Podcasts about Rappahannock

Annie Brulatour (Salem Church) and Aimee Dillon (Westmoreland)  talk about the Central Rappahannock Regional Library's annual Summer Reading program and why continuing to read during the summer months is so important.  The program encourages readers of all ages to track their reading, complete activities, attend library events, and earn prizes throughout the summer. This year's theme is “Unearth a Story,” with programs running through August 15 featuring special events, activities, book challenges, and family programming across the region. More information, registration details, and a full calendar of events can be found at LibraryPoint.org.

Division Manager of Events Courtney Mersiowsky talks about the return of the Fredericksburg Duck Race on July 4th at Riverfront Park. The event will feature 2,000 rubber ducks racing down the Rappahannock River.   Proceeds will benefit Friends of the Rappahannock and the City's FUNd Parks Fund, supporting river conservation, park improvements, expanded access, and healthier outdoor spaces throughout the community. Courtney also shares updates on Fredericksburg's Farmers Market season, including the continued growth of local vendors and community participation downtown. She previews this week's Spring Kids Market.

What's happening with the Rappahannock River? Brent Hunsinger and Daria Christian of Friends of the Rappahannock joined us to break down the alarming drop in river levels, concerns over data centers and water.  We reviewed some of the big topics the General Assembly dealt with earlier this year.  They also explained how something as simple as recycled oyster shells is helping restore the Chesapeake Bay — and shared important tips for staying safe on the river this summer.  riverfriends.org

Looking for great plants? Head to 750 Kings Highway for the RAAI Spring Plant Sale, happening now through May 16. Shop a wide selection of plants Monday through Friday from 10 AM to 4 PM, and Saturdays from 9 AM to noon. Whether you're updating your garden or adding something new to your home, there's plenty to choose from. On May 16, stick around for a special program from 12 to 2 PM as RAAI celebrates 50 years.  Raven Neal and Alexis Fox with details on both events.

Jeff Stainbrook at Porter and Erin Creighton at the downtown branch discuss local history and the library's involvement in Virginia's VA250 programs. They share what the community can expect in the coming months. The Friends of the Library have also launched a new online store, and the Seed Library is now available downtown—with a new location coming soon to Porter.  librarypoint.org

Step back in time on April 25 at Drums Along the Rappahannock! Join Dave Muraca and Allison Burgess as they preview this free VA250 event featuring the Old Guard Fife and Drum Corps. The program runs from 10 AM–2 PM--music, history, and hands-on fun for all ages. Updates on the new archaeology season at Ferry Farm—and a heads-up for families: summer camps are open and spots are still available (for now)!

Horticulture Manager Alexis Fox previews the annual Spring Plant Sale, which begins April 10 at 750 Kings Highway and runs through May 16. The sale will be open Monday through Friday from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. and Saturdays from 9 a.m. to noon. Residents will have the opportunity to purchase a variety of plants, with availability changing throughout the sale based on what is ready at the time. Offerings may include vegetables, herbs, flowers and hanging baskets. Proceeds from the sale support programs that help adults with developmental disabilities. The plant sale will conclude May 16 with a 50th anniversary celebration for RAAI.

Annie Brulatour, Salem Church Librarian, and Darcie Caswell, Director of Youth Services, highlight the importance of early literacy for young children. They say building reading skills early helps kids succeed as they grow and into adulthood. The conversation also features Grow A Reader programs and “Library of Things” kits--offering hands-on activities families can check out to support developing readers.  librarypoint.org

Dave Muraca and Allison Ellis highlight upcoming events at Kenmore and Ferry Farm. These include 18th Century Game Night on March 20, Colonial Faire on April 4, and the Virginia 250 event “Drums Along the Rappahannock” on April 25. For more details, visit Kenmore.org.

Here's a sign spring is near--the Rappahannock Education Farm is about to begin volunteer hours again.  Rich Larochelle looks back at lessons learned in 2025 and plans for 2026---including use this year of a barn and greenhouse on the White Oak property.   rappahannockfarm.org

Erin Perkins and Anthony Salgado from the Rappahannock Area Health District join us to talk about how the Medical Reserve Corps steps up during local health emergencies — and the many other ways volunteers support the community throughout the year. They share how the Corps strengthens public health efforts locally and why more volunteers are needed across a wide range of opportunities. We also discuss timely health concerns, including flu season, rabies awareness, and measles prevention.

As a sovereign nations, Tribes in Virginia have the right to consult with state agencies on certain environmental permits and reviews. This week, the Rappahannock Tribe said that didn't happen with two projects related to the Rappahannock River.  Pamela D'Angelo reports.

This week Joe and Leland recap the HS Region Championships including Gap's big win over Riverheads. Will joins the show to preview Rappahannock and then there is a little CFB talk. All this and more on this week's episode of the YAC Sports Podcast. 

Idea Space Manager Chuck Gray and MakerLab Specialist Simon Watts walk us through the creative technology hub at 1616 Princess Anne Street. With Idea Space celebrating its 5-year anniversary in December, they outline new equipment, updated badging, and recent improvements that make the space more accessible than ever. They also preview what's next on the calendar, including the upcoming Adult Winter Reading Challenge.    librarypoint.org

John Coker and Roy Strohl join us to preview the 40th annual Pancake Feast, happening December 6th from 8 to 5 at Fredericksburg Baptist Church on Caroline Street. What began decades ago with ham biscuits—until a sweltering day forced a menu change—has grown into a major community tradition tied to the downtown Christmas parade. They reflect on the event's history and the staying power of the Rappahannock Rotary, which has kept the feast thriving for four decades.

Jessica Jones and Alexis Fox with Rappahannock Adult Activities highlight how the horticulture program helps individuals with disabilities build skills, confidence, and community connections through hands-on gardening. There's a new volunteer program on Tuesday beginning at 10am.,  and donations of pots or soil help keep the program growing. They're also preparing for their annual poinsettia sale—just in time for the holidays—and will even deliver your order to make supporting their mission easy and festive.  Details on facebook.

Assistant Branch Manager and Adult Services Department Head Erin Creighton and Branch Manager Craig Graziano with updates from the downtown library on Caroline Street. They discuss how the library serves as a vital community hub — connecting people to essential services, local assistance programs, and resources that support health, education, and lifelong learning. From partnerships that help those in need to classes and events that inspire growth, the library continues to make a real impact in people's lives. They also preview upcoming art shows that showcase local creativity and talent. Learn more at librarypoint.org.

