DOEE Aquatic Resources Education Center - AREC

You won’t want to miss this 🎣

Reel Invasion 2026 Reel Invasion 2026 District of Columbia sent this bulletin at 06/05/2026 01:55 PM EDT Having trouble viewing this email? View it as a Web page. Hello Anglers, Just a quick reminder that Reel Invasion Fishing Derby is happening this Sunday, June 7, at the Aquatic Resources Education Center in Anacost...

The AREC will be closed Friday June 5th

Meet Iris: The Oldest Nesting Osprey An online sensation, Iris the osprey has captured hearts as viewers remain glued to her nest camera. Here's why you should be watching.

This weekend!!!!

🎣🎣REEL INVASION IS COMING BACK TO DC🎣🎣
DOEE is collaborating with Maryland Department of Natural Resources to host an invasive species fishing tournament on June 7th, 2026. Learn more and sign up here: https://dnr.maryland.gov/fisheries/Pages/blue-catfish/reel-invasion.aspx

One of the largest native flowers in North America, the American lotus can be easily recognized by its buttery-yellow flowers and wavy leaves.

The plant's distinctive cone-shaped seed pods (which look almost like a shower head) are eaten by waterfowl, while the leaves are eaten by muskrats and beavers.

The American lotus is a rare find at Chesapeake Bay wetlands, but can be found every summer at the Kenilworth Park & Aquatic Gardens in Washington, D.C.



(Photo courtesy of Denver Kramer/iNaturalist CC BY-NC, cropped)

We explored Anacostia Park and the Aquatic Resources Education Center with Garrison Elementary’s 4th grade students last week!

As part of the Nature Near Schools program, students visit the heart of their watershed on an off-campus field trip. At the AREC, students learned about local fish found in the Anacostia and Potomac rivers like the longnosed gar. Did you know that longnose gar have rows of sharp teeth that allow them to catch their prey?

We met a 60-pound snapping turtle and discovered that the outer layer of a turtle’s shell is made out of keratin - the same material found in our hair and fingernails! 🐢

Students also played rounds of Bird Bingo, listening and using binoculars to practice bird identification in their natural habitats. We saw all different types of Anacostia watershed birds, including Mallard Ducks, Ring-billed Gulls, and the fish-eating bird of prey, the Osprey. 🦆

Through Nature Near Schools, students experience meaningful outdoor education that encourages curiosity, environmental awareness, and a deeper connection to nature in their own communities.

Turtles are on the move right now, and they're STUBBORN. That's because they're out looking for a place to lay eggs (sometimes in gravel near the road, unfortunately). 🐢 🚧

Give them a hand during World Turtle Week (and beyond) without making them grumpier 👇

If you see a turtle trying to cross the road and it's safe for you to do so:
Pick up the turtle with both hands (with gloves if you have them) by the shell, and from behind. Do NOT pick up a turtle by its tail! (It can cause spinal damage.)

For snapping turtles, you may want to just encourage it across the road rather than picking it up. If you do pick it up, grab the snapper by its back legs with its head facing AWAY from your body. ***Trust us on the "away from your body" part.***

Always move the turtle in the direction it was already moving. Otherwise, it will just try to cross again after you leave. We said they're stubborn, remember? Do not take the turtle to a different location, and especially not home with you. They don't need to be rescued, just a crossing guard. 🐢🚸

If the turtle is sitting in gravel, leave it be, as it's likely nesting.

Wash your hands thoroughly after handling a turtle.

🎣🎣REEL INVASION IS COMING BACK TO DC🎣🎣
DOEE is collaborating with Maryland Department of Natural Resources to host an invasive species fishing tournament on June 7th, 2026. Learn more and sign up here: https://dnr.maryland.gov/fisheries/Pages/blue-catfish/reel-invasion.aspx