Capital Nature

Slitherin' Salamanders
2026-04-10 08:30 - 10:30 (America/New_York) | Bull Run Regional Park, 7700 Bull Run Drive, Centreville, VA, 20121, United States
(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 their young. Learn more about the behaviors of these incredible amphibians and get ready see some up close! Ages 8+

Sunday Morning Bird Walk at Dyke Marsh
2026-04-12 08:00 - 10:00, 2026-04-19 08:00 - 10:00, 2026-04-26 08:00 - 10:00 | Dyke Marsh, Alexandria, VA, 22307, United States
(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.

Wings Over Wolf Trap
2026-04-12 09:30 - 10:30 | Wolf Trap National Park for the Performing Arts, 1551 Trap Road, Vienna, VA, 22182, United States
(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 for other interesting creatures such as butterflies and dragonflies.With over 300 species of birds migrating over our area, we should spot quite a few species of birds.Larry works with various conservation groups in our area and will share his deep expertise in a fun and educational manner. Appropriate for all ages. Explore and learn more about the nature side of this gem of a National Park.

Monday Morning Birdwalk at Huntley Meadows
2026-04-13 07:00 - 09:00, 2026-04-27 07:00 - 09:00 | Huntley Meadows, 3701 Lockheed Blvd, Alexandria, VA, 22306, United States
(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.

Tuesday Morning Bird Walk at Kenilworth
2026-04-14 08:30 - 10:00, 2026-04-21 08:30 - 10:00, 2026-04-28 08:30 - 10:00 | Kenilworth Aquatic Gardens, 1550 Anacostia Ave, NE, Washington DC, 20019, United States
(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.
The walk will be conducted at a leisurely pace, covering approximately one mile. We will gather in front of the visitor center, and the duration of the walk will typically range from 1.5 to 2 hours, depending on our observations. We look forward to sharing this delightful experience with you!

The Butterfly Experience
2026-04-14 09:00 - 15:00, 2026-04-24 09:00 - 15:00, 2026-04-26 09:00 - 15:00, 2026-05-01 09:00 - 15:00 | Brookside Gardens, 1800 Glenallan Avenue, Wheaton, MD, 20902, United States
(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 important role butterflies play in healthy ecosystems, and how to ensure these beautiful insects thrive in our own gardens.
Butterfly Experience runs through September 7th.

Vernal Pool Tour
2026-04-18 10:30 - 12:30 | Powder Milk Community Park, 3099 Powder Mill Rd, Adelphi, MD, 20783, United States
(MD) (Anacostia Watershed Society) Join the Anacostia Watershed Society for a Vernal Pool Tour at Powder Mill Community Park! Vernal pools are temporary seasonal pools of water that provide habitat for specialized species like wood frogs and spotted salamanders. If you’d like to get closer to the vernal pools to checkout what’s inhabiting them, we recommend wearing rubber boots.

Earth Day Film & Nature Walk
2026-04-18 14:00 - 16:00 | Langdon Park Recreation Center, 2901 20th St NE, Washington DC, 20018, United States
(DC) (Casey Trees) Come celebrate and experience Langdon Park Forest Patch, a 2.2-acre woodland that’s as rich in story as it is in biodiversity. The program will feature a presentation, a film, and a walk through the forest patch. Once overrun by invasive vines, this urban forest is now being brought back to health through the efforts of Langdon Park Forest Stewards, Casey Trees, community volunteers, and city agencies.
This program is free and open to the public. No registration needed!
Learn more about the Langdon Park Forest Stewards at caseytrees.org/langdon.

2026 City Nature Challenge
2026-04-24 00:00 - 2026-04-27 23:59 | VA
(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 progress and DC area observations.
Find out about the global event.

Second Annual DC Climate Week Forest Bathing Walk
2026-04-24 09:00 - 11:00 | Dumbarton Oaks Park, Lover's Lane and R Street NW, Washington, DC, 20007, United States
(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.

City Nature Challenge at Meadowlark
2026-04-24 11:00 - 12:30 | Meadowlark Botanical Gardens, 9750 Meadowlark Gardens, Vienna, VA, 22182, United States
VA) (NOVA Parks) Join us at Meadowlark Botanical Gardens for the global City Nature Challenge—an exciting opportunity to explore and document the wildlife all around us! Led by Roving Naturalist Matt Felperin, we’ll start with a quick introduction and practice session before heading into Meadowlark’s natural areas to document plants, birds, insects, amphibians, and more.
The City Nature Challenge is an international effort that encourages people to discover and record biodiversity in their own communities. During this guided program, we’ll take a springtime hike through the gardens and learn how to use the free iNaturalist app to make real scientific observations. Whether you’re new to nature observation or already love spotting wildlife, this program is a fun and meaningful way to contribute to a global project. Ages 8 and up.

