Community & Events

Clean River Day

A gathering of stewardship and care for the Nottoway River — the waterway that carries our name, our history, and our future.

Our River, Our Responsibility

Caring for the Nottoway River

For the Nottoway Indian Tribe of Virginia, the Nottoway River is more than a landmark — it is a living relative that has sustained our people for countless generations. Clean River Day is our way of giving back, bringing together tribal citizens and neighbors to protect, restore, and honor these waters.

Each Clean River Day combines hands-on service with education, reminding participants that stewardship is a shared responsibility passed from elders to youth. Together we clean the river, monitor its health, and renew our commitment to the land.

Still water of the Nottoway River reflecting the sky and the trees along the far bank

Stewardship

In Action

Every April

Cary’s Bridge Landing

Each April, members of the Nottoway Indian Tribe of Virginia and community volunteers gather at Cary’s Bridge Landing on the Nottoway River in Southampton County, Virginia, for an annual river cleanup. Participants work together to remove litter from the riverbanks, helping to preserve and protect this important natural resource. The event also promotes environmental stewardship through regenerative land and soil practices, supports climate adaptation efforts, and fosters fellowship among participants. In addition to giving back to the environment, volunteers enjoy the opportunity to connect with nature and appreciate the beauty of the Nottoway River.

Volunteers standing together on the gravel shore at Cary's Bridge Landing after the annual cleanup, with filled orange trash bags and a discarded tire in front of them and a kayaker in the river holding up a bag of litter

How We Serve

Activities & Impact

Riverbank Cleanup

Volunteers gather along the banks of the Nottoway River to remove debris, protect wildlife habitats, and restore the natural shoreline.

Photos

Clean River Day

Volunteers standing on the gravel shore with filled orange trash bags, a small boat resting on the bank behind themA volunteer in a red kayak on the Nottoway River below the metal pilings of Cary's Bridge, holding up a bag of litterTwo people lifting a mud-covered tire into the bed of a red pickup truck after the cleanupCypress knees rising from the shallow water of the Nottoway River, with the bridge in the distanceVolunteers posing together with trash bags and grabbers after a cleanupThree volunteers with a large tire and debris loaded in the back of a utility vehicleTwo volunteers filling a black trash bag beside a grassy fieldThree smiling volunteers leaning on a salvaged tire in the woodsVolunteers standing together in a large circle outdoorsVolunteers caring for the grounds in front of the Nottoway tribal buildingVolunteers spreading pine bark mulch in a garden bedThree volunteers standing by the Nottoway Indian history signs