News

Dyke Marsh Glistens in the Snowy Winter of 2026

January’s snow, sleet, ice and many sub-freezing days left Dyke Marsh with packed snow and ice and a white glaze, sparkly in the sunshine.

MLK Trash Cleanup Fills 40 Bags

Fifty-two enthusiastic volunteers came out on January 19, 2026, for the Martin Luther King Day of Service Trash Cleanup in Dyke Marsh and along the Potomac River shoreline.

FODM Meeting Highlights Beavers

On October 22, 2025, Alison Zak urged her Zoom audience of 77 to “reframe their thinking that beavers are pests.” She explained that beavers (Castor canadensis) improve water quality, restore freshwater systems, protect wetlands, enhance groundwater recharge and increase biodiversity.

Photo of wayside sign

Saving Dyke Marsh: New Wayside Explains Project

On August 29, 2025, NPS staffers installed a new wayside on the boardwalk explaining the stone breakwater and sills in the south marsh visible from the boardwalk.  

Steury invited participants to sniff the fragrant spice bush (Lindera benzoin).

Walk Highlights Plants at Summer’s Height

On August 19, 2025, Brent Steury with the National Park Service led a walk in Dyke Marsh for 17 adults and ten youngsters. Steury is the Natural Resources Program Manager for the George Washington Memorial Parkway.

Black Swallowtail butterfly on Cardinal Flower - Dixie Sommers

Dyke Marsh Highlighted by Bird Alliance

 

The Northern Virginia Bird Alliance’s July 2025 newsletter puts a spotlight on the Dyke Marsh Wildlife Preserve, its history and natural resources in an article by FODM President, Glenda Booth.