CNC Observation with Arlington Master Naturalists
2026-04-24 14:00 - 15:00, 2026-04-25 09:00 - 10:30, 2026-04-26 14:00 - 15:00 | Madison Manor Park, 6225 12th Rd N, Arlington, VA, 22205, United States
(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 own. Wear sturdy shoes and long pants to protect from prickles and poison ivy.
For more information, click https://citynaturechallengedc.org/

Bird Walk + City Nature Challenge Walk at Theodore Roosevelt Is.
2026-04-26 08:30 - 10:30 | Theodore Roosevelt Island, Washington DC, United States
(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.

CNC iNaturalist Bioblitz on Mount Vernon Trail
2026-04-26 10:00 - 12:00 | Daingerfield Island Marina, Washington Sailing Marina 1 Marina Dr, Alexandria, VA, 22314, United States
(VA) (Friends of the Mount Vernon Trail) Help document and learn more about animal and plant species on the Mount Vernon Trail. Join us to find and document plants and animals for the City Nature Challenge! A Bioblitz is a communal citizen-science effort to record as many species within a designated location and time period as possible. Bioblitzes are also an excuse for naturalists, scientists, and curious members of the public to meet in person in the great outdoors and are a lot of fun!

See the registration page for exact event location.

Native Plant Walk at Meadowlark
2026-04-26 14:00 - 15:00 | Meadowlark Botanical Gardens, 9750 Meadowlark Gardens, Vienna, VA, 22182, United States
(VA) (NOVA Parks) Experience the beauty of spring woodlands on a guided walk through Meadowlark Botanical Gardens’ Potomac Valley Collection! Led by Keith Tomlinson, former Garden Manager who developed and curated Meadowlark’s native plant collection, this walk offers a unique opportunity to explore the region’s rich botanical diversity.
With 45 years of experience in botanical gardens, museums, environmental education, and plant conservation, Keith brings a wealth of knowledge and insight to this immersive tour. His expertise and passion for native plants will deepen your appreciation for the beauty and ecological importance of our local flora and fauna, information that will be helpful to those who are interested in adding native plants to their own yards.

CNC Observation with DC Master Naturalists
2026-04-26 16:00 - 17:30 | Fort Dupont Park, Minnesota Ave SE, Washington DC, 20019, United States
(VA) (Capital Nature) Join DC Master Naturalists and Capital Nature for our annual City Nature Challenge observation at Fort Dupont Park. Fort Dupont hosts some of DC’s most abundant biodiversity of birds, fungi, and plants (as well as invasive plant challenges), but they often go unnoticed. Help us put this green gem on the map while you enjoy a restorative walk with naturalists. The walk will be led by wildlife biologist Carrie Seltzer from iNaturalist.
The late afternoon starting time will increase our opportunities to hear local and migratory birds!

City Nature Challenge: Nocturnal Naturalists at Bull Run Regional Park
2026-04-27 20:00 - 22:00 | Atlantis Water Park at Bull Run, 7700 Bull Run Drive, Centreville, VA, 20121, United States
(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 be a great way to wrap up the City Nature Challenge and we hope to see you there!

Tree Walk at Theodore Roosevelt Island
2026-05-01 09:30 - 12:30 | Theodore Roosevelt Island, Washington DC, United States
(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 of the city beyond it. In addition to sharing her knowledge and love of the island’s trees, Melanie will share details of this National Park’s fascinating history.

Spring Tree Walk in Rock Creek Park
2026-05-02 10:00 - 13:00 | Peirce Mill, 2401 Tilden St NW, Washington DC, 20008, United States
(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 the upland woods where several species of oak, including DC’s official tree, the scarlet oak and a large spreading post oak, mockernut and pignut hickories, American beeches, and sugar and red maples flourish.

Forest Bathing at Locust Grove
2026-05-16 10:00 - 12:00 | Locust Grove Nature Center, 7777 Democracy Blvd, Bethesda, MD, 20817, United States
(MD) (Montgomery Parks) This 2-hour session, led by certified forest therapy guide Adria S. Zeldin, will guide you through mindfulness-based sensory invitations to help you slow down, awaken your senses, and reconnect with nature. Please dress comfortably with the weather in mind. We will be outdoors and moving slowly so you may want to bring extra layers. This trail difficulty is moderate.