The change applies to the York and Rappahannock rivers and the southern part of the James.

Father Pete Nunally is the founder of Water and Wilderness Church, a Washington DC-based outdoor church and watershed community. You can read more about the model of Water and Wilderness Church here. Father Pete is a passionate and well-spoken advocate on his social media pages and other forums, as in this interview with Creation Justice Ministries.Many thanks to Father Pete and the lovely group of people who welcomed Ron and me to Fletcher's Cove to worship with them last May. Winter? No problem. They worship outside anyway. Father Pete and some very faithful ducks.TRANSCRIPTPete Nunnally And so this expression and experience of worship begins to expand, and I think people are really looking for that. They want the church to tell them and to show them that God is everywhere, and that particularly in the natural world, the theological thumbprint of God is on all of this, and there's not a distinction or separation, but actually there's a union.Debra Rienstra Welcome to the Refugia Podcast. I'm your host, Professor Debra Rienstra. Refugia are habitats in nature where life endures in times of crisis. We're exploring the concept of refugia as a metaphor, discovering how people of faith can become people of refugia: nurturing life-giving spaces in the earth, in our human cultural systems, and in our spiritual communities, even in this time of severe disturbance. This season, we're paying special attention to churches and Christian communities who have figured out how to address the climate crisis together as an essential aspect of their discipleship.Today, I'm talking with Father Pete Nunnally, founder of Water and Wilderness Church. Father Pete is an Episcopal priest with a tender heart and a sense of adventure. The Water and Wilderness community meets outdoors for worship in several locations around the Washington DC area, adapting traditional worship forums in ways that enrich our encounter with God by reconnecting us with the rivers and trees and sky around us. Water and Wilderness is also a dispersed community, connecting anyone anywhere through online book studies, in-person retreats, and more. I talked with Father Pete outdoors, of course, at Fletcher's Cove on the Potomac River, just before joining their outdoor worship service. This interview includes a bonus trivia component. For extra points, see if you can identify the birds that join our conversation in the second half of the episode. Let's get to it.Debra Rienstra Father Pete, thanks so much for being with me today.Pete Nunnally I'm so glad to be here.Debra Rienstra It's great to talk to you. So let's start with what Water and Wilderness Church is right now. You're not a traditional congregation with a building. What are you, exactly?Pete Nunnally We are a church. We're an outdoor worshiping community geographically located in DC, but we are also a watershed community of the heart and worked in a lot of churches, and everything that that church did, wherever I was, was really only for the people at that church. But what's different about Water and Wilderness Church is the concept of watershed community. So the local community here in DC is like a wellspring, and out of that flow tributaries that go all over the country, and we create this watershed. And I use that word to mean both the watershed of a new idea or a new understanding of something, but also, like our physical watersheds are so important to us. And so anybody, anywhere—what I often say is Water and Wilderness Church, what we do is for anybody, anywhere, all the time. So if you are in Indiana, Arizona, California, these are states where we have people that are actively engaged in some of our online formation and things like that. That everything we do is for everyone, and most importantly, for the benefit of the earth.Debra Rienstra I wanted to ask about whether watershed was both literal and metaphorical for you, and it definitely is. You've also described Water and Wilderness Church as a threshold space. So what does that mean to you?Pete Nunnally I am influenced by so many of my friends that don't go to church anymore, and so many folks that label themselves spiritual but not religious. They just aren't going to go into a traditional church building. And I want to take what's beautiful and valuable about our Christian tradition, and I'm Episcopalian, so, you know, the Episcopal version of the mainline expression, and translate that and then bring it out to where people are. My sister, during Covid, said they take walks on Sunday morning with her family in different parks. And she said, “I get more out of that than I do going to church. I don't think we're going to go back to church.” And I thought, man, I get that. And when I tell that to priests and other church people, they nod their head and they say, like, yeah. Some of them are like, “I wish I could take a walk on Sunday morning.” Like, well, how can we receive this reality that people are living into, and they really are searching and seeking deep spiritual connection, but they're forced to take an a la carte approach. Like I walk in the woods and I get peace there, or I read a book by Thich Nhat Hanh, and I get a little bit of peace. I do you know, like a little bit of divinity here, a little bit of divinity there. Nothing that grounds all of that together. So to me, to take what's ancient, holy and divine about our Christian tradition and what we understand about God, and then to bring it out of the doors of the church, but with integrity, into the wild places, engraft our worship onto the worship of God that is creation. And I think that's what I mean when I say a threshold space. Like this is the world. This is the human world, this is the natural world. And then we sometimes just hide all of our really juicy, beautiful stuff about the Christian life as we've understood it for 2000 years, and we kind of lock that up into the church. And so we're trying to bring that out of the church and in a way that has integrity, but is in new spaces and lowering barriers for entry for people.Debra Rienstra Yeah, so you're responding to this kind of pervasive alienation between people and the natural world. One of the things I read on your website, and one of the things that you've said frequently, is, “What's good for the earth is good for the soul.” Yeah. Say a little more about how that phrase is meaningful for you.Pete Nunnally I think we forget that we are part of the community of creation. This is a phrase I got from you.Debra Rienstra Well, I got it from Randy Woodley.Pete Nunnally Randy, what a great writer and theologian. And so for a long time, we've forgotten that. Did you know our Christian tradition is an indigenous tradition, really? And we've scrubbed all of that away. You know the concept of Ubuntu, the African concept of “I am because you are,” and I cannot be a person if you're not a person. So like the sacred in me recognizes the sacred in you. Like we understand that African sort of understanding that Desmond Tutu and others talk about, but what if we looked at creation the same way? That we can't be fully human unless the wild world that God created is free to be itself also. And we do. We've isolated ourselves from this world, like nobody knows—we're eating foods that are out of season all year round, and kids grow up and they think that the food comes from the grocery store. And yet, part of what draws us out into the world—see, part of why I like worshiping here is there's just people around. And you know, like they wanted to come and just be by the river today.Debra Rienstra Explain where we are today.Pete Nunnally We are at a place called Fletcher's Cove and Boathouse. It is a park along the Potomac River in DC proper. And once you get in, kind of the whole place opens up. There's forest that goes right up into the river. And actually, the Potomac River is tidal in this area, believe it or not, we still have tides all the way up here, and it's a beautiful place. All kinds of people come to the edge of the river to enjoy themselves. It's incredibly diverse: people of different nationalities, and celebrating birthdays and graduations and beautiful days. And I like to worship here because you have the combination of people, but also, it really is forest along the river, and so the trees are down and slowly giving themselves back to the earth, and you're interrupted sometimes by, in our worship, by what's going on in the natural world. And of course, that's not an interruption, it's just what God brings us next. So we have migratory