The sky was bright, the air crisp, the fall colors warm and golden, and
lots of birds were about today. What could be wrong with this picture?
Plastic bags, tires, oil drums, and assorted debris are still lining
the Haul Road trail through Dyke Marsh on the thirteenth day since the
annual International Coastal Cleanup, conducted there on Oct. 18. I
suggest the event be renamed Trash Rearrangement Day, since all the
garbage is still there, neatly arranged along the trail. This is an
annual event, and not the first time trash sat in the park for weeks
after the "cleanup." Volunteers were asked to fill out data cards
enumerating the kind of trash picked up. Presumably, bureaucrats are
sitting in their offices right now compiling interesting lists of the
common and the odd items picked up, recorded, placed in bags, and
stashed along the trail. Did any bureaucrat think to make arrangements
to have the stuff actually removed from the park? But, hey, you can
read this "Fun Fact" on the Coastal Cleanup website: "In 2002,
volunteers picked up enough cigarettes and filters to make 82,031
packs." Presumably, quite a few cigarettes were picked up on Oct. 18,
but they are all still sitting in bags at Dyke Marsh.
More shocking and heartbreaking than than garbage is the sight of the
boardwalk, broken and scattered in 50-some odd pieces throughout the
peninsula of this, the largest remaining freshwater tidal marsh in the
Washington, D.C. Capital area. One of the worries of those of us who
opposed the construction of the boardwalk, built only two years ago,
was that too much habitat would be destroyed in its construction. We
never dreamed that the damage would be compounded many times over when
Isabelle easily tore apart the structure and rammed it through the
vegetation on the peninsula. The pilings, now exposed, reveal a total
length of only 3 1/2 to 5 1/2 feet. Only a small portion of that had
been sunk into the ground. I'm surprised the boardwalk lasted two
years. How long will this wreckage remain? Removing it will be a much
bigger job than hauling out trash bags, but those who love Dyke Marsh
must insist upon it.
Audrey Calhoun is the Superintendent of the George Washington Memorial
Parkway, NPS. Her email address is GWMP_Superintendent@xxxxxxx, if
anyone wishes to join me in writing her about the shameful situation at
Dyke Marsh. She will be the speaker at the Friends of Dyke Marsh
meeting to be held at the Visitor's Center of Huntley Meadows Park off
Lockheed Boulevard on Wednesday, Nov. 5. The meeting is open to all and
questions can be addressed to her then.
Interesting birds appearing oblivious to the scenery today included a
couple of Great Egrets, 3 or 4 Gray Catbirds, a late Blue-gray
Gnatcatcher, and an immature White-crowned Sparrow. Also, a nice flock
of Cedar Waxwings foraged for berries, and as expected, lots and lots
of Song and White-throated Sparrows and Yellow-rumps were present.
Unexpected was a total absence of ducks, with the exception of a few
Mallards.
Paula Sullivan
Alexandria, VA
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