Article by Mel Leonor, Richmond Times-Dispatch.
“Joan Cowan’s children grew up frolicking on the banks of the Appomattox River, camping and hiking with friends on three islands owned by family since the 1970s.
‘We used to take the kids down there camping and hiking in the area,’ Cowan said in an interview, adding that the islands were also a place where she could seclude herself to paint. She said the river is at times knee-deep, allowing people to cross over to the islands by foot.
‘It’s like another world when you get down there. Even though you’re so close to the city, you think you’re in another world,’ Cowan said.
In hopes of preserving those experiences for younger generations, Cowan, 80, donated the islands late last year to the Capital Region Land Conservancy, a land trust serving the Richmond region.” …
Read more at Richmond Times-Dispatch or check out the Cowan Islands project page.