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The Great Dismal Swamp (GDS) National Wildlife Refuge is a local treasure, yet many locals have never visited it! Here’s your chance! The refuge gates are on timers set to lift around sunrise, which is around 6:45 AM in early April. Washington Ditch’s address is 3076 White Marsh Road, Suffolk, VA. From this White Marsh Road entrance, take the dirt road for one mile to the parking lot where we will meet at 7AM. (There are two vault toilets there, too.) From the parking lot, we plan to take the 3/4 mile boardwalk through the forested wetland and then walk less than a half mile to the area damaged by an August 2020 tornado from Hurricane Isaia. In recent years, this particular area hosted a wonderful variety of birds. For those who like to study beforehand, here are some links: Refuge map and brochure, Seasonal Observations Submitted to eBird and ebird hotspot data. April is a favorite month to visit because of the many birds that breed here - particularly warblers and both Yellow-billed and Black-billed Cuckoos. Barred Owls can frequently be heard and sometimes seen at Washington Ditch.The GDS provides critical habitat to about 200 species of birds, nearly 100 species of butterflies and skippers, many turtles, other reptiles and amphibians, white-tailed deer, otters and bobcats. It also hosts one of the largest black bear populations on the East Coast. Unlike Shenandoah's black bears, who have become habituated to humans, the GDS bears run away from us - often before we ever see them. The mission of the GDS is to protect and preserve the swamp's unique ecosystem and biodiversity. The refuge is managed by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.
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3076 White Marsh Rd, Suffolk, VA 23434-8932, United States
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