Capital Nature

Winter Birdwalk at Riverbend
2026-02-21 08:00 - 09:30 (America/New_York) | Riverbend Park, 8700 Potomac Hills St, Great Falls, VA, 22066, United States
(VA) (Fairfax County Parks) Take a hike through the woods with a naturalist to listen and look for the park’s winter avian residents and migrants. Find out what birds do to survive the winter weather. Feel free to bring your own guides, binoculars and spotting scopes. Site will have a limited number of supplies for participants to borrow for the duration of the program. Ages 4 to Adult.

Winter Birding at Lake Audubon
2026-02-21 08:00 - 10:00 | Walker Nature Center, 11450 Glade Drive, Reston, VA, 20191, United States
(VA) (Northern Virginia Bird Alliance) Join Northern Virginia Bird Alliance guides Robin and Luke for a winter birding outing at Lake Audubon! Birders of all experience levels are welcome. The planned walking route includes a mix of woodland trail and paved surfaces, with both flat and hilly sections.

Bird Walk at Kingman
2026-02-21 08:00 - 10:00, 2026-02-28 08:00 - 10:00 | Kingman Island, United States
(DC) (DC Bird Alliance) Join DC Bird Alliance for a winter bird walk through Kingman and Heritage Islands!

Black Hill Hike Club
2026-02-21 09:00 - 11:00 | Black Hill Discovery Center, 20926 Lake Ridge Drive, Boyds, MD, 20841, United States
(MD) (Montgomery Parks) The first rule of Hike Club – have fun! Improve your fitness, make new friends, and experience trails and scenery we don’t often make time to immerse ourselves in. We welcome all ages, though young children must be able to walk at least 3 miles or be carried. Most trails are not stroller accessible and are easy to moderate in difficulty.

Winter Stream Ecology Hike
2026-02-21 11:00 - 12:00 | Long Branch Nature Center at Glencarlyn Park, 625 S Carlin Springs Rd, Arlington, VA, 22204, United States
(VA) (Arlington Parks) Bundle up and join us for a winter nature hike full of frosty discoveries! Ever wonder what fish do when streams freeze over? How life keeps moving under the ice? On this guided walk, we’ll explore stream ecology in winter and uncover how aquatic life—especially fish—adapts to survive the freezing temperatures, slower currents, and reduced food supply. Teens 16+ welcome with a registered adult.

Sunday Morning Bird Walk at Dyke Marsh
2026-02-22 08:00 - 10:00, 2026-03-15 08:00 - 10:00, 2026-03-29 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.

Winter Walk at Meadowlark
2026-02-24 10:00 - 11:00 | Meadowlark Botanical Gardens, 9750 Meadowlark Gardens, Vienna, VA, 22182, United States
(VA) (NOVA Parks) Enjoy free garden admission and a guided walk around Meadowlark Botanical Gardens’ 95 acres on Tuesdays. Each 75-minute walk will be over uneven, hilly terrain, have a positive focus, and include a silent, meditative portion and a few interesting facts from our docent along the way. Ages 18 +
This is a drop-in program.

Explore Rachel Carson Conservation Park
2026-02-27 09:00 - 11:00 | Rachel Carson Conservation Park, 22201 Zion Road, Olney, MD, 20833, United States
(MD) (Montgomery Parks) New to the area or just want to get out for a hike? Explore different parks in Montgomery County with an experienced naturalist. Length of hike and trail difficulty varies from site to site. Today we’ll explore Rachel Carson Conservation Park, one of the county’s premier conservation areas, walking through meadows, forest and along the Hawlings River. The length of this moderate hike depends on the pace and size of the group.

