Wednesday, January 26, 2022

Winter at Four Mile Run

The trail is quieter and less traveled this time of year, but there is plenty going on at the Four Mile Run wetlands. Some of the happenings this winter:

Our first-ever winter solstice lantern walk was great fun, and more outdoor events will be added to the calendar. And save the date Thursday evening, February 17, for nature trivia night at Port City Brewing -- team registration to open soon.

During the annual Christmas Bird Count our team identified 31 different species, the most observed in the six years we've held the count. Out of 50 species observed in counts across our region (Sector 5, DC), eight were found only at Four Mile Run!

With snow comes the application of de-icing salts, and the corresponding impact on water quality as briny runoff drains to the Run and other local waterways. As was the case last winter, our measurements of chloride in the Run have been very high, well above Virginia's toxicity criteria for freshwater environments. Learn how to use salt effectively and minimize environmental harm with the Resident's Guide to Smart Salting.

And demonstrating that there's much to see in the park in winter, board member and frequent Four Mile Run Park observer Margaret Pratt shared this fun video of raccoons sharing a favorite tree in the wetland. More of her amazing videos are featured on our Four Mile Run YouTube playlist.

Sunrise at Four Mile Run

Hope you'll want to visit Four Mile Run Park to enjoy nature's winter treasures!