Adrienne became interested in the FODR about six years ago when invited to go on a canoeing adventure down the Dragon Run. That first trip down the river was quite a challenge, portaging at least 10 times over logs and beaver dams. She and her husband, Gary, were struck by the challenge, the beauty, and the people. Jimmy Morgan, Davis Rhodes, and David Clements guided that first trip. They spoke of the history and ecology of the Dragon Run and brought along their chain saws.                     

Adrienne's parents influenced her values about nature and the environment. Her mother taught biology and ecology for 25 years at Centenary College in New Jersey. Her father, during his retirement, was instrumental in founding the Paulinskill Valley Trail in northwest New Jersey, a 26-mile multi use green space.

Adrienne received a bachelor's degree from Columbia University and a master's degree from MCV/VCU both in Occupational Therapy. For more than 20 years, she has worked for a private nonprofit organization, Child Development Resources, near Williamsburg. Her jobs have been helping parents with infants and toddlers having disabilities to improve movement and self-help skills; directing training programs for professionals working with young children; and developing grant proposals for training and services. Adrienne's skill in grant writing brought her to the FODR board. She helped Pat Tyrrell, Teta Kain, and Davis Rhodes develop a grant proposal to the Virginia Fish and Wildlife Service.

In addition to kayaking down the Dragon Run and other rivers in Virginia, Adrienne and Gary enjoy travel and birding. They have spotted birds in South Africa, Australia, Poland, Wales, England, Ireland, Canada, Alaska, and during a cross continental US trip. Adrienne's work has taken her, and often Gary using frequent flyer points, to more than 15 states, Canada and Germany.

For the last few years, FODR has offered Adrienne and Gary valuable information, enjoyable work indoors and out, friendship, and adventure.