The out-of-doors is absolutely my favorite place to be, at any time. While January may not be the time of year you think of hiking, I started my annual tradition of taking First Day Hikes with our community six years ago. I love getting out on the first day of a new year, clearing my head, meeting new people, enjoying the trees and wildlife of the park we are in and so much more. I invite you to join me on Sunday, January 1 at 10 a.m. at Dyke Marsh Wildlife Preserve for my 2023 First Day Hike Nature Walk. We will enjoy the natural world around us, talk about our friends, family and community, while taking the opportunity to rejuvenate as we kick off the new year together!

This year, we are especially pleased to be partnering with the Friends of Dyke Marsh for a nature walk through this beautiful wildlife preserve. Along the way we will discuss the marsh’s many valuable natural resources, tidal marsh ecology, wetlands’ importance and challenges facing the marsh. These challenges are not unlike those we are seeing across the world, as well as here in the Mount Vernon District, as a result of climate change and the rising temperature of the earth. To address these challenges and engage all our residents and businesses in helping to mitigate these changes, the County Board recently reviewed the Community-wide Energy and Climate Action Plan (CECAP) implementation. You will be hearing much more about this in the next year and how you can make a difference!

What to do: Park in the Belle Haven Park south parking lot. Walk to the Haul Road trail entrance and meet by the bulletin board. Bring water. Wear warm layers, long sleeves and pants, gloves and sturdy shoes. And, binoculars are recommended.

Come join us! Registration requested, but not necessary, by sending an email to info@fodm.org and putting New Year’s Walk in the subject box.

Wishing you and yours a safe, healthy and Happy Holiday!