litter going to the landfill can be separated from recyclables.
Routine Belle Isle cleanup takes a truck and a trailer with two workers about three hours to empty the cans and roughly sort the recyclables. This routine includes going out to the rocks and picking up litter. The entire process is done four or five times a week.

The James River Park recycles more than 50 percent of its total trash. “Probably one half, but certainly a third, of that is generated on Belle Isle,” White stated.

Visitors to Belle Isle have access to much of the James River, where large exposed rocks provide a place for visitors to enjoy the open river. This location provides an excellent view of the river and Richmond’s skyline, but any trash left on the rocks could end up in the waterway.

With no food or beverages available in the park, visitors often fill backpacks, bags or coolers with refreshments for a day at the river. The trash often does not make it off the rocks but remains in the park. Often, trash cans next to the river quickly become filled and overflow onto the ground.

VCU alumni Greg Mondello, who earned a degree in parks, recreation and sports management with a minor in environmental studies, said he thinks Belle Isle is in “pretty good to fair” condition.

“I also know that there isn”t much funding for parks these days. We all need to work together on keeping them looking nice,” Mondello stated in an online interview. Mondello also stated parks “rely on volunteers.”

Mondello wanted to stress the importance of the river and its parks to Richmond.

“It has potential of being really sketchy down there, but it’s so important to the city. The James River is the heart of the city,” Mondello stated.

Kevin Diesenberg, a resident of the 2100 block of Riverside Drive, lives directly across the street from the south entrance of Belle Isle.

“It’s pretty trashed down there,” said Diesenberg, who described the many types of trash littering the rocks and river, such as red cups, clothing, towels and dangerous broken glass.

Diesenberg expressed a desire for more trash cans in the park as well as more frequent cleanups of the rocks.

Kristi Totoritis, a craft/material studies major at VCU, said about Belle Isle, “a lot of people tend to leave beer cans there.”

“It seems like they care more about catching people drinking there than they do about the trash,” Totoritis said.