The Police Department's wildlife tent was popular, especially the animal pelts.
Sunday morning, May 4, at Huntley Meadows Park was damp and drizzly and by 12 noon, when the park’s 50th anniversary event began, drippy. It was appropriate weather for Wetlands Awareness Day – wet.
Jeff McKay, chairman of the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors, dubbed the event a “big anniversary” because 2025 marks 50 years since the park’s creation and 75 years since the origin of the Fairfax County Park Authority. McKay called Huntley “his favorite park,” noting that he has always lived nearby. The park is an “escape from the urban jungle. It’s important to our mental health to enjoy nature,” he said. He saluted the late Norma Hoffman for her “tenacity and passion” in preserving the park and fighting its threats.
Franconia Supervisor Rodney Lusk said Huntley Meadows is his favorite park too. He and McKay presented a Board of Supervisors resolution commending the Friends of Huntley Meadows Park for their “commitment to the environment, community engagement and partnership.”
"Huntley Meadows Park is a vital part of our regional ecosystem, demonstrating the power of collective action to bring about thoughtful conservation,” said Lusk. “The Park is not only an example of natural beauty and biodiversity, but also an escape into nature where visitors learn about the importance of environmental stewardship. As we celebrate the 50th anniversary of Huntley Meadows Park and 200th anniversary of Historic Huntley in 2025, I am grateful to the Friends groups who have preserved these resources for generations through their dedicated vision."
Virginia Del. Paul Krizek presented a resolution that he and Delegates Mark Sickles, David Bulova and Rozia
Youngsters colored birds at the Friends of Dyke Marsh table.
Much to See and Learn
Over four hours, around 460 people visited 16 exhibits staged by county agencies and nonprofits that introduced all ages to nature’s wonders, from skunks to scat to spotted lanternflies.
Officers Earit Powell and Alicia Demilio with the Police Department’s Wildlife Section coached youngsters on how to be a friend to wildlife, as the children stroked wildlife pelts, including a skunk, fox and opossum. One lad named Asher declared a light brown pelt to be that of a lion. Snickering, Powell said it was a fox and commented, “We are lucky to have the open spaces that we have.”
Casey Pittrizzi, a Park Authority employee, touted a taxidermied great horned owl and said the event was a “great opportunity to learn the benefits of wetlands.”
Aniti Stromayer told visitors that gray foxes, like the one displayed, are “very shy and hard to see.”
Laurie Dodd and Tami Entabi displayed often unappreciated insects. At the Plant NoVa Natives table, Maryam Dudkhah promoted native plants as a key way to restore biodiversity.
Volunteers set up spotting scopes on the boardwalk for viewing birds and other wildlife.
The Park
Huntley Meadows Park, one of the most biodiverse natural areas of the county, has over 1,500 acres freshwater wetlands, meadows and forests. Surrounded by suburban development, it is home to over 300 species of wildflowers, 200 birds and many mammals, reptiles, amphibians and other wildlife. The park has 3.8 miles of trails, including a popular boardwalk through the wetland and a favorite of photographers.
Before European settlement, Indigenous people lived and foraged throughout the area. In the 1700s and 1800s, George Mason’s descendants owned and farmed the land. In 1941 the federal government bought it and tested asphalt for roads. Between 1950 and 1959, the Virginia National Guard provided anti-aircraft protection for Washington, D.C., on the site, and from 1958 to 1971 the Naval Research Laboratory conducted radio communication research on two circular fields. In 1975, President Gerald Ford authorized the donation of 1,261 acres “exclusively for public park or public recreation purposes in perpetuity.” Fairfax County paid $1 for it and later added 165 acres.
More Information
The visitor center has an exhibit recounting the park’s history until June 1. Visit https://www.fairfaxcounty.gov/parks/huntley-meadows-park