It's the season of lights in the Washington DC metro area. Many parks and botanical gardens are hosting beautiful light displays through the new year: Brookside Garden of Lights - Montgomery County MD hosts its annual display at Brookside Gardens through January 5th. Walk among the outdoor twinkling lights and glimmering displays that dot the paths and flowerbeds in 50 acres ...
(DC) (National Gallery of Art) Enjoy a winter skate at the NGA's iconic ice rink surrounded by sculptures and the National Mall. Purchase skating passes in person. Fees cover two back-to-back, 45-minute skating sessions that each begin on the hour. Enjoy a hot cocoa and food at the adjoining Pavilion Cafe. The skating rink will be open through March 2nd ...
(DC) (United States Botanic Garden) The annual holiday display “Season’s Greenings” features model trains in the gated outdoor gardens, festive lights throughout the Garden, and the poinsettias, holiday decor, and D.C. landmarks made from plants inside the Conservatory. On the lawn in the gated outdoor gardens, G-gauge model trains circulate from 10:00-5:00 daily through displays of pollinators made from plant ...
(MD) (DC Bird Alliance) We're teaming up with our friends at PG Parks and with expert birder and award-winning photographer, Matt Felperin, to capture the Bald Eagles of Conowingo Dam. Here's your chance to see dozens -- even more -- Bald Eagles! Conowingo Dam at Fisherman's Park is one of the largest congregations of migrating Bald Eagles in the Mid-Atlantic. Time-permitting, we'll ...
(MD) (Casey Trees) Welcome to our fall season of Community Tree Plantings! Join us in planting trees at Langley Terrace Apartments. 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 by ...
(MD) (Nature Forward) Join expert naturalists on a leisurely walk through the habitats at Woodend. Explore the wonders of trees, meadows, streams, insects, birds, and everything Woodend has to offer!
(VA) (NOVA Parks) Join us as we work to keep our park healthy and beautiful! Assist with invasive plant removal, habitat restoration, and other projects as needed. Come dressed for and prepared to work outdoors. Gloves and snippers are recommended, but extras may be provided if needed. Meet at the picnic shelter (located in main parking lot). Ages 9 +
(VA) (Arlington Parks) Each Tiny Tot program will engage your child with hands-on learning and may include a variety of activities like songs, games, crafts, and mini-hikes. Tiny Tot programs are offered throughout the year at Gulf and Long Branch Nature Centers. Each program has a theme which incorporates aspects of the park and its wildlife into the programs. Ages ...
(DC) (Rock Creek Park) Join Rock Creek Conservancy, the National Park Service, and Weed Warrior Leader Kathy Sykes for this invasive plant removal restoration event in Rock Creek 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 ...
(DC) (Rock Creek Conservancy) Join Rock Creek Conservancy, the National Park Service, and Stream Team Leader Zoë Abrahm for a litter removal restoration event in Rock Creek Park. Trash is the visible form of stormwater pollution, a major threat to water quality and park health and its removal makes the parklands cleaner, safer, and more beautiful for all. Event location, ...
(MD) (Montgomery Parks) Join Maria, Weed Warrior Supervisor, for a non-native, invasive plant removal workday in Rock Creek Stream Valley Unit 6 at the Parklawn Community Garden. We will focus on non-native, invasive vines, especially wisteria (Wisteria sinensis and Wisteria floribunda). Native Virginia creeper and poison ivy are also present and beneficial, so we will avoid those. Instructions will be sent ...
(MD) (Montgomery Parks) Come to the Discovery Center and learn about our winged visitors at our bird feeding stations. Then we’ll take a short hike to our bird blind to see which waterfowl are on the lake and make a treat for you to take home for your backyard birds. Binoculars and guidebooks are supplied, but you can also bring ...
(VA) (Friends of Dyke Marsh) Help protect native plants by pulling and clipping invasive plants. We will train volunteers to identify the five or so target plants. Register to join us in any of these sessions. Invasive plants can threaten and outcompete native plants. We kindly ask that you not bring pets. December 7 and 21 January 4 and 18 ...