birds and blue herons, and the shad run is just about over, but shad and herring come up the river to spawn, and that brings fishermen out along the river, including myself. And so you get to experience a fuller version of what happens in the world when you're in a wild place, and when you worship in that same space over and over again, you get to know it through the seasons, and it gets to know you. So we become known to the trees and the river when we continue to come back over and over.Debra Rienstra Yeah. So you do outdoor worship, but you have other things going on too. So describe some of the other things that you do.Pete Nunnally Well, we do Zoom book studies. Our very first one was Refugia Faith.Debra Rienstra Oh, I've heard that's good.Pete Nunnally It's really well written, insightful, highly recommend to everyone. And that's exciting, because we have 20 to 30 people from all over the country who join and it really is a community of the heart, like, “Oh, I believe that I see God in nature.” And a lot of these folks come from a Christian background, but their traditional worship, it's not doing it for them anymore. And they want to be validated, because you feel so alone when you're like, “I love Jesus. I grew up with church, but I don't think it's responding to the times that we're in,” and when the world is on fire and our planet needs us so much, so often the church is silent or has trouble finding out what to do. So to me, the natural world is going to show us what to do, and the more we come out here together and graft our worship onto—take the wisdom that we have and add it to the wisdom of nature and the ecology of God, then we're going to know what to do and cultivate a love of something, then you can really do something. So just to add one more thing on top of that, we do in-person retreats. And those are really, really fun. Next week, we're going to the Chincoteague Bay Field Stations, an educational marine lab, and they take us into the field, and they teach us about the marine environment. So we're learning about how barrier islands are formed, or, you know, dropping a net down and bringing up sea urchins and sea sponges. And we really get to experience and see what's underneath the surface of the water. And then we apply that to our spiritual life and see, not only is God amazing and all these things like—there's just the granularity of what God has has brought into this world, but then we can see where our faith can grow and our understanding of God can grow by encountering things we haven't seen before.Debra Rienstra Yeah. So I often ask people about their spark point, so the moment when you began to realize the urgency of the climate crisis. What was that point for you?Pete Nunnally I'm a fisherman, and fishing populations have been going down. I read a really wonderful book called Beautiful Swimmers by Warren Wilson; it won the Pulitzer Prize in the 70s about the Chesapeake Bay and the waterman. Even then he was talking about how the watermen were saying that the bay is sick. And I grew up here in the Delmarva area, seeing the sign “Save the Bay” and things like that, but it wasn't personal to me until I started spending more time there and and you can see like the effects of hardened barriers versus living shorelines at the end of the people's property. And that the fish population is leaving, like they're moving. And some of the charter captains that I know talk about like there are no stripers in the river, in the bay anymore. I mean, there are some, but the water is too warm, so they go north and they don't come back south. And then when I started doing Water and Wilderness Church, that was really an important entry point for me as well.Debra Rienstra How did you get other people involved in water and wilderness church? When was the moment where you said we need to worship outside and I need to gather people? How did that all work?Pete Nunnally Well, it started because we were at the end of Covid. We were kind of inside, kind of not. And I'm an old camp counselor, and I said, “I think...I think we can do this outside. And I'm pretty sure it all used to be outside.” And so many stories of Jesus: he's talking to people at the edge of the Sea of Galilee. He's talking to them, they're hiking up a mountain. Like these are things that we can actually do. And so these are rituals. And we walked and talked during Water and Wilderness Church. And so I just started it and said, “Hey, does anybody want to do this?” And some people came out of necessity, because we didn't really have a lot of church stuff going on.Debra Rienstra Yeah, this is at your parish?Pete Nunnally My church, yeah, St. Mary's in Arlington. And every Sunday we did it. We did twice a month. I thought, this is the Sunday no one's going to come. And people just kept coming. 23 people came in a snowstorm. Well, not a snow storm, but it was snowing. And the weather was bad, and people would bring hot cider. And when the weather was hot, they'd bring cold lemonade. And, you know, kids started bringing their instruments. So then we had this little homegrown, intergenerational band that started leading the music, and all I did was just keep showing up and saying, “I think this is good.” And then, you know, a beaver comes in the middle of our homily one day, and now all the attention is on this beaver that, Ron, is the size of you. It's a humongous beaver, and it slaps his tail like you see in the cartoons. And so this expression and experience of worship begins to expand. And I think people are really looking for that. They want the church to tell them and to show them that God is everywhere, and that particularly in the natural world, the theological thumbprint of God is on all of this. And there's not a distinction or separation, but actually there's a union. I grew up on four acres and a semi rural area right across from the Potomac, further up river. So I grew up playing in the creeks and the rivers, and spent a long time away from that, and during Covid, kind of came back to it. And as a priest, everything looked different after my seminary training. And I'm like, “Wow, this whole thing is magic. This whole thing is a miracle.” I mean, the river, it's the same river, and it's never the same river. We're here, and y'all can see this, but we just had major flooding in DC, and hundreds and hundreds of massive logs have washed up so far up, no one has seen it this far up and it's closed the road down here. And there's this immense redistribution of what used to be. And I think there's a spiritual biomimicry that we're trying to get at when we worship out here as well.Debra RienstraHi, it's me, Debra. If you are enjoying this podcast episode, go ahead and subscribe on your preferred podcast platform. If you have a minute, leave a review. Good reviews help more listeners discover this podcast. To keep up with all the Refugia news, I invite you to subscribe to the Refugia newsletter on Substack. This is my fortnightly newsletter for people of faith who care about the climate crisis and want to go deeper. Every two weeks, I feature climate news, deeper dives, refugia sightings and much more. Join our community at refugianewsletter.substack.com. For even more goodies, including transcripts and show notes for this podcast, check out my website at debrarienstra.com. D-E-B-R-A-R-I-E-N-S-T-R-A dot com. Thanks so much for listening. We're glad you're part of this community. And now back to the interview.Debra Rienstra So you served as a rector for a long time, and now you're serving as the wilderness priest. So what has that dialectic been for you between traditional congregational life and what you're doing now? And maybe there's people in your community who are still doing normal church, so to speak, and also part of this. So talk about that dialectic a little bit.Pete Nunnally Yeah, when we began Water and Wilderness Church, I talked a lot about it being a good compliment, and that is—for anybody trying to do something new, it's a great way to position your new idea relative to the traditional authorities. And it is. People that are formed traditionally can see and understand what we're trying to do out here. And people say that they're like, I see the Episcopal, the mainline underpinnings of what's going on. On the other side, for people who are spiritual but not religious—and just so many good reasons to be that—I really want to affirm the journey that the church needs to take in order to repent and to worship God with integrity and consistency. But the deeper roots that we have as an ancient tradition, and as we were saying earlier, as