VCU's River Campus

The VCU Rice Rivers Center, VCU's river campus, supports scholarship and student instruction across diverse disciplines, including water resources, climate science, wildlife conservation and wetlands restoration.

Located midway between Richmond and Williamsburg, Virginia along the historic James River, our 360 acres of riparian marshes, tidal creeks and mature forests represent a unique outdoor laboratory for important applied research and innovative, experiential classes. The center’s modern facilities offer offices, classrooms, laboratories and overnight lodging for students, faculty, visiting scholars and community groups. State-of-the-art technologies are deployed onsite to collect information on air and water quality, fish and avian migrations, changing sea levels and a host of other critical data sources. Our ongoing partnerships with state and federal natural resource and earth science agencies provide significant training opportunities for student scholars.

Science that matters to everyone

News

A frog and six newly-hatched chickadees share a bird box

May 7, 2025

Interspecies roommates gain seven more

Newly-hatched Chickadees make the nesting box a full house.

Group of Ph.D. students standing on a stairs for a group photo

May 5, 2025

Integrative Life Sciences Research Showcase features doctoral student research

The annual presentation and poster session is part of VCU Research Weeks

Uncommon Hero - Dr. Matt Balazik

April 17, 2025

VCU's "UNCOMMON Heroes" series features Matt Balazik, Ph.D.

Balazik helps restore the Atlantic sturgeon population in the James River, but also influences international conservation strategies.

Research and Restoration

a warbler perched atop someone's hand

VCU researchers and partners study the breeding biology of the prothonotary warbler along the lower James River using the project and its data to explore population genetics, disease and migration ecology, the role of song and plumage in reproductive fitness, and the impact of climate change on diet and timing of breeding.