Tidal Marsh Viewing Platform

Viewing Platform: Birds, Wetlands and... Conservation 

NPS / Kelsey Graczyk

Quick Facts

Amenities

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Historical/Interpretive Information/Exhibits

Anacostia River tidal marshes were far more extensive a hundred years ago than today. Marshes support amphibians, small fish and insects. This abundant aquatic life attracts herons, egrets, rails and other birds to feed. Over-hunting and draining of the wetland caused the decline of many bird species along the river. 

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.

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.