originally, the followers of Jesus were following an indigenous tradition, and the people of Israel as well. But what the experience of worship is, we do Eucharist, but I tell the story of salvation in a way that's, I think, right size for people and personalized for people. The language in our Book of Common Prayer as Episcopalians is exquisite in some places. Also still has some language that can be interpreted as penal substitutionary atonement. And we wonder why people have that view, and it's kind of baked in in some of our stuff. So how can we focus on the story of Jesus to somebody who has never heard of Jesus, that's what I'm thinking. You're a spiritual person, or you love nature, and somebody invites you and says, “Hey, there's this church. I know you've been looking for more community, so you can't be spiritual in isolation. And maybe you could come here. It's kind of a church, but it's more relatable.” But we're not gonna get rid of Jesus. You know? So what does Jesus mean to somebody? Why do we need the Eucharist, for example?Debra Rienstra So talk about ritual, especially because one of the things I've been thinking about is the importance of ritual, and the way that people of faith are stewards of ritual. We have the sacraments, our sort of central rituals, but we also have other rituals, and you're adapting an Episcopalian flavored Eucharist in particular, maybe baptism too. Is it different when you do those outdoors? What do you do that's the same? What do you do that's a little different? How does it feel different when you're doing those rituals outdoors?Pete Nunnally When I was in my liturgy class, our professor—I fought with him a lot. Praying shapes believing was like the thing. And just to talk about the Episcopal thing, this is a mainline, this is for everybody, like the church needs to break down the barriers of denominations and all the rest. So this is really for everybody, but I'm an Episcopal priest. But I think the rituals become alive to me when they're done out here, and they are changed and translated sometimes. So when I tell the story of salvation, like typically we hold the bread and wine up at the end and say, “These are the gifts of God.” And when I started doing it outside, I said, “Well, hell. Like all of this is a gift from God.” And when you're inside, it's still all of this, but it's different when you say, “Look at the river, look at the sky.” This is all—and they say, “look at one another,” like you are all gifts of God. But I never would have come to that point without doing it outside. And then we say, “Take them and remember that Christ died for you and feed on him in your hearts by faith.” And I've never really liked that, because there's this sort of like, “Remember that Christ died, you know, and you should feel a little bit bad about it.” Christ died for you—and I thought, that's not what the Eucharist is really about. The Eucharist is about Christ living for us. And so I said, “Take this and remember that Christ lives for you, that love and justice and mercy and forgiveness, they live for you, with you and in you. And that is what these things are.” That's what we're about.Debra Rienstra So the way I've learned about the Eucharist is it's remembrance, communion, and hope. So it is remembrance of sacrifice, but it's also right now, communion with Christ, communion with each other, and then this kind of eschatological hope. But we do often in various traditions tend to get stuck in the remembrance part, and we miss the communion and the hope part. The hope for the feast to come, right? The heavenly feast to come, the ultimate telos. So even just doing it outdoors triggers that a little bit.Pete Nunnally Yeah, and this river is at least a million years old. And so when you're in an ancient place, in a regenerative place, all these logs are eventually going to become soil somewhere and feed on itself and to sustain the next thing—that's the communion of saints that we are part of. It's not just the people we read about in the Bible. It's us too, no different than the disciples, the women that supported Jesus's ministry.Debra Rienstra Have you ever seen the Cathedral of the Angels in Los Angeles? It has these beautiful murals on both sides of the nave, and it's depictions of famous saints, but then mixed in are regular Angelenos. The artists—just so that sense that we're all a part of this community is amazing.Pete Nunnally One more thing on ritual is that we we've had rituals pop up here—Debra Rienstra —That was my next question!Pete Nunnally —that we do now. Somebody, about a year in, somebody came and said, “Hey, Father Pete, there's always different groups of people here. It's like some come pretty regularly, and we have some new people. And how about every time, every beginning, we introduce ourselves and say one thing we're grateful for.” And I was like, “Lucinda, that's a great idea.”Debra Rienstra So simple.Pete Nunnally It's so simple, but can you imagine going to your priest or pastor at home and being like, “I have an idea for how we should start the service now”? Like, it's impossible to do. But so we do that every single time, and we circle up so the shape of us changes. When we gather, we're individuals, kind of a mob, and then we circle up so you see somebody says at traditional church—which, by the way, I love traditional church. But they say, “I go to church, I sit in a pew and I see the back of people's heads,” but at Water and Wilderness Church, we're circled up. I see your face. But yeah, so that's a tradition or a ritual here of offering ourselves up to God by speaking our name and beginning with gratitude.Debra Rienstra Yeah. Do you see a role for the church in—I don't want to say inventing, because that can make people nervous—but in, let's call it stewarding ritual, not just the sacraments, but other kinds of ritual that people really need in a moment of crisis, maybe rituals of lament, thanksgiving, as you suggest, other sorts of threshold type rituals that we really need as we deal with this moment of crisis?Pete Nunnally Do I see the church being able to do that?Debra Rienstra Yeah. Is what you're doing a kind of experiment in thinking about what what my husband Ron Rienstra would call liturgical shenanigans?Pete Nunnally Yeah, I think so. And I think that—again, like I'm from a highly liturgical tradition. We're just not able to change that much, you know? We'll have a season of creation, which we did last year, my traditional church, you know, I love those resources. They're great, but everything else is exactly the same, and so we save different words. But what I like to think that we're inviting people into is an alternative way of being in the world based on Jesus's radical love. And one way to do that is to do this outside and let our worship be informed by something that's been here a lot longer than we have.Debra Rienstra Yeah, yeah. So I wonder if there's something about these sort of experimental spaces that effectively can jar traditional churches, which I also love, but jar us into being a little more inventive, a little more attentive to the moment, by doing something so different, you know, we can learn from your example in more traditional churches and congregations and say, “You know, it's not so scary to try stuff.” We tried stuff during the pandemic too. And honestly, I really miss being outside and hearing the birds worship with us, essentially. You know, I feel like worship is not complete without birdies! But we, I think churches so often just say, “Well, let's just do things how we always do them,” because it's already hard, but to have experimental spaces like yours, where you're just trying stuff and it's fine and you're actually discovering riches and richness that you wouldn't have discovered otherwise. Okay, but true confession time. What do you miss about traditional worship in a sanctuary, high Episcopal sort of traditional worship, if anything?Pete Nunnally What we're still working on is how to build lament in every time. And I like the confession of sin and the absolution. It's important to me, and it's important for everybody. Again, you know, our spiritual-but-not-religious brothers and sisters, I'm with you. I totally get it. I'm first in line to criticize the church. But if our spirituality is just what feels good to us, then we're never brought into that place of pain, and in reality, the reality of ourselves in our lives, and then the reality of God's forgiveness and sustenance and redemption. And confession is a big piece of that, particularly in the natural world, we have done so much and continue to do things