(VA) (Arlington Parks) Holiday crafters are invited to create their own evergreen wreath to spruce up your home or give as special gifts. We’ll provide music, refreshments, basic instruction and enough materials for each participant to make a wreath and we'll have extra for arrangements or swags. Participants should bring hand pruners or wire cutters (if you have them) and ...
(DC) (Friends of Oxon Run) Join Meredith from CCAN and Friends of Oxon Run to remove Invasive Vines at Oxon Run Park in Washington, DC. We will meet at the James. E. Bunn Amphitheater at 9am. We will spend the first hour doing an in-depth training on invasive vines and best practices for removal, then we will head further into ...
(DC) (Friends of the National Arboretum) Shop for Christmas trees, wreaths, and garlands during the annual sale. You can also pre-order your greenery! Have them delivered to your house, or pick them up at the Arboretum on December 7th. Pre-ordering is not required but guarantees you a great tree at the best price. When pre-ordering, please select “Friends of the ...
(DC) (Ward 8 Woods) Give back to the earth, exercise your body, spend time in nature and meet cool people with the Ward 8 Woods Conservancy. Known as a busy commuter route between central Washington to its eastern suburbs, the Suitland Parkway is also a nature preserve, flanked on each side by over 300 acres of forested hillside. Sadly, the ...
(DC) (National Museum of Asian Art) In this workshop, you'll learn to write poetry based on visual art by using paintings in the exhibition Shifting Boundaries: Perspectives on American Landscapes. Learn ekphrastic poetry techniques from poet Ariana Benson, including the use of vivid sensory language, fabulation of narrative within and beyond the frame, and lyric persona as a means of ...
(DC) (US National Arboretum) Join the US National Arboretum, the Friends of the National Arboretum, and community and civic leaders for a brief speaking program and community conversation with the curator. From 1934 through 1941, the members of Civilian Conservation Corps Company 1360 transformed a patchwork of abandoned farms into a landscape worthy of hosting the National Arboretum. A new, ...
(DC) (US Botanic Garden) During this illuminating lecture, botanist, Distinguished Scientist and Curator Emeritus W. John Kress, Ph.D., will discuss his new book, Smithsonian Trees of North America. Ten years in the making, this comprehensive compendium takes a careful look at the diversity, morphology, and beauty of over 325 tree species. Dr. Kress will discuss the extensive research behind the ...
(DC) (Anacostia Watershed Society) Join the Anacostia Watershed Society (AWS) and National Links Trust (NLT) for a Habitat Restoration Workday! During this workday you will help AWS with our invasive plant control and revegetation efforts along the riverside area of Kingman Island. We will be meeting at the driving range. This is part of a natural resources management plan for ...
(VA) (NOVA Parks) Join us for a festive wreath-making workshop guided by our talented horticulturists, Sarah Causey and Thomas Bardroff. Participants will create their own beautiful holiday wreath using natural materials gathered throughout the year by the Meadowlark horticulture team. Your wreath may feature a variety of fresh-cut greens (holly, pine, spruce, cedar), dried flowers (such as amaranth, sea holly, ...
(VA) (Kindred Nature and NOVA Parks) Release stress and step into serenity with a guided forest bathing experience, discovering calm in the shift to early winter at Meadowlark Botanical Gardens! Inspired by the Japanese practice of Shinrin-yoku, forest bathing is a way to immerse your senses in the natural world. Slow down, relax, and join certified forest bathing guide Ilana ...
(VA) (Friends of Huntley Meadows) Sip hot cocoa and join a naturalist for a special winter wonder wetland tour after dark. We will look for signs and listen for sounds of beavers, owls, deer and other nocturnal winter animals. Participants are encouraged to bring their own mug to help us reduce waste. Ages 4 to Adult.
(VA) (Fairfax County Parks) Tour beautiful Colvin Run by candlelight. Discover how different a 200-year old mill looks at night and visit the miller’s house decorated for the holidays. Learn how families of the mill spent the winter months and enjoy some holiday treats. Space is limited.
