In the shadows of RFK Stadium, D.C.’s first conservation area is getting a major upgrade.
Nestled in the Anacostia River just a few football field lengths away from RFK, Kingman and Heritage islands are nature lovers’ oasis in the city.
“I feel like this is our escape in the city, especially for the people that live right around here,” said Lee Cain of the D.C. Department of Energy and Environment.
He said work is underway to transform and restore the islands.
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“To start out, we're restoring the habitat on the island, so over the past few months we’ve planted almost 12,000 trees on the islands, and the next couple months we're gonna plant another 25,000 native shrubs and perennial plants,” Cain said. “Over the past few years, we've been removing invasive plants from the entire 47 acres. So, this habitat over the next few years is gonna grow into a much more robust natural environment.”
D.C. Department of Energy and Environment Chief of Staff Daniel Conner says the improvements don’t stop with landscaping and new trails.
“We've already got three miles of trails throughout the island and we're looking to expand that and improve that here on Kingman and Heritage island,” he said.
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“We’ll deliver designs for an amphitheater – think Wolf Trap on the Anacostia – an environmental education center out here that every DCPS student can come to and learn about the natural habitat and the Anacostia River here,” Conner said.
He said they’re planning for the islands knowing a new football stadium could be built right across the river.
“We're working very closely with our sister agencies to make sure that our plans overlap and are coordinated with any future plans of RFK as they're coming together,” Conner said.
The goal is to have the ecological restoration completed by September with construction of pavilions and classrooms beginning in 2027 and completed by late 2028.
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