During the current federal government closure, as of January 2, 2019, people can access the Dyke Marsh Wildlife Preserve trail and our Sunday, 8 a.m., bird walks are allowed. Therefore, the walks will resume on January 6. All restrooms are closed.
The National Park Service website (www.nps.gov) says that “for most parks, there will be no National Park Service-provided visitor services, such as restrooms, trash collection or facilities or road maintenance.”
On November 8, 2018, 37 enthusiastic fourth graders from the Arlington’s Randolph Elementary School explored the Dyke Marsh Wildlife Preserve with National Park Service staffers Brent O'Neill, Miguel Roberson and Susan Chumley, along with FODM volunteers.
On November 14, 2018, Brent Steury, Natural Resources Manager for the George Washington Memorial Parkway, told 65 FODMers and friends that the parkway is rich and biodiverse in its natural resources in a presentation describing the Parkway’s all-taxa inventory. The Parkway is a national park of which the Dyke Marsh Wildlife Preserve is a unit.
Around 15 to 20 acres of Dyke Marsh stretch west of the George Washington Memorial Parkway behind the Belle Haven and River Towers Condominiums. This part of the marsh can be seen from the parkway and the condos, but it is not easily accessible to the public. Several FODMers regularly observe this part of Dyke Marsh.
The Friends of Dyke Marsh exhibited at Fairfax County Board of Supervisors’ Mount Vernon Supervisor Dan Storck’s Environment Expo on November 10, 2018, an event which Supervisor Storck hopes to hold again. Over 130 people attended and were inspired to become better environmental stewards in eight workshops and in watching the movie “Hometown Habitat.”
In mid-October 2018, crews from Coastal Design and Construction continue to build a breakwater in Dyke Marsh to help stop erosion and encourage sedimentation, the first stage of marsh restoration. As of October 17, 2:30 p.m., the team had installed three layers of “marine mattresses” or 1,624 units. The total final number will depend on the depth of the river bottom. A new barge load will arrive soon.
