On a recent trip through Back Bay National Wildlife Refuge in Virginia Beach, I was stopped by the presence of a sleek, brown animal with a long, bushy tail peeking out from the grasses. It looked like an otter, but otters have a tail that is flat and thicker at the base. As I observed from a distance, the animal proceeded across the dike road, followed by a family of about five babies in a straight line. I was seeing mink for the first time.
Mink are closely related to otters, both members of the weasel family and residents at Back Bay National Wildlife Refuge. Both animals live along lakes, ponds and marshes where they prey on fish, crayfish, rabbits and muskrats.
Back Bay National Wildlife Refuge is not the only place where mink and otter are being seen.
“People are reporting more frequent sightings in the Lafayette River in downtown Norfolk, the Elizabeth River, the Hague and the whole Elizabeth River watershed,” said Marjorie Mayfield Jackson, executive director for the Elizabeth River Project. “The watershed for the Elizabeth River includes the cities of Norfolk, Portsmouth, Chesapeake and Virginia Beach.”
This hasn’t always been the case.
I never saw mink on the Lafayette River until a couple of years ago,” said Wendall Winn, a Norfolk resident who grew up on the Lafayette River. “I’ve seen otters in the Lafayette all my life but not so frequent. There are more oysters and the ecosystem has changed.”
The Elizabeth River Project in Portsmouth and the city of Chesapeake have teamed up to restore the Elizabeth River through the River Star Homes project. Applicants are given a yard flag, welcome packet and information on special events and opportunities that gives them an opportunity to make the river a cleaner place for wildlife, including minks and otters. Using best management practices, such as rain barrels and living shorelines, the project has resulted in reduced sediment pollution in the river.
Creating oyster reefs in the Lafayette, which is the northern branch of the Elizabeth River, plays an important role in the ecosystem. Oysters are filter feeders and help to purify the water by removing organic and inorganic particles from the water.
“Restoration efforts enhance the habitat,” said Yolima Carr, conservation landscape curator for the Elizabeth River Project. “The reefs provide shelter and spawning areas for aquatic animals that in turn attract mink and otter.”
Otter Spotter is another Elizabeth River project. An otter spotter is anyone who observes otters in their neighborhood and community surrounding the Elizabeth River and collects videos, images and observational data. Otter data is recorded online at elizabethriver.org/elizabeth-river-projects-otter-spotter.