(DC)(MD)(VA) The four-week festival celebrates the enduring friendship between the people of the United States and Japan and the beauty of DC's iconic cherry blossom trees with diverse and creative programming. Events will be happening throughout the DC metro area.
Events
Calendar of Events
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Sunday
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Monday
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Tuesday
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Wednesday
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Thursday
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Friday
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Saturday
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12 events,
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(VA) (NOVA Parks) Enjoy premium golden-hour light and exclusive, pre-opening access to Meadowlark Botanical Gardens! This photography session focuses on all things Cherry Blossoms, including landscapes, close-up/macro shots and wildlife. Meadowlark features both beautifully curated gardens and rich natural areas—an ideal setting for wildlife photography. And of course, you are welcome to focus on any subject that inspires you. All ...
$25
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(VA) (Friends of Dyke Marsh) Join FODM for a bird walk every Sunday at 8 a.m. The Dyke Marsh Wildlife Preserve is a freshwater, tidal marsh on the Virginia side of the Potomac River in Fairfax County. It is a unit of the George Washington Memorial Parkway, U.S. National Park Service.
Free
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4 events,
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(VA) (Friends of Huntley Meadows) The Monday Morning Bird Walk is sponsored by the Friends of Huntley Meadows Park and takes place every Monday at 8 a.m. Following the walk, members of the group gather at the nearby Denny’s for breakfast and to compile the morning’s bird list. All are welcome.
Free
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(DC) (US Botanic Garden) Join Lilly Andersen, USBG Family Education Specialist as you observe leaves of different shapes and sizes while considering the question: Why do leaves come in so many different forms? Learn to recognize patterns between the shapes and structures of leaves from a wide variety of plants, and then use your new knowledge to explore the Garden ... |
3 events,
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(DC) (National Park Service) We invite you to join National Park Service volunteer and expert birder Molly Hermann for an engaging bird walk at Kenilworth Aquatic Gardens. This event is open to all, including those new to birding. We encourage participants to bring water, sunscreen, and binoculars if available. A limited number of binoculars are available for loan with a photo ID. ...
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(VA) (Northern Virginia Bird Alliance) Do you want to learn how to identify the birds that flock to your backyard everyday? Or maybe you’re preparing for our annual spring fundraiser, Birdathon. Join this online course to brush up on your bird identification skills with NVBA Vice President, Andreas Seiter! During this program, your instructor will: Review common backyard bird species ...
$10 – $20
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7 events,
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(VA) (Arlington Parks) Join members of the Northern Virginia Bird Club for informal walks through Glencarlyn Park in search of resident and migratory birds. Experienced and beginning birders welcome. Bring binoculars and field guides if you have them. Adults.
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(MD) (Montgomery Parks) Tai Chi is an ancient, Chinese form of exercise perfect for adults seeking stress reduction while strengthening muscles, improving balance and increasing flexibility. The Forms are repetitive patterns that emphasize slow, flowing motions and controlled movements. Classes will help beginners to learn the Forms while providing regular practitioners the guidance of an experienced instructor. No walk-ins will ...
$14
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3 events,
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(VA) (Fairfax County) Help document our community's biodiversity by learning how to use the free app iNaturalist! Join VA Master Naturalist and Capital Nature Co-Founder Ana Ka'ahanui for tips on making iNaturalist observations in preparation for the upcoming global bioblitz, the City Nature Challenge. Weather permitting, we will explore the outdoors using the app to identify flora and fauna around the library. Adults. No ...
Free
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(MD) (Nature Forward) Join Naturalist and Capital Nature co-founder Ana Ka'ahanui for this 5-week online course to gain practical fluency with digital apps (like iNaturalist, eBird, Merlin Bird ID, and GLOBE Observer) and websites used by naturalists, researchers, and conservationists worldwide. Along the way, you’ll learn how everyday observations contribute to scientific knowledge and conservation efforts. This course is part ...
$210 – $260
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8 events,
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(VA) (NOVA Parks) Join Roving Naturalist and wildlife photographer Matt Felperin at Bull Run Regional Park to experience and capture the magic of the Virginia Bluebells! At this nature photography workshop, learn how to take stunning photos of this mystical landscape as well as close ups of the fleeting flowers themselves. Digital cameras and appropriate lenses encouraged, but even your ...