to harm your planet.Debra Rienstra I guess I would not have guessed that your first thing would be confession. But it suggests that there are these theological wisdoms that come from practice and reflection over centuries of the church, and you're in a place now where you're thinking through where our emphasis needs to go, and maybe lean away from, so maybe leaning away from our sort of focus on buildings and programs. And leaning into some of these deeper things. There's certainly advantages to buildings and programs, right? But what sort of theological ideas, or even—I don't know practice is the right word—but what sort of theological ideas or practices do you feel we need to really lean into right now, at this moment?Pete Nunnally Obviously, I think we need to go outside, like do it outside.Debra Rienstra Maybe lean into that kinship with all creation. That's part of the tradition, but...Pete Nunnally We're not on top of it. We're supposed to be within it. And the body of Christ is not just humans, it is the natural world as well. I look out, the river is—we're water people, and I did a river baptism last week.Debra Rienstra Did you?Pete Nunnally Yeah, down in Petersburg, Virginia, and it was amazing—to have everybody on the bank, and we walked out into the river and took this little baby, Rixie, and dunked her in three times. And it's hard not to feel there's the intimacy of God in that moment, because it is a flowing river that's connected then, to the James River, which goes to the bay, which goes to the ocean. There again, with the communion of saints and this interconnectedness, I think we just run away from God in so many different ways. And one way is that we hide away from this natural world.Debra Rienstra Yeah, and people are so hungry for embodiment. So to me, connecting embodied ritual with the world is a deeply incarnational response, right? If we really believe, as you say, that Christ is incarnate, then we can't forget that we are bodies on a planet. So that, to me, is where you know something like a river baptism just—sorry about this, but overflows with the resonance of our embodiment and with incarnational theology. So two final questions: where is Water and Wilderness Church headed? Your goal is not growth. You don't have a building to deal with or programs to continue. So what is the goal for you? Where are you envisioning the future for Water and Wilderness Church?Pete Nunnally I do want to grow, but one of the goals is to show—when I was younger, and people would say like, “Oh, you know, understand your life, and then like, you'll find what you really want to do.” And Buechner talks about your vocation is where the “world's deep hunger and your deep gladness meet.” And it was about a year into doing this before I realized, like, oh, my whole life makes sense. So I grew up outside. Fished a lot. I've loved church. I went to church camp, and was always confused by the gap between this embodied reality of God in community at camp and then we go to church, very sacred space, but very, very different and not as embodied to me, and... what was the question?Debra Rienstra The question is, what do you envision the future of Water and Wilderness Church to be?Pete Nunnally I have always kind of felt like I'm on the outside of things, but that situates me very well to do something like this. And I think the future is that we continue to offer this, and this is a church community, so we're going to build a community of people, and our building will draw, you know, 20 or 30 people here today to worship in this way, and draw people in who've been waiting for something like this. Henry Ford said, if he'd asked people, they would have said they wanted a faster horse. Nobody knew they wanted a car until they got that opportunity to have one. And so that's a little bit of what this: “Hey, you can do it like this,” and it's not just all woo, woo, making up stuff. It's true woo. It's true, but it has these ancient roots. We're not getting rid of the central reason why we're here. We're just opening it up and letting God speak to us through nature. And I see tributaries all over the place. I see this as a movement. So we hopefully will keep a monthly service in Delaware. I want to have a monthly service in Maryland, in DC, obviously, weekly here in Virginia, and so that for people on our border from North Carolina, they're like, “I want to be on a board so that I can help this come to us in North Carolina.” Yeah, it's particularly people with neurodivergent kids. Like worshiping in nature is an incredible way for them to encounter God. It's so hard to sit still and pay attention to a traditional service. So I want to see wherever you go, you know, in six or seven months...wherever you go in the country...Debra Rienstra Hmm, six or seven months, huh?Pete Nunnally No, but eventually that there will be churches like this all over. And there are some. I think what's different about us versus some of the other expressions, is that we are faithful and have integrity to our Christian tradition, but it's really an act of recovery. We're not making anything up. We're just remembering what our spiritual forebears used to know about the wisdom of creation as it relates to God's ecology and our own personal lives. So I want to see churches like this in every state, in different places. We do it in DC, and people are always like, “Oh my gosh, you should do it in this very remote, beautiful place. “And I'll be like, “Well, I'd love to do that...” The highly populated areas, cities like DC and New York and Boston...the need is so great for people to be pulled off of the hamster wheel, because everybody wants to climb a ladder, you're going to realize it's leaning against the wrong wall. You get to the top, and you're like, “This isn't what I wanted.” All that work and effort. So my vision of the future is that there are multiple Water and Wilderness Churches. That's not a new concept. Evangelical churches and multisite churches all over the place, and it wouldn't be like that at all.Debra Rienstra Yeah, you're just prototyping, and people can find an expression.Pete Nunnally Somebody has to show other people that you can do it this way, and you can get it funded and make it self-sustaining. The watershed community is part of how we keep that self-sustaining, because you can encounter and you have touch points with our Zoom book studies, or with the videos that I do, or the blog or other resources. It's this gathering movement, this rising of the tide of spirituality that really is, like it's going to happen, because people—I talk to so many people and they're like, “Yeah, I don't go to church anymore, but I would go to that church.”Debra Rienstra That's something.Pete Nunnally They're like, “I would do that. I can't do this because it reminds me of past harm or hypocrisy or whatever, but I would do something like that.”Debra Rienstra It answers a deep, deep need that people don't always have the words for. But, as you say, when they see the possibility, something in them says, “Yes, that's what I'm looking for.”Pete Nunnally Yeah, Debra, and like me too. I still don't have the right words to express what happens to me when we do this. All I know is that I have to do this, and it's not easy. It'd be a lot easier to take a nice-paying, traditional church job with a staff, and you know, this regular stuff, but it's not what God wants me to do.Debra Rienstra Well, thank you so much for talking to me today. I have one final question: favorite fish, favorite fishing spot?Pete Nunnally My favorite fish would be, I mean, I sure love fishing for catfish, but that's a lot of hanging around. I would say redfish, and I like to fish down in the Northern Neck, which is where the Potomac and the Rappahannock and the York rivers go into the Chesapeake Bay. So the bottom end of those rivers are all salt water and they're just exquisite. So it's just so beautiful. And I love chasing down those redfish. Tastes delicious.Debra Rienstra Well, happy fishing. And thank you again so much for talking to me today.Pete Nunnally Thank you. Thanks, Debra.Debra Rienstra Thanks for joining us for show notes and full transcripts, please visit debrarienstra.com and click on the Refugia Podcast tab. This season of the Refugia Podcast is produced with generous funding from the Calvin Institute of Christian Worship. Colin Hoogerwerf is our awesome audio producer. Thanks to Ron Rienstra for content consultation as well as technical and travel support. Till next time, be well. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit refugianewsletter.substack.com

