LORTON, Va. ( DC News Now ) — Volunteers from Dominion Energy teamed up with the Fairfax County Park Authority (FCPA) to install two nesting sites for osprey in Lorton on Thursday.
According to a statement from Dominion Energy, the bird species had seen a “severe population decline” because of pesticide poisoning and their eggshells becoming thinner. Recently, ospreys have started seeing a comeback in the Lorton area and across the U.S.
Dominion Energy said that the goal of the nesting sites is to bring more breeding ospreys to Laurel Hill Park. It said that the platforms give more options for ospreys to “nest, breed, and raise their young.”
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David Lawler, an FCPA ecologist, said that ospreys have been fishing on the Potomac River for hundreds of years. FCPA hopes to mimic ospreys’ ideal nest — in high locations, typically close to the water — to draw them back…