$15
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(VA) (Northern Virginia Bird Alliance) Butterfly and dragonfly surveys are carried out April-October, normally on Friday mornings, at one of four sites around Occoquan Bay, all within the 15-mile diameter circle established for the annual North American Butterfly Association's Annual Count. The results of these surveys are made available to the participants and other interested individuals and agencies, including the ... |
8 events,
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(VA) (NOVA Parks) Experience the magic and wonder of the Bluebell Trail in its full glory! Take a relaxing stroll on Bull Run Regional Park's most famous trail while being enveloped by a sea of blue. Learn about spring ephemeral plants such as the Virginia Bluebell and why these fleeting flowers bloom for such a short time. Ages 8+
$5
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(DC) (DC Bird Alliance) Join DC Bird Alliance for a relaxed, guided bird walk on Kingman Island. We’ll move at an easy pace, pause often to observe birds, and explore the island’s unique habitats together. This walk is open to all experience levels. Bring binoculars if you have them (we have a few to spare), curiosity if you don’t, and ... |
4 events,
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(VA) (NOVA Parks) Experience the magic and wonder of the Bluebell Trail in its full glory! Take a relaxing stroll on Bull Run Regional Park's most famous trail while being enveloped by a sea of blue. Learn about spring ephemeral plants such as the Virginia Bluebell and why these fleeting flowers bloom for such a short time. Ages 8+
$5
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(VA) (Friends of Dyke Marsh) Join FODM for a bird walk every Sunday at 8 a.m. The Dyke Marsh Wildlife Preserve is a freshwater, tidal marsh on the Virginia side of the Potomac River in Fairfax County. It is a unit of the George Washington Memorial Parkway, U.S. National Park Service.
Free
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2 events,
-
(VA) (Friends of Huntley Meadows) The Monday Morning Bird Walk is sponsored by the Friends of Huntley Meadows Park and takes place every Monday at 8 a.m. Following the walk, members of the group gather at the nearby Denny’s for breakfast and to compile the morning’s bird list. All are welcome.
Free
|
3 events,
-
(DC) (National Park Service) We invite you to join National Park Service volunteer and expert birder Molly Hermann for an engaging bird walk at Kenilworth Aquatic Gardens. This event is open to all, including those new to birding. We encourage participants to bring water, sunscreen, and binoculars if available. A limited number of binoculars are available for loan with a photo ID. ...
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(DC) (Hillwood) Explore Hillwood’s magnificent spring displays featuring tens of thousands of cheerful bulbs. Learn about the design process that led to this year’s unique display and first-hand stories of practical gardening lessons. Tickets are distributed at the Ellen MacNeille Charles Visitor Center upon opening each day. This forty-five-minute tour is limited to twenty and meets in the visitor center ...
Free – $20
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3 events,
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(MD) (Montgomery Parks) Studies show that babies as young as a few weeks old thrive with daily outside time. Join us for a guided nature walk on the trails of Cabin John Park. Get to know other local parents and caregivers while enjoying the fresh and spending quality time with baby. Trails are not stroller accessible so baby must be ...
$45
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(DC) (Rock Creek Conservancy) Join Stream Team Leaders Kathy Sykes and Andrea Contreras for an engaging presentation on the Lower Rock Creek watershed and why its health matters to our community. This talk will explore what a watershed is, how everyday activities impact local streams, and the key indicators of a healthy watershed—from salt and bacteria levels to biodiversity and ... |
5 events,
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(DC) (Smithsonian Associates) Enjoy a morning walk on a natural oasis in the Potomac River with Melanie Choukas-Bradley, the author of Finding Solace at Theodore Roosevelt Island. The nearly 2-mile path follows Theodore Roosevelt Island’s shore and moves deep into the swamp and tidal inlet along the boardwalk where willows, bald cypresses, and cattails frame views of Washington, D.C. Choukas-Bradley ...
$60 – $75
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(MD) (Montgomery Parks) The ruby-throats are on their way north! Learn more about these hummers as we track their progress into our area. We’ll learn how to attract them into your yard, and make a feeder to take home. Ages 3 to 5.
$7
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3 events,
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(VA) (NOVA Parks) Slither on over to Bull Run Regional Park for an amphibian adventure! Early March is an incredibly active time of year for local amphibians as they look–and sing–for a mate. The flooded forests at Bull Run, known as vernal pools, are highly prized by these animals because they lack aquatic predators and are therefore safe nurseries for ...
$7
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(DC) (US Botanic Garden) Join us for an exclusive after-hours evening of jazz, drinks, and blooms celebrating the opening night of the U.S. Botanic Garden's new exhibit "America’s State Flowers: An America250 Celebration." Admission includes all activities and one drink ticket to get the party started. Additional drinks and bites are available for purchase. All proceeds from this event support ...
