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.
Dyke Marsh’s Winter Beauty
On January 5 and 6, 2025, Dyke Marsh was blanketed with six to eight inches of snow and became a shimmering, icy landscape riddled with varying shades of white, blue and gray.
Volunteers Continue to Combat Invasive Plants
On December 21, 2024, 13 eager volunteers were not deterred by the 35-degree chill along the Haul Road Trail in Dyke Marsh.
Blue Star Families Explored Dyke Marsh
On November 9, 2025, the Friends of Dyke Marsh and the National Park Services' George Washington Memorial Parkway staff welcomed 50 area members of the military’s Blue Star Families to Dyke Marsh.
Annual Fall Walk Highlighted Native Plants
On October 21, 2024, fall’s phenomena lured 20 nature lovers to the Dyke Marsh Wildlife Preserve on a walk led by Alan Ford and Margaret Chatham with the Potowmack Chapter of the Virginia Native Plant Society.
Raptors Wow the Crowd
The birds were the stars on September 14, 2024, when around 450 people filled Fort Hunt Park’s Pavilion A to learn about six species of raptors.
Butterflies Boost Spirits
On the August 17, 2024, butterfly walk, when the sun came out so did the butterflies.
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.
Caring for Creation Motivates Group to Support Dyke Marsh
From the tiny blue-fronted dancer damselfly (Argia apicalis) perched on a twig to a fledged, first-year bald eagle (Haliaeetus leucocephalus) returning to its parent-less Haul Road nest, 25 people from Good Shepherd Catholic Church’s Care for Creation group enjoyed many of nature’s delights on a June 15, 2024, walk led by three FODMers and National Park Service ranger, Daniel Brier.
Annual Water Quality Monitoring
On April 11 and May 15, 2024, FODM volunteers collected sediment samples from the bed of the unnamed stream that flows through Mount Vernon Park, Westgrove Dog Park, River Towers Condominium properties and into Dyke Marsh. FODM started monitoring this stream in 2016 in partnership with the Northern Virginia Soil and Water Conservation District (NVSWCD).
Friends of Dyke Marsh, Inc. is a non-profit 501(c)(3) organization.