On April 13, 2019, 65 enthusiastic volunteers of all ages tackled trash in Dyke Marsh and along the Potomac River shoreline, as part of the annual Ferguson Foundation trash cleanup. The Friends of Dyke Marsh had check-in stations at Belle Haven Park and at the Haul Road trail entrance. Among the volunteers were Boy Scout Troop 1107 from St. John’s Lutheran Church, a group of boys from Good Shepherd Catholic Church, Loyola University alumni, Notre Dame alumni and many other eager trash collectors.
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Many fans are stopping on the Haul Road trail to watch one of nature’s dramas – bald eagles (Haliaeetus leucocephalus) raising their young. On April 17, 2019, FODM former president Ed Eder photographed this adult bald eagle bringing a catfish to the nest. He wrote, “After depositing the fish at the nest, two eaglets were visible. One has contour feathers and is considerably larger. The other occasionally flaps and its wings are visible. The smaller one's head is still down covered.”
In contrast to many who apparently don’t care about trashing our natural resources, as evidenced by the endless trash along the shoreline and in the marsh, many people do care. On March 16, 25 members and young members-to-be of the Notre Dame Club of Washington, D.C., helped clean up trash along the west side of the George Washington Memorial Parkway north of Dyke Marsh.
The week of March 11, 2019, ospreys (Pandion haliaetus) returned to the Potomac River and Dyke Marsh. As documented by our excellent photographer and observer, Ed Eder, it did not take long for fights to break out over fish, with a second-year bald eagle (Haliaeetus leucocephalus) causing an osprey to drop its catch. Later, the osprey sought revenge by dive-bombing the eagle.
Karen Sheffield explored the characteristics and importance of vernal pools to a rapt audience of 60 on March 3, 2019 at a meeting sponsored by the Friends of Dyke Marsh, Friends of Huntley Meadows Park, Friends of Mason Neck State Park and Friends of Accotink Creek. Ms. Sheffield is the manager of Huntley Meadows Park and Historic Huntley, Fairfax County Park Authority, and oversees a survey of vernal pools there.
On February 2, 2019, the Friends of Dyke Marsh again participated in Mount Vernon Supervisor Dan Storck's annual town meeting at Mount Vernon High School, at which Supervisor Storck and other officials reviewed his accomplishments and challenges facing the community. FODM had a table and materials in the exhibit hall alongside other friends’ groups. FODM volunteers greeted visitors and informed them about Dyke Marsh, the restoration project and FODM’s activities and goals.