$35
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5 events,
-
(DC) (Ward 8 Woods) Join Ward 8 Woods every second Saturday of the month to restore Shepherd Parkway by removing trash and invasive vines that are smothering the trees. Since 2011, over 2,000 volunteers have removed over 200 tons of trash from the woods and cut invasive vines from over 500 trees, but much work remains to be done. Give back ...
Free
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(DC) (National Cherry Blossom Festival) One of DC’s largest spectator events, the energy-filled National Cherry Blossom Festival Parade® presented by Events DC runs for 10 blocks along iconic Constitution Avenue. Giant colorful helium balloons, elaborate floats, marching bands from across the country, celebrity entertainers, and performers burst down the Parade route in a grand spectacle of music and showmanship seen only once a ... |
3 events,
-
(VA) (Friends of Dyke Marsh) Join FODM for a bird walk every Sunday at 8 a.m. The Dyke Marsh Wildlife Preserve is a freshwater, tidal marsh on the Virginia side of the Potomac River in Fairfax County. It is a unit of the George Washington Memorial Parkway, U.S. National Park Service.
Free
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(VA) (Friends of Wolf Trap National Park) Join Larry Meade for a fun and educational nature walk around the grounds of Wolf Trap National Park for the Performing Arts. April is prime time for bird migration as colorful birds such as warblers sing and show off their breeding plumage. While we are enjoying the birds, we will also be looking ...
Free
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4 events,(DC) (Friends of Anacostia Park) Join us for a week full of family fun and activities in Anacostia Park. Events include Yay Nature Day, Live Animals, Art in the Park, fishing, skating and boat trips! And skating!
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(VA) (Friends of Huntley Meadows) The Monday Morning Bird Walk is sponsored by the Friends of Huntley Meadows Park and takes place every Monday at 8 a.m. Following the walk, members of the group gather at the nearby Denny’s for breakfast and to compile the morning’s bird list. All are welcome.
Free
-
(DC) (Rock Creek Conservancy) Join Kathy Sykes, DOEE Conservation Steward, for an afternoon of planting at Linnean Park in Ward 3. Tools and instructions provided. Please wear sturdy shoes with good tread, and weather appropriate clothes you don’t mind getting dirty or snagged. Bring your own water bottle, sun protection, etc. The meet up location is at Broad Branch Terrace, ... |
4 events,
-
(DC) (National Park Service) We invite you to join National Park Service volunteer and expert birder Molly Hermann for an engaging bird walk at Kenilworth Aquatic Gardens. This event is open to all, including those new to birding. We encourage participants to bring water, sunscreen, and binoculars if available. A limited number of binoculars are available for loan with a photo ID. ...
-
(MD) (Montgomery Parks) A world of wonder takes flight as Montgomery Parks’ popular Butterfly Experience returns to Brookside Gardens. Visitors will be surrounded by hundreds of brilliant butterflies from the Americas, Africa, and Asia as they flutter among vibrant, lush tropical blooms. This intimate experience offers rare, up-close encounters while trained staff and volunteers highlight the stages of metamorphosis, the ...
$11 – $16
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3 events,
-
(MD) (Casey Trees) Join Meredith from CCAN and Community Native Planting Project to remove invasive vines and transform a two-acre site next to Publick Playhouse into a welcoming natural area. We will start with a brief training on invasive species and best practices for removal, and spend about two hours removing invasives. |
3 events,
-
(DC) (Anacostia Watershed Society) Join the Anacostia Watershed Society for a 1-hour Anacostia River Discovery Series boat tour to explore the ecological and historical changes that have occurred in the river and in the communities around the river. We will have the opportunity to witness some of the restoration of river habitats and how it has caused the rebound of ... |
2 events,
-
(DC) (Rock Creek Conservancy) Join Rock Creek Park to remove invasive plant species from Picnic Grove 6! We will be removing invasive shrubs and vines to make room for native flora and fauna in the park. |
9 events,
-
(DC) (Casey Trees) Join Casey Trees for an exciting day of tree planting, made possible by partnership with the Arbor Day Foundation and United. You provide the volunteers, we provide all the necessary tools and supplies to plant the trees. Participants will receive a hands-on training on site. After learning the tools and techniques, participants will be split up into ...