Indian lands across the country are being encroached on by pipelines, fracking, data centers and other industries. In Virginia, the Rappahannock Tribe joined a handful of Tribal Nations in the U.S. that are recognizing the constitutional rights of nature. Now, they're ready to defend that right for their river as Pamela D'Angelo reports.

Youth Services Librarian Sarah Smethurst and Adult Services Programmer Joy O'Toole of the Howell branch of the Central Rappahannock Regional Library preview the upcoming Rappahannock Writers' Conference, taking place November 7–8 with workshops Friday evening at the Howell Branch and the main conference Saturday at Germanna Community College's Spotsylvania campus. More information is available at librarypoint.org/writers-conference. Also highlighted are the Teen Stop Motion Video Contest, the annual Trebuchet Contest, and National Library Card Sign-Up Month—all part of the library's ongoing efforts to engage and inspire the community. Learn more at librarypoint.org.  

Jeff Stainbrook from Porter Library and Aimee Dillon from Westmoreland share an update about the Go Van's arrival in Westmoreland, how the library is supporting students and teachers this back-to-school season, upcoming VA250 exhibits and programs, and the final results from this year's Summer Reading program.  librarypoint.org

In a powerful victory against colonial injustice, the Rappahannock tribe has finally reclaimed ancestral land after 400 years of displacement. This vital step in the 'land back' movement highlights the crucial need for **undoing historical harms** and restoring indigenous sovereignty, respecting deep cultural and spiritual ties. While a much-needed win, it starkly reminds us that true justice extends beyond symbolic gestures, demanding **dismantling systemic oppression** and advocating for **genuine reparations**. The fight continues to educate, challenge biases, and ensure **environmental stewardship** through indigenous wisdom, proving real progress demands sustained commitment to equity and collective well-being.News Source:Native American tribe gets back sacred land displaced nearly 400 yearsBy Jemal Countess for Scoop.UpworthyJuly 20, 2025

Ensuring that stories from around the area are collected, protected and shared.  The Central Rappahannock Heritage Center is a nonprofit dedicated to preserving local history. Roger Lawson, Billy Withers and Florence Barnick talk about the center's work at 900 Barton Street in the gym of the old Maury School.   The center, run entirely by volunteers, offers access to archival materials and supports local research efforts. crhcarchives.org

Over the past weekend, the Rappahannock Indian Tribe gathered with the community of donors, volunteers, federal agencies, conservationists and local people who helped them obtain nearly a thousand acres of ancestral lands high above the river that shares their name. Pamela D'Angelo reports.

Collection Development and Discovery Manager-Youth Specialist- Joe Prince and Fredericksburg Assistant Branch Manager and Adult Services Department Head Erin Creighton.  Ever wondered how the library picks its books?  Summer reading is winding down.  Spotsylvania branches will soon have extended hours.  The Library of Things continues to grow.  librarypoint.org                                                                                                                      

Edie Evans with Rappahannock Area CASA—Court Appointed Special Advocates—tells how they support vulnerable children across the region. CASA volunteers work with children in the court system to ensure their voices are heard and their best interests represented. The next volunteer training begins August 25. The deadline to sign up is August 11. More information  at rappahannockcasa.com. Vic Culp talks about The Downtown Mile on September 6—a one-mile race in downtown Fredericksburg. The race is a major fundraiser for CASA.   Registration and details at runfarc.com.

Rich Larochelle, Januari and Barb talk about a new way of providing fresh food to the hungry in the region.   rappahannockfarm.org  or email:  rappahannockeducationfarm@gmail.com

Sean Bonney and Raya Nickerson.   Sean is getting ready to retire after 30+ years with the library.  Raya is taking his place as the new Director of Community Engagement.   Sean has not only seen the library enter and thrive with technology--he's implemented most of it.   It's a fascinating look back.    We also talk about Summer Reading and Fun Fests.   librarypoint.org

Coming to a close.   Rappahannock United Way President Janel Donohue talks about her upcoming retirement and the decision this spring by the organization to close.   We talk about the impact RUW has had in the region for 86 years.

