Photo: Volunteers pull invasive plants at OBNWR, Tina Dudley
Occoquan Bay National Wildlife Refuge is the DC area’s only National Wildlife Refuge and offers residents of Northern Virginia a unique opportunity for birding, wildlife viewing, and escape from the hustle and bustle of city and suburban life. The diverse upland and wetland habitats of the Refuge support a wide variety of resident and migratory wildlife, including over 200 species of birds, 79 species of butterflies, and 77 species of dragonflies and damselflies.
The Northern Virginia Bird Alliance (NVBA, formerly Audubon Society of Northern Virginia) has been associated with Occoquan Bay for over 30 years, conducting regular bird, insect, and plant surveys on the Refuge grounds and providing the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) staff with valuable data for making decisions about Refuge management.
In 2023, we invited the Refuge to become the third site supported by our Stretch Our Parks program. We met with USFWS staff to determine how we could best provide support for the Refuge. Working with Refuge staff we agreed to focus our first efforts in three areas: (1) establishing a series of bird and nature walks and talks, open to the general public but also targeted to local communities neighboring the Refuge, (2) developing a schedule for enlisting volunteers to participate in the eradication of invasive plants within the Refuge, and (3) developing a broader program for outreach to neighboring communities.
And we’re already hard at work. This past April, dedicated volunteers pulled out ten bags of Garlic Mustard (Alliaria petiolata), and on June 15th, a dozen volunteers came out to help clear up Mile-a-Minute (Persicaria perfoliata), another fast-growing invasive plant species. Thanks to the volunteers’ hard work, that day we filled twenty bags with invasive vegetation. The invasive plant pulls are important to the Refuge, because clearing invasive plants gives native plant species an opportunity to grow. To further assist in the battle, NVBA donated a hedge trimmer to the Refuge to help with maintenance of the grounds. The staff will use it to help rid the Refuge of thick and prickly invasive plant material.
Volunteers pull invasive plants at OBNWR, Tina Dudley
And the battle against invasive plants will continue. The Refuge recently benefited from a grant that paid interns to map invasive plant species using a tablet and ArcGIS mapping software. So, the Refuge has a roadmap we can help it follow. “Our partnership with [NVBA] has worked out quite well,” says Refuge Visitor Services Specialist Gabby Youngken.
Invasive plant pulls further conservation at the Refuge, but they are not the limit of NVBA’s involvement, which include education and community outreach. Recent events include:
an introduction to birding class taught by Larry Meade in October 2023
a tree ID walk with Jim McGlone in November 2023
a hummingbird talk with NVBA Board member Josefina Doumbia in May 2024
an art class for Asian Pacific American Heritage month held in May 2024
Through Stretch Our Parks, NVBA provided volunteers to work as interpreters at the Refuge’s bird banding station this past spring in order to explain to onlookers what the banders were doing in measuring and banding birds captured in mist nets. We have hosted 9 bird walks at the Refuge since last fall. And if you stop by the Refuge Visitor Center, you will find our fliers in the guest classroom that provide a guided bird walk once you scan a QR code with a smartphone.
If you’re looking for something fun to do this summer, come to beautiful Occoquan Bay National Wildlife Refuge. You can enjoy the scenery and the wildlife and learn more about resident and migratory birds in their natural environment. If you want a more hands-on experience or want to make a difference in the community, come join a class or volunteer to help preserve the Refuge’s plant and animal biodiversity. The Refuge loves volunteers! If you would like to get involved this summer, or help plan events at the Refuge for the fall, please contact Gabriela Youngkin, Tina Dudley or Jerry Touval.