Kenilworth Park in Northeast Washington in Washington, District of Columbia — The American Northeast (Mid-Atlantic)
Birds, Wetlands and... Conservation
Kenilworth Aquatic Gardens
— National Park Service, U.S. Department of the Interior —
Photographed By Devry Becker Jones (CC0), October 27, 2019
People dedicated to changing this trend included Paul Bartsch, a local bird watcher, conservationist and professor at George Washington University. The Smithsonian Institution published his study, Herons of the Anacostia, in 1903.
Angry about losing so many birds to hunting, he and the National Audubon Society successfully lobbied Congress to pass some of the first nationwide laws protecting birds.
Conservation
The National Park Service, local governments and non-profit organizations continue restoring wetlands along the Anacostia River. As a result, many herons and egrets have returned.
Effects are felt far beyond the Anacostia watershed as migratory birds use these wetlands as a stopover on their journeys.
[Aside:]
Former Hunting Grounds
During the late summers of the 19th and early 20th centuries, sportsmen regularly spent afternoons bird shooting in the marsh. Often, they would hire local African American guides, who operated skiffs and new the river well, to take them hunting in the wetlands.
An eyewitness described the scene on August 22, 1900:
"The marsh was alive with crafts of all kinds plying through the tangle of maze and lily pads and host of other marsh-loving plants and bang, bang, bang, rang the guns continuously."
Erected by National Park Service, U.S. Department of the Interior.
Topics. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Environment • Parks & Recreational Areas • Science & Medicine • Sports. A significant historical date for this entry is August 22, 1900.
Location. 38° 54.717′ N, 76° 56.902′ W. Marker is in Northeast Washington in Washington, District of Columbia. It is in Kenilworth Park. Marker is on Anacostia Avenue Northeast, 0.2 miles west of Ponds Street Northeast, on the right when traveling west. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 1550 Anacostia Avenue Northeast, Washington DC 20019, United States of America. Touch for directions.
Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker. Under the Boardwalk (about 800 feet away, measured in a direct line); Victoria amazonica (approx. 0.2 miles away); Beauty and Business (approx. 0.3 miles away); Aquatic Greenhouse #3 (approx. 0.3 miles away); Preserve and Protect
Photographed By Devry Becker Jones (CC0), October 27, 2019
Credits. This page was last revised on January 30, 2023. It was originally submitted on October 27, 2019, by Devry Becker Jones of Washington, District of Columbia. This page has been viewed 124 times since then and 15 times this year. Photos: 1, 2. submitted on October 27, 2019, by Devry Becker Jones of Washington, District of Columbia.