Winter Birdwalk at Eleanor C. Lawrence
2026-02-28 10:00 - 11:30 | Ellanor C. Lawrence Park, 5040 Walney Rd, Chantilly, VA, 20151, United States

The Amazing World of Vernal Pools (Virtual)
2026-03-01 14:00 - 15:00
(Capital Nature) (DC) Join Capital Nature and vernal pool champions Mike Hayslett and Steven David Johnson for this special presentation on the temporary freshwater wetlands that emerge after snowmelt. Often overlooked as habitats because of their small size, they are essential spawning grounds for spotted salamanders, wood frogs, fairy shrimp, and many other creatures! Mike will discuss the ecology and conservation needs of these unique ecosystems. Steven will share his spectacular photographs of vernal pool life.

Tuesday Morning Bird Walk at Kenilworth
2026-03-10 08:30 - 10:00, 2026-03-31 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!

Monday Morning Birdwalk at Huntley Meadows
2026-03-16 08:00 - 10:00, 2026-03-30 08:00 - 10:00 | 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.

Blossoms in America's Backyard
2026-03-21 13:30 - 15:00 | Peirce Mill, 2401 Tilden St NW, Washington DC, 20008, United States
(DC) (Rock Creek Conservancy) This time of year in Washington, DC is all about the Cherry Blossoms, but before the cherry trees on the Tidal Basin were a thing, the roots of DC’s cherry blossom history got planted in the Rock Creek Valley. Come for a short ranger talk about the history of cherry trees in Washington away from the bustle of the Tidal Basin and then enjoy a walk up to 2 miles through some of our trails to see what’s blooming this spring in Rock Creek Park.

Mussel Survey at Kingman Island
2026-03-27 10:00 - 12:30 | Driving Range Parking Lot of the Langston Golf Course, 2556 Benning Rd NE, Washington, DC, 20002, United States
(DC) (Anacostia Watershed Society) Join the Anacostia Watershed Society for a wild freshwater mussel survey in Kingman Lake! We will be walking in mud that can be very mucky in waders (AWS can provide you with a pair if you don’t have your own). If you’re not comfortable walking in mud using waders, we recommend joining us at a different event.

Birding by Ear
2026-03-28 08:00 - 10:00 | Riverbend Park, 8700 Potomac Hills St, Great Falls, VA, 22066, United States
(VA) (Northern Virginia Bird Alliance) Join us for Birding by Ear with Colt Gregory and Kris Lansing at Riverbend Park where more than 190 species of birds have been recorded. This FREE bird outing will include a short introduction followed by a walk along a nearby trail to practice identifying birds by their vocalizations.

Springtime Birding at Huntley
2026-03-28 08:00 - 10:00 | Huntley Meadows, 3701 Lockheed Blvd, Alexandria, VA, 22306, United States
(VA) (Northern Virginia Bird Alliance) Join us for a spring bird outing at beautiful Huntley Meadows Park! Explore meadows, woodlands, and marshes alongside NVBA bird guides Arielle Smith (she/her) and Gabrielle Jennings (she/her), who will help you observe and identify bird species the group encounters.

Bird Outing to Mason Neck
2026-03-28 08:00 - 10:00 | Mason Neck State Park, 7301 High Point Rd, Lorton, VA, 22079, United States
(VA) (Northern Virginia Bird Alliance) NVBA is partnering with Mason Neck State Park to host regular bird outings every fourth Saturday of the month from. Your guide for these events will be John Colpoys, an avid birder and experienced bird guide for NVBA. These events are free to attend and open to anyone! Registration is requested, as it helps us anticipate the number of attendees and communicate if needed. Please see our cancellation policy below.

Forest Bathing at Long Branch
2026-03-28 10:00 - 12:00 | Long Branch Nature Center & Park, 625 S Carlin Springs Rd, Arlington, VA, 22204, United States
(VA) (Arlington Parks) In March and April the wild earth is “springing” all around us. Forest bathing provides a unique way of exploring the natural world by focusing our sense to a keen visceral state. This interactive process can be remarkably restorative. The program will conclude with tea and snacks. Dress for the weather (light rain or shine) and the possibility of sitting on the ground or on a log.

