Would you be surprised to learn that I took this photo not far from the suburban sprawl of Northern Virginia? The first time I visited Huntley Meadows Park in Alexandria I was stunned and delighted. As my husband and I walked along a wooded path leading from the small parking lot, we suddenly emerged to see an open area of wetland stretching before us. A wooden boardwalk wound through the freshwater wetland and was crowned by an observation platform that overlooks a fairly large wetland pool. We learned that the park is a haven for bird-watchers and other nature lovers, and is widely known in birding circles for the variety of feathered species that can be spotted there.
The history of Huntley Meadows is fascinating. Before the federal government donated the land to Fairfax County in 1975, to be used “exclusively for public park or public recreation purposes in perpetuity,” the U.S. Navy built an antenna field there, which was used to conduct classified research in radio communication. Around 1970 the Navy declared the land as surplus. In 1978, a colony of beavers moved in and dammed up Barnyard Run, creating a wetland area. (Find more about the site succession here.)
In 2005, a drought led the beavers to relocate to find a new food source. The wetland dried up. I remember visiting the park at that time, which happened to be a low point in my life, and feeling great dismay when I saw that the wetland pools were gone. Much to my relief, some of the beavers moved back to the central wetland area when the drought ended in 2006, restoring some of the wetland pools. Now the park is implementing an ambitious restoration project that will manage the wetland, preserve this valuable area of natural biodiversity, and maintain the area as a haven for wildlife – and for those of us who enjoy visiting the park in all seasons to enjoy its natural beauty and recharge our spiritual batteries.