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(DC) (Anacostia Riverkeeper) Celebrate Earth Month and enjoy beautiful views with our plogging cleanup along the Anacostia Riverwalk Trail! Plogging is the practice of cleaning up litter while jogging (though jogging is not required to participate). We will be running a 2-mile stretch between Diamond Teague Park and Anacostia Community Boat House, picking up cleanup equipment, and returning to Navy ... |
3 events,
-
(VA) (Friends of Dyke Marsh) Join FODM for a bird walk every Sunday at 8 a.m. The Dyke Marsh Wildlife Preserve is a freshwater, tidal marsh on the Virginia side of the Potomac River in Fairfax County. It is a unit of the George Washington Memorial Parkway, U.S. National Park Service.
Free
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(DC) (National Park Service) Celebrate Freedom 250 at Rock Creek Park with Junior Rangers Rise! Caring for Parks, Caring for the Future—a two-day, family-friendly event that connects 250 years of American history to the next generation of park stewards. Through hands-on activities, ranger-led programs, and interactive experiences, participants will discover how curiosity, caring for nature, and everyday actions can carry ... |
2 events,(DC) (DC Climate Week) DC Climate Week (DCCW) is a community-organized week of events, exhibitions, tours, screenings, and gatherings across Washington, DC. Together, we will explore the challenges of the climate crisis and discover the solutions that give us hope.
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(DC) (Washington Parks & People) Join us for a special Earth Day outdoor yoga experience in partnership with Washington Parks and People. This gentle, all-levels yoga class that links breath with mindful movement, guiding you through a steady, accessible flow. This offering is beginner-friendly and open to all. Please bring a yoga mat or blanket (a limited number of mats ... |
2 events,
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(DC) (National Park Service) We invite you to join National Park Service volunteer and expert birder Molly Hermann for an engaging bird walk at Kenilworth Aquatic Gardens. This event is open to all, including those new to birding. We encourage participants to bring water, sunscreen, and binoculars if available. A limited number of binoculars are available for loan with a photo ID. ... |
4 events,
-
(DC) (Casey Trees) Join Casey Trees as we partner with HITT to celebrate Earth Day and plant trees at Mount Olivet Cemetery! You provide the volunteers, we provide all the necessary tools and supplies to plant the trees. Participants will receive a hands-on training on site. After learning the tools and techniques, participants will be split up into groups supervised ...
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(DC) (Casey Trees) Join Casey Trees and over 25 organizations to hear a discussion on the city’s future, focusing on the District’s health, economic resilience, and environment. |
5 events,
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(DC) (Casey Trees) Join D.C. based nonprofits JGI USA and Casey Trees as they share their approaches to engaging communities to make an impact, including their successful efforts to restore and protect forest habitats both locally in Washington, D.C. and internationally along chimpanzee range in Africa. This event will feature presentations from both JGI USA and Casey Trees, followed by ...
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(DC) (Anacostia Watershed Society) Join the Anacostia Watershed Society for a 1-hour Anacostia River Discovery Series boat tour to explore the ecological and historical changes that have occurred in the river and in the communities around the river. We will have the opportunity to witness some of the restoration of river habitats and how it has caused the rebound of ... |
8 events,(DMV) Join community and citizen scientists all over the globe to observe wildlife: animals, plants, and fungi in backyards, neighborhoods, and parks in urban areas. Using iNaturalist to document them, you can share your observation to help scientists track the wildlife that share our urban areas. See DC metro area events here and in this calendar. Register to track you ...
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(DC) (Casey Trees) In honor of America’s 250th anniversary, we’re planting 250 trees across DC’s national parks with National Capital Parks-East, a unit of the National Park Service. Join us to help plant and welcome 19 trees at the historic Stanton Park, part of this milestone campaign made possible by generous donations. Participants will receive hands-on training on-site. After learning ...
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(DC) (Sarah DeWitt & Radhika Bhatt) During DC Climate Week, join Regenerative Leadership Coach and Forest Bathing Guide, Sarah DeWitt, and Climate Career Coach, Radhika Bhatt, for a Forest Bathing walk through Dumbarton Oaks Park for an opportunity to pause, reflect, and deeply connect with nature and each other.
Free
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11 events,(DC) (Smithsonian) Celebrate the transformational power of clay and the evolution of the museum’s iconic outdoor sculpture installation Always Becoming (2007) by Nora Naranjo Morse (Kha'p'o Owingeh ). Join the museum for a weekend of stories, artist demonstrations, hands-on activities, performances, and more centered on the relationship between art and the earth. To commemorate the 250th anniversary of the signing ...
