Stellar Star Show at Rock Creek
2025-12-20 14:00 - 14:30, 2025-12-26 14:00 - 14:30 (America/New_York) | Rock Creek Nature Center, 5200 Glover Rd NW, Washington, 20015, United States
(DC) (Rock Creek Park) Come and enjoy a ranger-led program in the only planetarium in the National Park Service! The Stellar Star Show will be a 30-minute ranger-led program about the planets and the night sky.

Christmas Bird Count at Battery Kemble
2025-12-21 08:00 - 10:00 | Battery Kemble Park, 21 Maryland Ave, Rockville, MD, 20850, United States
(DC) (DC Bird Alliance) Join us as we participate in the longest-running citizen science program in the world—the Christmas Bird Count! We will be counting birds at Battery Kemble Park and hope to see lots of woodland species, including woodpeckers, kinglets, and sparrows.
We are limiting the number of participants for this citizen science effort; you must register to attend.

Mindful Bird Walk & Forest Bathing & S'Mores
2025-12-21 09:00 - 11:00 | MD
(DC) (DC Bird Alliance) Join us for this very special bird walk at Rock Creek Park as we discover, or rediscover, what is means for us to be a birder. What connects in your mind, body and soul when you hear a tiny soprano in perfect pitch singing to you? Together Susan West Montgomery, we will enjoy a practice inviting us to slow down, to be curious, and to experience nature more fully. Forest bathing means using all of our senses to take in all that nature has to offer. More than a walk in the woods, it is the conscious choice to be immersed in the sights, sounds and smells of the forest.
And … we’ll top it all off afterwards with a campfire and s’mores!

Winter Solstice Field Trip at Serpentine Barrens
2025-12-21 11:00 - 15:00 | MD
(MD) (Virginia Native Plant Society) Celebrate the beginning of the winter season at the old-age Travilah Serpentine Barrens (Serpentine Barrens Conservation Park-North Unit) with its spectacular scenery and diversity of native plants, wildlife, and natural communities!
Sponsored by the Maryland Native Plant Society, Potowmack Chapter of the Virginia Native Plant Society, and Botanical Society of Washington.

Winter - The Silent Season
2025-12-21 12:30 - 14:00 | Riverbend Park, 8700 Potomac Hills St, Great Falls, VA, 22066, United States
(VA) (Fairfax County Parks) To many people, the winter season is often seen as cold and dark and foreboding. But to the earth, this is a vital time of rest, beauty and restoration. Join us for a short lecture about the joys of winter from the perspective of nature and venture out on a hike in the woods to see what the plants and animals are up to during this silent season. Conclude the event with a warm drink and meet one of our resident animals. Ages 8 to Adult.

Winter Solstice Evening Walk
2025-12-21 16:00 - 17:30 | Huntley Meadows, 3701 Lockheed Blvd, Alexandria, VA, 22306, United States
(VA) (Fairfax County Parks) Celebrate the first day of winter and shortest day of the year with a Park Naturalist for an outing into the forest and wetland at sunset on this December evening. We will look and listen for signs of nocturnal wildlife. Ages 5+.

Monday Morning Birdwalk at Huntley Meadows
2025-12-22 08:00 - 10:00, 2025-12-29 08:00 - 10:00, 2026-01-05 08:00 - 10:00, 2026-01-12 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.

Sunday Morning Bird Walk at Dyke Marsh
2025-12-28 08:00 - 10:00, 2026-01-04 08:00 - 10:00, 2026-01-18 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.

Bird Walk at Roosevelt Island
2025-12-28 08:00 - 10:00 | Theodore Roosevelt Island, Washington DC, United States
(DC) (DC Bird Alliance) Join us for a bird walk of Roosevelt Island! On Dec 12, 1932 in a ceremony in the east room of the White House, President Hoover accepted the island as a shrine to Roosevelt and declared that would be known as Theodore Roosevelt Island. Today, this hotspot is home to an impressive number of resident and migrating species.

See you outside!

Creating Sacred Spaces in Nature
2025-12-28 13:00 - 16:00 | Earthwalk Ways, 913 Holly Corner Rd, Fredericksburg, VA, 22406, United States
(VA) (Earthwalk Ways) Join earth guide Darlene Rollins for: Creating Sacred Spaces Where Soul and Nature Meet at Earthwork Ways nature retreat center.

Bird Walk at Hains Point
2026-01-03 08:00 - 10:00 | Hains Point, Ohio Dr SW, Washington, DC, 20024, United States
(DC) (DC Bird Alliance) Let’s explore the world of birds at Hains Point – bring your binoculars and curiosity for a morning adventure! This is one of DC’s most peaceful birding gems — wide open views, sweeping water, and the chance to spot winter visitors who only grace our area this time of year.

As we stroll along the shoreline, we’ll look and listen for visitors such as Buffleheads, Mergansers and even the now regular Winter visitor, a Yellow-throated Warbler!

The Joy of Observing Insects (Virtual)
2026-01-08 12:00 - 13:00 | MD
(DC) (Smithsonian Associates) Insects are the most abundant animals on the planet—representing about 80% of all animal species on Earth. They are also the least observed. Naturalist Eric R. Eaton is on a mission to inspire you to watch more bugs and share what people can do to keep these critters thriving. He will highlight the basic tools for watching insects with all five senses, suggests best habitats and circumstances for seeing the most diversity, and shares tips for attracting desirable insects to your yard and garden.
Eaton’s new field guide, Bugwatching: The Art, Joy, and Importance of Observing Insects, is available for purchase.

