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FODMer Laura Sebastianelli lives on the edge of the western part of the Dyke Marsh Wildlife Preserve, the 26 acres west of the George Washington Memorial Parkway, a place she describes as "rich with natural sounds."

Laura admits to a “natural bias,” meaning she loves the sound of nature.  She wrote, "Now technically nature includes us humans, but I confess my bias is for birds, insects, frogs, toads, mammals, gentle wind blowing through treetop leaves and water lapping at shoreline edges." 

With this playlist, Laura shares some of the wonderful sounds of Dyke Marsh. American bullfrog picture courtesy of Laura Sebastianelli.

Despite a steady drizzle on November 7, 2015, fourteen FODMers and friends donned their rain gear and cleaned up trash in Dyke Marsh West for almost two hours at low tide.  The group collected eight bags of plastic and glass bottles, metal cans, tennis balls, plastic bags, styrofoam, cardboard and more. 

It was a nippy, overcast day with temperatures hovering in the low 50s, but the FODMers and friends who turned out for the annual fall colors walk were undaunted.  The marsh sported many shades of yellow, orange, red and more and even the plant "skeletons" were interesting, observed FODM walk leader Pat Salamone. The large thorns of the honey locust tree make it a "well-defended" tree, Pat commented (photo).

On October 11, 2015, 29 members of the Nelly Custis Chapter and other chapters of the Daughters of the American Revolution (DAR) turned out in force to help in the Dyke Marsh Wildlife Preserve (photo left by Robert Smith). Under FODM Vice-President Ned Stone's direction, they split into three groups and cleaned the shoreline of an island and the Belle Haven picnic area and took on invasive plants on the dogleg portion of the Haul Road trail.   The eager group collected around 58 bags of trash.  "It makes a difference," wrote FODM Treasurer Robert Smith. 

FODM and the National Park Service (NPS) have undertaken a project to save some of the preserve's pumpkin ash trees  (Fraxinus profunda) from the emerald ash borer (EAB) (Agrilus planipennis), an invasive insect that has been documented in Northern Virginia and will kill all species of ash trees, according to U.S. Department of Agriculture experts.