Wetlands at the Dutch Gap Conservation Area (Photo by James Shelton)
A birding paradise isn’t likely the first thing that comes to mind as you approach Dutch Gap Conservation Area. Located in Chester adjacent to the vast artery that is Interstate 95, the area is packed with industrial warehouses and Dominion Energy’s Chesterfield Power Station complex. In fact, if it’s your first time visiting, you’d probably think you were lost. But once you get past these sections, you are magically transported into a different world.
Dutch Gap is situated around Henricus Park (one of the oldest English settlements in the U.S.), and the canal begun there during the Civil War still sees shipping traffic today. In 2000, the Dutch Gap Conservation Area as we know it came to fruition on nearby Farrar’s Island, thanks to the Richmond Audubon Society, which helped to make it more accessible to the public.
While Chesterfield County is responsible for the grounds, the Richmond Audubon Society does its part to maintain the area as a bird paradise. As a result of the society’s work, the land has become a sanctuary for avian creatures ranging from majestic bald eagles to playful hummingbirds. And following them are a multitude of bird-watchers hauling telephoto lenses, field journals and binoculars who immerse themselves in this oasis made up of wetlands, a swamp and the James River.
Julie Kacmarcik (Photo by Jay Paul)
Julie Kacmarcik has been banding Dutch Gap birds for both the Richmond Audubon Society and the MAPS (Monitoring Avian Productivity and Survivorship) program since 2007. During the spring, she and her friend Bob Harris grab their nets, canoe and other essential tools to build and monitor the prothonotary warbler nesting boxes in the park. They’ll also check the condition of the boxes, many of which feature an ingenious design created by Dr. Bob Reilly, the founder of Dutch Gap’s prothonotary warbler research sites. Similar to a bluebird box, the warbler home has a small trap on the back with an arm-like contraption that can be pulled to lift its plexiglass cover. When a warbler flies in, Kacmarcik and Harris close the cover via remote control and then quickly paddle over to the box to check and band the birds. This mission will continue until about the end of July.
Kacmarcik explains that there are more than 125 boxes at Dutch Gap, and she can tell when the warblers make their debut simply by hearing their calls. “They’re very vocal, and the males love singing,” she says. “It’s an exciting time when you find the first prothonotary warbler of the season.”
As they work, volunteers need to watch out for aggressive tree swallows that might claim the boxes, cunning snakes and even the occasional massive carp that could jump into their canoe (a true story Kacmarcik laughingly recalls).
As Mary Elfner, president of the Richmond Audubon Society, notes, without volunteers working tirelessly to build and sustain bird boxes, Dutch Gap’s bird population wouldn’t necessarily be as abundant. Mark Battista, a naturalist for Chesterfield County Parks & Recreation, says volunteers help park staff with tasks that would otherwise be difficult to keep up with. He estimates that in the past few years about 600 to 800 warbler hatchlings have lived in the boxes.
A female prothonotary warbler (Photo by Julie Kacmarcik)
Kacmarcik also helps collect data from May to August at the Dutch Gap Banding Station for MAPS — a small shelter built by a local Eagle Scout. The structure holds large mist nets that the group carefully sets up to catch passing birds. Most of the time, common backyard birds, such as cardinals and robins, will be found, but sometimes unusual ones will be, too, including pileated woodpeckers and yellow-billed cuckoos. As Kacmarcik notes, “MAPS has done a lot for community outreach. A lot of people come out to observe, and many start developing an interest in birding when they experience the process firsthand.”
While the birds love the grounds, there are some concerns about the health of the landscape due to its location near the Dominion power station and its two basins that store coal ash, a byproduct of burning coal that contains heavy metals and other toxic pollutants. A 2018 study conducted at Dutch Gap Conservation Area by the James River Association and Southern Environmental Law Center found “there are elevated noncancer hazards and cancer risks for recreational visitors who interact with areas where contamination from the coal ash ponds is migrating into Dutch Gap Conservation Area.”
Local outcry following the study’s release pushed the Virginia General Assembly to pass legislation in 2019 requiring Dominion to remove 15 million cubic yards of coal ash from the ponds within the next 15 years — a process the company is currently undertaking. And while it might seem that there would be tension between the power plant and the Richmond Audubon Society, Kacmarcik notes that Dominion has been very supportive of the group’s endeavors — a hint of birds bringing all sides together.
While the full environmental impact on the birds isn’t fully known, one thing is certain: They love the habitat, thanks not only to its diverse environment, but also to the surrounding community that works tirelessly to make it a comfortable haven for them. Kacmarcik says, “It’s a great place to go and clear your head, take pictures and listen to birds.”
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