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.
Booth cites Louis J. Halle who in 1947 called Dyke Marsh the "nearest thing to primeval wilderness" in the Washington area when he biked from Washington, D.C., at dawn to watch the wetland awaken.
Congress added Dyke Marsh to the national park system in 1959 “so that fish and wildlife development and their preservation as wetland wildlife habitat shall be paramount.”
You can read the article here: https://www.nvbirdalliance.org/news/dyke-marsh-a-fragile-treasure. NVBA is a chapter of the National Audubon Society and was formerly the Audubon Society of Northern Virginia.
Photos from the article follow. All photos are by Dixie Sommers.
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| Juvenile bald eagle bathing at Dyke Marsh |
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| Black swallowtail butterfly on cardinal flower |
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| Eastern kingbird nesting |
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| Fall color at Dyke Marsh |