Spring Ephemerals Hike
2026-03-28 11:00 - 12:00 | Gulf Branch Nature Center & Park, 3608 Military Rd, Arlington, VA, 22207, United States
(VA) (Arlington Parks) Join us for a guided nature walk to discover the beauty of spring ephemerals—those fleeting, early blooming wildflowers that appear before the forest canopy fills in. These native plants make the most of early spring sunlight and play a vital role in supporting pollinators emerging after winter. Come learn how these short-lived blooms help bring the forest to life! Ages 12 +.

Art in Nature: Journaling for Adults
2026-03-28 16:30 - 18:00 | Locust Grove Nature Center, 7777 Democracy Blvd, Bethesda, MD, 20817, United States
(MD) (Montgomery Parks) Learn how to connect with the natural world through the art and science of nature journaling. Nature walks will be apart of this program so participants should be able to walk on natural surface trails, which may have some steep inclines. Each month there will be a different theme with each session, for March we will focus on animal skulls, tracks, and scat. Ages 16 +

Art in Nature: Journaling for Kids
2026-03-28 16:30 - 18:00 | Locust Grove Nature Center, 7777 Democracy Blvd, Bethesda, MD, 20817, United States
(MD) (Montgomery Parks) Kids love being out in nature and through journaling they can learn how to connect with nature even more. Join a naturalist to learn how to truly observe nature around you and how to get those observations and thoughts on paper. After a guided session, you will have the opportunity to create a nature journal entry on your own. Nature walks will be apart of this program so participants should be able to walk on natural surface trails, which may have some steep inclines. Each month there will be a different theme with each session, for March we will focus on skulls, scat and tracks Ages 8-15.

Bird Walk at Kenilworth
2026-03-29 09:00 - 11:00 | Kenilworth Aquatic Gardens, 1550 Anacostia Ave, NE, Washington DC, 20019, United States
(DC) (DC Bird Alliance) Join DC Bird Alliance for a relaxed bird walk at Kenilworth Park & Aquatic Gardens, one of the most unique birding spots in Washington, DC. We’ll explore the ponds, boardwalk, and garden trails while looking for waterbirds, songbirds, and seasonal migrants that use this beautiful wetland habitat along the Anacostia River.

Bird Sit at Fort C.F. Smith Park
2026-03-29 09:00 - 11:00 | Fort C.F. Smith Park, 2411 24th St N, Arlington, VA, 22207, United States
(VA) (Northern Virginia Bird Alliance) Come hang out with us for a relaxed morning bird sit at Fort C.F. Smith Park in Arlington! We’ll spend the morning on cozy picnic blankets watching and listening for birds as they start their day and get up to their morning shenanigans. This bird sit will be led by NVBA bird guide Jeph Simmons (they/them).

Guided Mindfulness Walk
2026-03-29 10:00 - 12:00 | Brookside Gardens, 1800 Glenallan Avenue, Wheaton, MD, 20902, United States
(MD) (Montgomery Parks) Join integrative therapist Tania Lanning for a guided walk focused on self-care in nature. Among the fragrant blossoms, maple trees, and brightly colored roses of the Formal Gardens, you will be invited to awaken your senses, notice your inner voice, and reflect on how you can bring awareness and compassion to your internal experience. Participants will receive a small blank notebook for journaling. Ages 18 +.

Guided Cherry Blossom Walk
2026-03-30 18:00 - 19:30 | Stanton Park, 6th Street NE and 226 4th St NE, Washington, DC, 20002, United States
(DC) (Tree Stories) Join educational arborist Sam Nelson for a guided walk in D.C’s Capitol Hill featuring history, science, and beautiful groves of blossoms Together, we’ll discuss tree science, history, and slow down to stroll and reflect under magical blossoms in spring (and take some photos). This walk will not include the beautiful but crowded Tidal Basin. Instead, we’ll begin in Stanton Park, walk through the Senate Parks, and then finish at the U.S. Capitol’s historic cherry groves around sunset.
