Trudging Through the Swamps of the Anacostia

This past weekend, I found myself waist deep in a swamp somewhere in the Kenilworth Park and Aquatic Gardens along the Anacostia Riverfront. Armed with a stylish pare of one-size-fits-all waders - something straight out of a Bass Pro Shop catalog - and oversized hedge trimmers, I spent three hours cutting through invasive lotus leaves while dodging large water spiders and trying my best not to get physically stuck in the mud… not the typical way to spend a Saturday morning.

I was participating in a large group service project with my fellow interns, a bonding ritual of sorts that ended in us helping each other out of layers of mud that clung to our legs like quicksand. There was one point when a fellow intern was legitimately stuck in the middle of the pond, requiring us to collectively pull him out using some sort of gardening weapon. It looked - and felt - like something out of Swamp People.

Me and my fellow Social Office interns sporting our flattering waders. 

Oddly enough, the project was a blast. After moving past the very real fear of snakes slithering past our feet and the greenish muck of the swampy waters, the hours spent laughing at the ridiculousness of what we were doing and commending one another for getting up early on a Saturday was a truly unforgettable experience. Seeing a national park located within the actual city limits of DC, especially one sprinkled with beautiful pink lotus flowers, made the laborious morning a memorable one. Not saying I'd do it over again, but lotus-trimming will absolutely go down as the most unique "volunteering" experience I've had to date. 

Lotuses. Everywhere.

Check out the park’s history here, and be sure to visit the gardens for a hike as the leaves turn for fall! 

- Sarah Montell