Jim Thackaberry

The ever useful cattail

Today, you join the cycle of discovery and rediscovery of this land that began when people started living here about 8,000 years ago. These wetlands sustained their civilization with clean water, abundant food, medicine, shelter.  From the cattail alone, people derived food, medicine, and the raw materials for household goods and summer shelter. They began the cycle of human discovery, loss and rediscovery. Remnants of this original wetland edge two sides of the ponds near the boardwalk. 

The value of local wetlands was lost to the English, accustomed to English bogs.  They cleared the high land of protective forests to build farms in the1600s. Later, the Industrial Revolution increased deforestation for fuel, fences, and homes. Unprotected by forest, soil washed into the Anacostia River and deep channels that once harbored sturgeon, filled with silt.

Value is in the eye of the beholder. Walter Shaw found the wetlands were a good place to build his water garden. It would be many decades before we rediscovered the social value of wetlands. Before then, the Shaw and Fowler families would work to preserve their gardens and a happy accident would save a time portal to those past residents.

For more on Walter Shaw, Helen Fowler, and the wetlands, click on people and places in the bar on the left.