we need them as much as they need us.” The trail continues along the edge of the river and then turns south, along the western bank of Broad Run, toward athletic fields and townhomes rising over the horizon. We come to a steel bridge. Colicci leans over. “I’ve always loved watching the way water flows.” He jumps down to the edge. “You have to see this.” I follow and he points to what looks like streaks of mud under the arch. “Remember what I said about things that are good for us being good for other living things? That’s a mud dauber nest. Mud daubers are a wasp that doesn’t sting humans and doesn’t bother us much. They kill spiders. If you don’t like spiders, the mud wasp is your friend.”
SPECTACULAR SCENERY One of Ashburn’s most spectacular natural places must certainly be the wetlands preservation area in Broadlands. Bounded by Mooreview Parkway, DeMott Drive and a Dulles Greenway exit ramp, the area was envisioned by developer Albert G. Van Metre and built at the cost of $1.1 million. The preserve’s major draw is a boardwalk that descends over the wetlands, with benches that allow close views of flowering plantings, some of which grow so close that you can touch them. The Virginia Bird Atlas says the vast pond and the surrounding trees and grasses is a way station for 138 species of birds. During the spring and late summer, butterflies meander overhead, and the air can fill with the scent of blossoming Roses of Sharon. Near the entrance, a wooden observation deck juts over an open pond. Look down and you’ll see small fish and large turtles gliding below. You can watch squadrons of geese and ducks zooming in for a landing. The place is all about looking and — in some areas — touching the plants nearby. Beneath the roar of jets soaring out of Dulles Airport, and the rumble of vehicles along the Greenway, you can hear the wind rustling through the grasses and the insistent conversation of birds, some of whom will paddle up to the observation area and look at you curiously as they welcome you to their world. A
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ASHBURN MAGAZINE • SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2021 • 31