Much to See, Hear and Feel on Ecology Walk
Nature enthusiasts engaged all of their senses on the June 29, 2024, ecology walk led by Charles Smith along the Haul Road trail.
Insects, Critical and Under-appreciated
Every year, from spring to fall, dedicated FODM volunteers conduct butterfly, dragonfly and damselfly surveys, compiling the number of each species observed. These keen observers also track other insects, birds and plants.
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.
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.
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.
Superintendent Madello Visited Dyke Marsh
FODMers welcomed Superintendent Jennifer Madello to Dyke Marsh on June 5, 2025. She is a career National Park Service employee who became the superintendent of the George Washington Memorial Parkway in December 2024.
Supporting Friends; Informing the Public
In May 2025, FODMers joined our “sister” groups and a number of government agencies at two events:
All Things Trees, Topic of FODM Walk
On the April 12, 2025, tree walk, led by Jim McGlone, an arborist and forester, FODMers and friends studied tree bark, buds, flowers, stems, limbs, leaves, structure, size and more – all things trees.
FODMers Help Stabilize the Marsh
On March 24, 2025, FODM volunteers planted 50 native black willow (Sali nigra) tree stakes in Dyke Marsh, phase two of a project to help stem erosion and stabilize the tidal zone of the wetland. In 2024, FODMers planted 150 willow tree stakes.
181 Stalwarts Haul in Trash
It was billed as a mega-trash cleanup and it lived up to its name – all 2,505 pounds of it.
Mighty Mussels
They are rather nondescript, sedentary mollusks with hinged shells, but they are important. Mussels are nature’s “cleanup crew” and can help clean up the Potomac River’s water quality, FODMers learned at their February 23, 2025, meeting.
Reaching Out to the Larger Community
On February 8, 2025, the Friends of Dyke Marsh tabled at Mount Vernon Supervisor Dan Storck's town hall meeting, the 38th Mount Vernon town hall meeting, an event initiated by the late Mount Vernon Supervisor Gerry Hyland.