Jody Lewandowski and Tracy McPeck talk about summer reading, music on the steps and Workforce Support Services.   librarypoint.org

Cat Carter and Brent Hunsinger talk about the 40th anniversary of FOR--and a big grand re-opening of their expanded headquarters on June 8th.  We also talk about the health of the Rappahannock River and a new report.    riverfriends.org

Allison Balmes-John and Jalessa Turner with updates on the Community Health Assessment, Measles, getting school shots, a new mobile clinic and ticks.

Executive Director Rebecca Purdy and Deputy Executive Director Adriana Puckett talk about the value of the library, the budget, the challenge of e-books for all library budgets, and reaching the 65+ population.  librarypoint.org

Executive Director Mike Harvey talks about the need for a new Fire Arms Training Center and the Bridge the Gap campaign.  rrcja.org

Lacey Fisher and Alexis Fox  talk about the work of RAAI in the community with developmental disabilities.   And we discuss in detail the annual plant sale--expected to open on April 3rd at 750 Kings Highway.   RAAI is also part of our 100K of Kindness Initiative--set to receive $25,000.

In this episode of The Valley Today, host Janet Michael dives into the engaging and enriching world of 4-H in Warren County. Joining Janet is Emily Schultz, the Associate Extension Agent for Warren County, who's been a pivotal figure in the 4-H community for the past year. Reflecting on her first year, Emily shared the whirlwind of activities and opportunities that have kept her busy. The last year saw the addition of five new 4-H clubs and the initiation of novel in-school programs, all aimed at offering more avenues for youth engagement. The ongoing renovation of their office hasn't slowed them down, as Emily continues her work from home. For those unfamiliar with 4-H, it's a community for young people to explore diverse interests. Warren County's 4-H boasts seven community clubs and one in-school club covering a range of activities from livestock to photography and crafts, breaking the stereotype that 4-H is solely about farming. Emily emphasizes the program's versatility - there's something for everyone, from public speaking to talent shows. Children can join 4-H as Cloverbuds at the age of five, participating in age-specific activities that are fun and educational. Older members, ages nine and up, can engage in more specialized clubs, including shooting sports and horse clubs. A big draw for many parents is the cost – membership in 4-H is free, making it accessible to everyone. The program thrives on the dedication of its volunteers. With a robust team of 60-70 volunteers in Warren County, many bringing unique skills, the support is invaluable. There's always room for more willing hands – anyone interested in volunteering can reach out to Emily to find out how to get involved. 4-H clubs meet regularly for various activities, including community service, guest speakers, and hands-on learning experiences. The program's flexibility allows it to cater to a wide range of interests, ensuring that all kids find their “spark.” Emily reassures that even those without livestock can participate fully through educational projects and competitions. One of the highlights of 4-H is the range of camps available, from day camps to overnight stays at the Northern Virginia 4-H Center in Warren County. These camps offer incredible opportunities for kids to gain independence, learn new skills, and enjoy the outdoors. Kids can select from a variety of classes, ranging from archery and canoeing to arts and crafts and outdoor living skills. Parents interested in signing up their kids for the overnight camp can do so easily via the county's website or by contacting the local 4-H office. Camp fees are $400, which covers all activities, meals, and a camp t-shirt. Scholarships are also available to ensure that all children have the chance to participate. The upcoming camp, taking place from June 8th to 12th, promises an enriching and exciting experience for all attendees. Warren County shares it's overnight camp with neighboring localities: Culpeper, Clarke, Shenandoah, and Rappahannock Counties. As the conversation wraps up, it's clear that Warren County's 4-H program offers invaluable experiences for children. From fostering independence and leadership skills at camps to providing a wide range of clubs for diverse interests, 4-H is a cornerstone of the community. Emily Schultz's passion and dedication shine through as she encourages parents to explore the opportunities available and get their children involved. For more information, reach out to the local 4-H office or visit their official website listed below. Let your child's 4-H adventure begin! Camp Website and Registration Link: https://sites.google.com/vt.edu/csrcw4hcamp/Home Warren County 4-H Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/vcewarrencounty4h Culpeper County 4-H Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/culpepercounty4H Shenandoah County 4-H Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ShenandoahCounty4H Clarke County 4-H Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ClarkeCounty4H Emily Shultz, Warren County Contact Information: eshultz@vt.edu 540-635-4549 Claudia Lefeve, Clarke County Contact Information: cmybarra@vt.edu 540-955-5164 Carol Nansel, Shenandoah County Contact Information: cnansel@vt.edu 540-459-6140 Cristy Mosley, Culpeper County Contact Information: nibblins@vt.edu 540-727-3435 Sharon Flippo, Rappahannock County Contact Information: sflippo05@vt.edu 540-675-3619  

Sarah Smethurst (Youth Services Librarian-Teen Specialist-Howell Branch and Craig Graziano (Fredericksburg Branch Manager discuss CRRL-Con on April 12th.  We talk about the Johnny P. Johnson Teen Art Show, the Claudia Emerson Teen Poetry Contest and the winding down of Adult Winter Reading Challenge.  librarypoint.org

Trey sits down with Cat Carter to discuss all things conservation, the river, upcoming events, and how Next Gen is volunteering with their efforts. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Gx1sP2WvpQk

Erin Creighton (Assistant Branch Manager/Adult Services Dept. Head--Fredericksburg) and Darcie Caswell (Director of Youth Services) talk about the Fredericksburg Regional Spelling Bee, African American Read In, the 30th annual Johnny Johnson Teen Art Show and Self Sufficiency Skills.   librarypoint.org

President Janel Donohue talks about Prosper Taxes, Prosper Mentoring and Prosper Students.   rappahannockunitedway.org

Director of Adult Services Tracy McPeck and Director of Collection and Customer Services Samantha Thomason talk about the Adult Winter Reading Challenge, expanding the Library of Things and LEGO Building Labs.  librarypoint.org

Rappahannock United Way President Janel Donohue talks about Prosper Mentoring and Prosper Tax Services.                                             +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

Pamela Smith-Branch Administrator of Spotsylvania Towne Centre, Snow and Salem Church  and Darcie Caswell-Director of Youth Services. Topics include:  Books as gifts, Westmoreland meet and greets, winter holiday programs and Grow a Reader specials.

