This place is special because it’s in a pretty busy and high-traffic part of DC, yet you can’t hear much of the human world when you’re in the woods. You can occasionally hear some planes and today I heard some construction going on in the distance, but for the most part, you can’t hear cars or other noises that tend to disrupt nature. I can hear the wind blowing and the birds chirping. This park serves as an oasis away from the hustle and bustle of the city.
Since Washington, DC is not as far North as Burlington, some trees, namely red oaks, still have leaves on them and the area looks more alive than my spot at Rock Point. There is also a wider variety of trees, such as large holly trees, a hackberry tree, and a few tulip trees. The park is in a kind of valley where a hill drains to, thus the soil here is moist. Overall, this place looks a lot less grey and winter-y as my spot back in Burlington. In terms of similarities, the understory looks pretty similar here to the one in Rock Point, there is a lot of boneset/thoroughwort. Like Rock Point, this area is dedicated to serving the public, with many trails and even benches for people to rest, like the one that I sat on, pictured below. I also noticed that the company Casey Trees, which is a well-known non-profit dedicated to increasing green space in DC, has planted some river birches in this area, likely to help make this area even greener.
