911±¬ΑΟβs event and retreat facility in Lorton, Virginia, includes 120 acres of wooded land adjacent to the tranquil Belmont Bay and bordered by a protected wildlife refuge and state park.
Point of View presents many opportunities to observe wildlife along the water, and staffers have recently observed adult and juvenile bald eagles watching for fish in some of their "eagle trees,β as staff have started to call them.
A small staff manages the Point of View facility, which holds a Platinum LEED certification to minimize its impact on the environment.
βI think of myself as a steward of this site,β said Jessica Avila-Franco, event and operations manager at Point of View. βBeing surrounded by such a peaceful, beautiful environment year-round is something I never take for granted. We have a real responsibilityβand privilegeβto protect the ecosystem.β
Bald eagles and other wildlife at Point of View and the larger Occoquan Bay/Meadowood area are tracked through a long-term citizen science effort. Volunteer naturalists from the have been visiting and tracking species in the area for the past 37 years.
On a recent naturalist visit, 19 bald eagles were sighted around the area. Species observed and tracked at different times of the year include birds, butterflies, dragonflies, other wildlife, plants, fungi, and lichens.
Observations are logged in reports by the Northern Virginia Bird Alliance and also posted on the .