Lunchtime Meditation and Mindfulness (Virtual)
2026-01-09 12:00 - 12:30 | MD
(DC) (Smithsonian Asian Art Museum) Join our free online guided meditation on Tuesdays and Fridays. In these 30-minute sessions, DC-based meditation teachers lead a variety of mindfulness practices. Friday sessions take inspiration from art in our museum’s collections. Many of the art pieces are inspired by nature. All are welcome! No previous experience is required.

Flying Squirrel Lore
2026-01-10 17:30 - 18:30 | Long Branch Nature Center & Park, 625 S Carlin Springs Rd, Arlington, VA, 22204, United States
(VA) (Arlington Parks) Flying squirrels are found throughout the wooded neighborhoods of Arlington, but are seldom seen. Join us after dark to learn about these nocturnal creatures. Dress for the weather, we will venture out into the cold night to look for wild flying squirrels. Families.

Road Trip to Blackwater National Wildlife Refuge
2026-01-11 09:00 - 17:00 | Blackwater National Wildlife Refuge, 2145 Key Wallace Drive, Cambridge, MD, 21613-9536, United States
(MD) (DC Bird Alliance) Escape the city and spend a day in nature with the DC Bird Alliance and Prince George’s County Parks & Recreation as we take a special road trip to Blackwater National Wildlife Refuge on Maryland’s Eastern Shore—one of the most spectacular birding destinations on the Atlantic Flyway. Winter at Blackwater brings breathtaking flocks of waterfowl, soaring raptors, wintering songbirds, and unforgettable marsh landscapes.
Roundtrip transportation provided by PG Parks.

Tuesday Morning Bird Walk at Kenilworth
2026-01-13 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!

Paint Nature's Creatures in Watercolor (Virtual)
2026-01-13 10:30 - 13:30 | MD
(DC) (Smithsonian Associates) Learn how to see beauty in the natural world and render it in stunning watercolor paintings, using various watercolor techniques to represent the metallic shell of a beetle, the soft, fuzzy wing of a moth, and the delightful colors of a butterfly. 8 sessions from January 13 ​to March 3, 2026​.

Wednesday Nature Walkabout
2026-01-14 12:00 - 13:00 | Long Branch Nature Center at Glencarlyn Park, 625 S Carlin Springs Rd, Arlington, VA, 22204, United States
(VA) (Arlington Parks) The natural world is constantly changing… yearly, monthly, daily and even hourly. The only way to see it all is to go out on a regular basis and explore. Every 2nd and 4th Wednesday, join a naturalist to briefly meet one of our nature center critters (living or preserved) then go for a walk to see what is out and about this time of year. Learn about the creatures you can see in winter, and focus on healthy walking. Ages 15+.

Project Feederwatch
2026-01-15 11:00 - 12:00 | Locust Grove Nature Center, 7777 Democracy Blvd, Bethesda, MD, 20817, United States
(MD) (Montgomery Parks) Are you interested in birding? Do you want to be part of a national community science project? Then, join us for Project FeederWatch. Project FeederWatch is a seasonal community science project, where participants count the different species of birds that flock to a bird feeder. All levels of birders are welcome. This project meets weekly on Thursdays through February. Ages 5+.
We will not be meeting on December 25 and 26. We will also not be meeting on January 1 and 2.

The Natural World on the Microscale (Virtual)
2026-01-15 19:00 - 20:00 | MD
(MD) (Natural History Society of Maryland) Step into the invisible world that curiosity and cutting‑edge imaging make visible. In this talk, Dr. Tagide deCarvalho will share the stories and techniques behind her striking microscopy images—revealing how modern optical and electron microscopes open windows into cells, viruses, and other hidden structures of life.
Expect a presentation that blends science, storytelling, and visual wonder—perfect for anyone who’s ever felt like a “curious nerd” eager to see the world in new ways.

Nocturnal Animal Hike
2026-01-16 18:30 - 19:30 | Gulf Branch Nature Center & Park, 3608 Military Rd, Arlington, VA, 22207, United States
(VA) (Arlington Parks) Learn about the animals active at night (nocturnal) and try to find some! There will be a short introductory presentation in the nature center followed by a hike outside around the park. We will stay on the walking paths; dress for the weather. Families.

Winter Bird Walk at the National Arboretum
2026-01-17 09:00 - 11:00 | U.S. National Arboretum, 24th & R St NE, Washington DC, 20002, United States
(DC) (Friends of the National Arboretum) Join FONA & DC Bird Alliance this winter for the best birding! Winter is the perfect season to observe our feathered friends. With the trees bare and migratory birds lingering, this is a unique opportunity to spot birds more easily and connect with fellow bird enthusiasts.

Experienced members of the DC Bird Alliance will lead the tour, sharing insights about local birds and conservation efforts.

Winter Waterfowl Watch at Occoquan
2026-01-17 09:00 - 11:00 | Occoquan Bay National Wildlife Refuge, 14050 Dawson Beach Rd, Woodbridge, VA, 22191, United States
(VA) (Northern Virginia Bird Alliance) Join us for a winter waterfowl watch at the beautiful Occoquan Bay National Wildlife Refuge, “an oasis for migratory birds and busy city residents seeking a quiet escape from development.” On this guided walk, you’ll explore the refuge’s diverse waterfowl species with naturalist Andreas Seiter.

Winter Crow Watch
2026-01-17 16:30 - 18:00 | Shirlington Library, 4200 Campbell Avenue, Arlington, VA, 22206, United States
(VA) (Northern Virginia Bird Alliance) Join us and our partners at DC Bird Alliance for a Winter Crow Watch at the Shirlington roost in Arlington, VA. You’re in for a show as the crows gather here in numbers so large it actually appears on radar! Here we’ll have binoculars and scopes for participants to use to view the crows as they gather for a noisy social time before heading to the roost for the night.