John Coker, Andy Lynn, Roy Strohl and Ed Evers.   Rappahannock Rotary's Pancake Feast is December 7th, 8-5 at Fredericksburg Baptist Church, the Caroline Street entrance.  This is the 39th year.

https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/languaginghr Title: Languaging in Hampton Roads Episode 5: The Sound of Virginia: Awakening the Powhatan language Hosts: Jill Winkowski and Prue Salasky Date: May 28, 2024 Length: 28 minutes Publication Frequency: Fourth Friday of each month Worldwide, languages are becoming extinct at an alarming rate. While some are working to record endangered languages, here in Hampton Roads the Powhatan Algonquian Intertribal Roundtable, or PAIR, a consortium of eight sovereign nations, is working to bring the Powhatan language (also known as Virginia Algonquian) back to life after three centuries of dormancy.  PAIR consists of representatives from the Chickahominy, Eastern Chickahominy, Mattaponi, Upper Mattaponi, Nansemond, Rappahannock, Pamunkey and Patawomeck tribes from the area between the James River and the Potomac River in Virginia, historically called Tsenocomoco and home to the Powhatan chiefdom. PAIR has secured a 3-year language preservation grant through 2026 from the Administration for Native Americans.  This episode includes interviews with Lenora Adkins and Kayla Locklear of the Chickahominy (www.chickahominytribe.org), leaders of the language project Omisun ( waking oneself up); along with language specialists Dr. Stephanie Hasselbacher, PhD.(https://kenahconsulting.com) and Ian Custalow, both of whom are working with PAIR. Custalow, a gifted language speaker, is a member of the Mattaponi, and has been researching the Powhatan language for more than 20 years. We also tap into the expertise of Scott Dawson, a Hatteras Islander who has spent decades exploring the linguistic and archaeological heritage of Algonquian speakers. We speak with Kole Matheson, an at-large member of the Cherokee Western Band, a Tidewater resident, and instructor at Old Dominion University, ODU. As one of four panelists at a symposium on Indigenous Language Preservation at ODU, organized by Applied Linguistics graduate student Sara Rose Hotaling, Matheson attested to the importance of preserving language in connecting to culture.   The goals of PAIR are to create a 24-lesson curriculum for learning Powhatan, to make a dictionary of the language, and to complete a map with native place names. As Adkins says, “We want to learn it first!” And, “Check back in with us in 3 years!” Send your comments, feedback and questions to languagingHR@gmail.com

From June 3-30, 1863, the Army of Northern Virginia and the Army of the Potomac moved from their positions along the Rappahannock River at Fredericksburg, VA north to Pennsylvania where they met in battle at Gettysburg. In this episode of the Strategy Bridge Podcast, we talk with Scott Mingus and Eric Wittenberg about some of the key events of this movement. They are the authors of the two-volume series: “If We Are Striking for Pennsylvania”: The Army of Northern Virginia and the Army of the Potomac March to Gettysburg - Volume 1: June 3–21, 1863 & Volume 2: June 22 - June 30, 1863.  

Rappahannock Cellars was established when John Delmare and his wife Marialisa made the decision to sell their vineyard in the Santa Cruz Mountain area of California and move their family to Virginia back in 1998. They soon purchased the historic Glenway farm in Rappahannock County which would become their new home and vineyard. It is truly a family affair as three of their twelve siblings have returned to the farm after college graduation and work actively in important segments of the family business at Rapahannock Cellars. The 85-acre farm is now planted to 30 acres, and they grow a diverse range of grape varietals which include Cabernet Franc, Chardonnay, Viognier, and Virginia's grape Norton.John lives by the belief that "wine is made in the vineyard". John and Marialisa believe they have the perfect site for the style and quality of wine they want to produce. The results they have experience in over 20 years of winegrowing bear witness to that.     Thanks for being a listener to the Fine Wine Confidential Podcast. For more information go to www.finewineconfidential.com

On this once in a lifetime episode of Fishing the DMV, I have on the ultimate panel from the Virginia Department of Wildlife Resources to discuss the condition of Virginia's Tidal Bass Fisheries. Biologists will share insights on population trends of Largemouth Bass across Virginia's Tidal rivers, such as the James, Chickahominy, Pamunkey, Mattaponi, and Rappahannock rivers.Please support Fishing the DMV on Patreon down below:      https://patreon.com/FishingtheDMVPodcastIf you are interested in being on the show or a sponsorship opportunity, please reach out to me at fishingtheDMV@gmail.com Links are below to all the information discussed along with social media platforms for the Virginia Department of Wildlife Resources. Virginia Department of Wildlife Resource YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/@VirginiaDWR  Virginia Department of Wildlife Resource Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/VirginiaDWR?mibextid=LQQJ4d  Virginia Department of Wildlife Resource Instagram:https://instagram.com/virginiawildlife?igshid=YmMyMTA2M2Y= Virginia Department of Wildlife Resource Website: https://dwr.virginia.gov/fishing/ Please Checkout our Patreon SponsorsJake's bait & Tackle website:             http://www.jakesbaitandtackle.com/Catoctin Creek Custom Rods: https://www.facebook.com/CatoctinCreekCustomRodsTiger Crankbaits on Facebook!! https://www.facebook.com/tigercrankbaitsFishing the DMV Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/Arensbassin/?ref=pages_you_manageFishing the DMV Instagram page: https://www.instagram.com/fishingthedmv/?utm_medium=copy_link#Bassfishing #fishingtheDMV #fishingSupport the show

About this episode:  Back in December of 2018, we told the story of an engagement that took place along the banks of the Rappahannock and detailed events that took place afterwards.  Now, five years later, we return to that story but with greater detail, and the addition of first person accounts.  Once again, we would like to take you back to November and December 1862, when yet another Federal commander wanted Richmond but, in order to do that, had to take a sleepy little town almost halfway between the Southern capital and Washington City. Once again, we return to stories not only about men in battle but men showing compassion for one another - yes, even for those deemed their enemy.  This is story of the Battle of Fredericksburg, revisited.                           ----more---- Some Characters Mentioned In This Episode: George B. McClellan Ambrose Burnside William B. Franklin William Barksdale Richard Kirkland   Additional Resources: Battle of Fredericksburg Overview   Subscribe to the Threads from the National Tapestry YouTube Channel here   Thank you to our sponsor, The Badge Maker - proudly carrying affordable Civil War Corps Badges and other hand-made historical reproductions for reenactors, living history interpreters, and lovers of history. Check out The Badge Maker and place your orders here   *Title Image by Mort Kunstler *Map by Hal Jespersen   Producer: Dan Irving