In the same way that the rapids define it as a river, the James River itself defines Richmond. One thing Virginia textbooks got right is that the Falls of the James played a significant role in Richmond’s development as a city. From millennia-old native villages to the Great Ship Lock, Richmond’s location made it a center of human activity.

Maymont is celebrating Virginia’s largest and most historic river with James River Week, running Sept. 9 – 16. The weeklong celebration of all things James is organized by the James River Advisory Council, marking the 24th year of celebrating the river during September. Maymont partners with the JRAC and the James River Association to advocate for wider awareness and appreciation of our amazing natural resource.

“For James River Week at Maymont, we’re leveraging multiple disciplines – art, film, photography, dance, history, and hands-on active learning opportunities – to help children and adults engage with the James River,” says Krista Weatherford, Maymont’s director of programming and community engagement. “We’ll have talks by Maymont educators, as well as a local historian, and a conservationist, plus artmaking, an art and photography exhibition, and a dance performance. Even a night hike for the whole family.”

As part of James River Week, Maymont will screen “A Sturgeon Story,” created by Justin Black, Will Gemma and Dietrich Teschner, aka Headwaters Down. The filmmaking team recalls learning of the breaching Atlantic Sturgeon and setting out in a canoe to see for themselves. Once they got a blurry image of a distant fish launching out of the water, they were hooked.

“We knew that it was possible, and this became an obsession that led us to our hero shot almost three weeks later,” enthuses Black. “We got so much amazing footage that we felt like making a short film specifically about the return of the Atlantic Sturgeon to the James River was necessary and exciting.”

The most surprising part while making the film occurred on a misty morning when, just after sunrise, the river exploded with leaping sturgeon. “We probably saw over 100 breaches in an hour, sometimes two or three at the same time,” Black says. “However, getting lucky enough to catch one jumping in front of a rolling video camera was a whole different story.”

Filming over 21 days, mostly during dawn hours, the filmmakers allowed themselves to become seduced by the mysteries of the ancient fish. After a couple weeks and some breakthroughs in filming and research, they were sure there was something there.

Albert Spells a retired USFWS biologist shared his extensive knowledge of the sturgeon with the filmmakers, who wove it into their narrative. “We’re proud to be able to tell an entertaining and positive wildlife story,” Black says. “The hard work of a few organizations and individuals, and 50 years of cleaning up the river has had a major impact on the flora and fauna of the James.”

The Latin Ballet of Virginia will perform “Aguas,” a family-oriented dance-theater production celebrating history, culture and the James River’s natural treasures. The performance piece, which honors the commemoration of the war’s end and the freedom of all enslaved Black people, was inspired by John Bryan’s 2023 book, “The James River in Richmond.”

Lorne Field, Environmental Outreach Coordinator with the Chesterfield County Department of Environmental Engineering, will give a lecture, “Introduction to Rain Gardens.” The talk covers how to plan, plant and care for a beautiful native plant garden while also managing stormwater runoff, a more pressing need with every passing season.

Jill Schuler, assistant underwater archaeologist at the department of historic resources, will deliver a talk on “The River City: Why is Richmond Where It Is?” Long before the city of Richmond was established, communities of native tribes including the Powhatans in the 16th century, chose to live near the Fall Line because of the numerous benefits the falls presented. The natural barrier of the falls slowed the migration of fish, such as the American shad, producing concentrations of fish that were easier to catch.

Also, the natural barrier prevented travel further upriver, making the falls a center of trade between the coastal communities and those living further inland. In 1607, when Europeans arrived, they were quick to realize the benefits and began to push out the native communities, taking over the falls and expanding the falls’ function as a center of trade.

Photographer Bill Draper will be presenting some of his wildlife photos taken at various locations on the James River and its tributaries. Families will find plenty to do between Toddler Time, homeschooling activities and a family night hike to see which wildlife gets to stay up late.

According to Weatherford, the goal of James River Week at Maymont is simply to help people appreciate the beauty and benefits of living along the river. “We want to inspire people to join in the community-wide effort to help conserve the watershed for the benefit of people and the wildlife who share it.”

James River Week at Maymont, Sept. 9 – 16, Maymont, 1000 Westover Rd. Advance registration for events is recommended. https://maymont.org/learn/james-river-week/