Last time you strolled through Four Mile Run Park, did you notice what looks like a long white slide zigzagging into the stream? Look closer, and you’ll see a 187-foot boardwalk, 30-foot gangway, and a 20-by-42-foot floating launch platform at the stream level. Unique in the D.C. Metropolitan area, this newly installed public kayak launch features a roller entry system and a wheelchair transfer platform. The launch eases access to the water for people with limited mobility, novice paddlers, and wheelchair users. It’s compliant with Americans with Disabilities Act standards, but it’s designed for anyone who wants to kayak or canoe .

 

Neighbors know this section of the Four Mile Run stream reveals many natural delights. A colony of great blue herons perch in the trees like prehistoric sentinels. Red-eared sliders cling to wet logs, craning their beaks toward the sun. At dawn, a resident North American beaver drags willow branches into the Hume Spring tributary to line a dam hidden in the wetlands. This spring’s chorus includes tiny yet voluble northern yellow warblers, chattering belted kingfishers, and the cacophonous and wildly colorful northern flicker. You might witness ruby-throated hummingbirds darting into fuchsia-colored swamp rose mallow before their petals close for the evening. Osprey hover and dive to catch fish, then stage aerial duels with bald eagles.

 

The kayak launch represents the culmination of a dream for the Four Mile Run Conservancy, which aims to connect nature, culture, and community at lower Four Mile Run through restoration, advocacy, recreation, and education. The 501(c)(3) non-profit organization, formerly known as the Four Mile Run Conservatory Foundation, was formed in 2016 to engage the community in efforts to beautify and improve lower Four Mile Run and its surrounding park lands. In the past decade, the small but mighty Conservancy has accomplished numerous feats, with only one part-time staff member—executive director Kurt Moser. An ecologist with a master’s degree in environmental science and policy from George Mason University, Moser has a long track record of contributing to the environment in Alexandria. In 2019, the City’s Environmental Policy Commission and Alexandria Renew Enterprises presented him with the Ellen Pickering Environmental Excellence Award. He has conducted dozens of popular public outreach events, like dusk bat walks and annual bird counts. When not leading a band of interns into the swamp to test water quality, he’s probably writing a winning grant application; he raised $628,652 for the kayak launch project alone.

 

Observing its 10th anniversary this year, the Conservancy has a lot to celebrate: it has removed more than 20 tons of litter, planted over 200 trees, hosted 56 internships, and leads a variety of projects and programs to fulfil its mission. These include frequent volunteer opportunities like land- and kayak-based litter clean-ups, native tree/shrub plantings, and invasive species removal; free outdoor learning opportunities for kids, mostly from program partners working with underserved youth; park walks and public programs highlighting local nature and history; and field research with the help of paid conservation interns. Coming soon: freshwater mussel restoration and adaptive paddling programs!