Prior to the arrival of European settlers, the Anacostia River had 2,500 acres of tidal wetlands lining its shores. (That’s 2,500 football fields, or 4 square miles.) Essentially all of these were lost as Washington grew and the wetlands were filled to create more useable and buildable land.

How did this affect the health of the river? In a huge way. Gone were the big stands of Spatterdock and Pickerelweed, which formerly would slow the flow of water, causing sediment to drop from the water column, thus improving water clarity, sunlight penetration, and photosynthesis for submerged plants which, in turn, oxygenated the water and provided fish habitat. Gone were the marsh-loving Arrow Arum and Wild Rice, which formerly would metabolize nitrogen from the water and river bottom.

The point is this: wetland plants improve the river’s health -the more, the better. Wetland plants serve as the “kidneys” of the river, filtering out impurities. They also make for one of the best wildlife habitats for fish, birds, amphibians, and aquatic mammals.

Thankfully, wetlands are being restored on the river, and through its Wetland Nursery Project, the Anacostia Watershed Society is providing innovative opportunities for local students to restock as much of the river as possible with native wetland plants, while learning about the vital role that wetlands play in the health of the river system.

In the first year of this project, AWS engaged all of the 4^th grade students from Thomas Stone and Mount Rainier Elementary Schools in a series of outdoor field experiences.

The students were taught about the importance of wetlands, but what we discovered was that the program’s real power comes from the fact that every single kid loves the chore of planting sprouted Arrow Arum seeds -even those that have exhibited behavior problems at school.

The raisin-sized seeds put up half-inch green shoots in late April, so it is clear to the students that they are handling something tender and alive. Filling propagation pots with soil, gently tucking the seeds in, the kids are excited to be part of a living process. The moment is a little bit magical, and demonstrates the elemental nature of our shared connection to nature.

AWS plans to expand the outreach of this program by increasing the number of plants that will be raised and transplanted in 2003. We will work to include stormwater ponds in the inventory of planted areas, since these ponds tend to concentrate pollutants and nutrients and will realize dramatic improvement in water quality once emergent plants are introduced.

AWS is also launching the Rice Rangers Program, whereby students will work with AWS to restore native wild rice stands on the tidal river, in an effort to reestablish this nutrition-rich keystone species. Wild Rice is, historically, the most important food source for native wildfowl, and its disappearance from the Anacostia led to the decrease in wildfowl diversity.

The addition of wetlands to the river is a real and lasting way to achieve effective restoration of the river. AWS is excited to see local citizens taking a direct role in the healing of the river, and looks forward to continued success with this project. *