Lisa Brighteyes

02/15/2026

Share far and wide! Advocate!

IT'S TIME TO DEMAND ACTION!

Virginia lacks centralized tracking of water use by data centers. Two bills, HB496 and HB589, which enhance transparency, oversight, and planning of water use by the data center industry, were introduced in the House of Delegates during the current General Assembly session.

Unfortunately, by refusing to pass this legislation, the House of Delegates has abdicated their responsibility to help the public, localities, and the Virginia Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) be wise stewards of our water resources.

As stewards of our Rappahannock, we ask you to contact your Delegate and demand that they take action on SB553, legislation that ensures data center water use transparency.

Virginia League of Conservation Voters has made it easy for you to advocate on this issue. Go to the link below to add your comments to their prewritten message.

Visit valcv.org/actions/tell-your-delegate-to-protect-our-water-from-big-tech/

02/13/2026

Go high

02/08/2026

WinKaPo, y’all!

NIAS will be having a Women's Basketball Watch Party March 1st at Timberwood Tap House in Charlottesville!

To Register by Feb 22nd: https://www.alumni.vt.edu/groups/inclusive-alumni/alumni-societies/native-american-alumni.html?fbclid=IwdGRjcAP0muxjbGNrA_Sa0GV4dG4DYWVtAjExAHNydGMGYXBwX2lkDDM1MDY4NTUzMTcyOAABHqDo8-QmvNJ3Z1eNc4gu0QnT_yuMsiXMrlnIY12rJEXieitCl-kVa4rGxbqD_aem_3tPOQoIFiwBZYOS6Qb1HdA

02/08/2026

Mama Bear Lisa here. I have something to say. You are free to eye roll and scroll.

This is real. There are consequences for these actions.

I would appreciate if you could meditate on something for a moment:

Did you choose where you were born?
Did you choose the level of safety you had as a child?
How did that shape the adult you became?
Do you think, if you were a refugee somewhere unfamiliar to you, that you could ever feel safety?

Please sit with this. I promise it’s important.
Every life is sacred.
Every life holds value. ☮️

Once you spend some time with that, please check in on your neighbors until you find someone who has a need you can meet.

While the president was posting video of Barack and Michelle Obama as dancing apes to distract people from him and his friends appearing in a filing cabinet, something else is getting lost.

4 Hatian women that the U.S. deported (who were likely asylum seekers under TPS) were found decapitated at the border of Dominican Republic and Haiti. I’ve only seen international news discussing it and 3 people on IG.

We sent these women to a country that is beyond unstable due to us touching stuff over there, and left them to the wolves. They were not protected because mass deportation is never about safety. It’s always about cruelty and the racist illogical fear of being replaced on land that was stolen.

4 women died because of our negligence and nobody’s talking about it.

02/06/2026

🍑🛶

01/28/2026

She smiled and walked like she belonged.

My grandmother said “I can hold my head up just as high as anyone else.” ❤️

01/28/2026

We can each do something

01/22/2026

So cute!🥰

Last month we granted 17 Indigenous Library Packages to applicants from schools, libraries, and nonprofit organizations ! Hear from a past recipient about their experience as a steward: https://lflib.org/inlp-jan-2026

01/22/2026

One of my library partners has a great sense of humor!

Make sure to stock up on your essentials! ⛄❄

01/21/2026

👀🐢

🐢🛶 VOLUNTEER OPPORTUNITY: 2026 DIAMONDBACK DASH SIGN UPS ARE OPEN!

Love turtles? Love kayaking? If that sounds like you, keep reading.

Diamondback terrapins are the only species in North America that live in brackish water, and they’re declining across their range due to habitat loss, road mortality, nest predation, and crab pots. That’s where volunteers make a real difference.

The Diamondback Dash is a volunteer monitoring project, that relies on everyday paddlers to help us understand where terrapins are, when they’re active, and how their populations are changing across Virginia. Since 2023, DWR has been working with a dedicated group of volunteers to collect data on Virginia’s terrapin populations, and in 2026, we’re expanding again.

As a Diamondback Dash volunteer, you’ll adopt a short paddle loop, pause at designated locations, and conduct simple terrapin headcounts. Your observations directly inform conservation decisions that help protect these incredibly unique turtles.

If you kayak, paddle, or know someone who does, tag and reshare. Project sign ups are open through February 1. Learn more and sign up at the link in the comments.

📷: Madeline Reinsel