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(VA) (Arlington Regional Master Naturalists) Bring curiosity and a camera (mobile phone cameras are great!) to explore the hill and hollows of Brandymore Castle for the City Nature Challenge. Photograph wild plants and critters to upload to iNtauralist to help the greater DC area excell in this friendly worldwide competition. After the guided trek, feel free to explore on your ...
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(MD) (Anacostia Parks and Community Collaborative) Spend your Earth Day with us and a dozen environmental organizations at one of the largest regional clean-ups along Oxon Run and the Potomac River! |
12 events,
-
(VA) (Friends of Dyke Marsh) Join FODM for a bird walk every Sunday at 8 a.m. The Dyke Marsh Wildlife Preserve is a freshwater, tidal marsh on the Virginia side of the Potomac River in Fairfax County. It is a unit of the George Washington Memorial Parkway, U.S. National Park Service.
Free
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(Capital Nature) (DC Bird Alliance) (Northern VA Bird Alliance) We’ll be looking for birds and making nature observations using the iNaturalist app as part of the global City Nature Challenge—an annual effort to document local biodiversity. From songbirds to insects and plant life, every observation contributes to a broader understanding of the ecosystems around us.
Free
|
3 events,
-
(VA) (Friends of Huntley Meadows) The Monday Morning Bird Walk is sponsored by the Friends of Huntley Meadows Park and takes place every Monday at 8 a.m. Following the walk, members of the group gather at the nearby Denny’s for breakfast and to compile the morning’s bird list. All are welcome.
Free
-
(VA) (NOVA Parks) (Capital Nature) (MNCPPC) Join us for this global community science event by making observations on the free app iNaturalist. We'll set out to observe as many nocturnal critters as we can. We will also be setting up a mothing station and using a UV lights to locate critters that glow in the dark. It shapes up to ...
Free
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2 events,
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(DC) (National Park Service) We invite you to join National Park Service volunteer and expert birder Molly Hermann for an engaging bird walk at Kenilworth Aquatic Gardens. This event is open to all, including those new to birding. We encourage participants to bring water, sunscreen, and binoculars if available. A limited number of binoculars are available for loan with a photo ID. ...
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(DC) (Capital Nature) Did you know that every neighborhood in the District has a city Arborist who manages its public trees? Join us for a discussion with Aaron Rowe, the DC Arborist who looks out for the street and park trees in Cleveland Park and Woodley Park, two of Northwest DC’s greenest neighborhoods. Aaron will give an overview of the ... |
1 event,
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(DC) (Rock Creek Conservancy) This training equips individuals with the knowledge, skills, and techniques to support the management of invasive plants in our region. For Part 1, you have the option of attending in person at the University of the District of Columbia or virtually via Zoom. Part 2 will take place in-person at an outdoor location in Rock Creek ... |
1 event,
-
(DC) (Anacostia Watershed Society) Join the Anacostia Watershed Society for a 1-hour Anacostia River Discovery Series boat tour to explore the ecological and historical changes that have occurred in the river and in the communities around the river. We will have the opportunity to witness some of the restoration of river habitats and how it has caused the rebound of ... |
2 events,
-
(MD) (Montgomery Parks) A world of wonder takes flight as Montgomery Parks’ popular Butterfly Experience returns to Brookside Gardens. Visitors will be surrounded by hundreds of brilliant butterflies from the Americas, Africa, and Asia as they flutter among vibrant, lush tropical blooms. This intimate experience offers rare, up-close encounters while trained staff and volunteers highlight the stages of metamorphosis, the ...
$11 – $16
-
(DC) (Nature Forward) Usher in the merry month of May with a springtime nature stroll on the trails and boardwalk of DC’s Theodore Roosevelt Island with naturalist and author Melanie Choukas-Bradley. This springtime tree walk will take you deep into the island, where swamp and tidal inlet can be explored by boardwalk as willow, bald cypresses, and cattails frame views ...
$35 – $49
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2 events,
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(DC) (Casey Trees) Join us and nature book author Melanie Choukas-Bradley for a three-hour tree walk along scenic Rock Creek and through the upland woods of the Western Ridge Trail. Melanie will show you how to identify American hornbeam, American elm, river birch, American sycamore, boxelder, black walnut and other stalwarts of the floodplain forest. She’ll then lead us into ...
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(MD) (Rock Creek Conservancy) Join Rock Creek Conservancy and Montgomery Parks for this invasive plant removal restoration event in Glenmont Local Park. Invasive plants are a major threat to our fragile forests, and stopping their spread helps allow native plants to thrive in the understory. Event location, directions, and information will be sent from the event leader 48 hours prior ... |
