Capital Nature

Stellar Star Show at Rock Creek
2025-12-20 14:00 - 14:30, 2025-12-26 14:00 - 14:30, 2026-01-24 11:00 - 11:30, 2026-01-30 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.

Nature, Art, and Service as Medicine (Virtual)
2026-01-20 14:00 - 15:00
(VA) (Alexandria Library) Jump start your new year with us as we chat with journalist and author Julia Hotz about her book The Connection Cure: The Prescriptive Power of Movement, Nature, Art, Service, and Belonging. By integrating age-old medicines like art, nature, movement, and volunteer service into patient’s daily lives, social prescriptions are radically changing health and healthcare in more than thirty countries.

How Plants Saved the World
2026-01-24 10:30 - 12:30 | Brookside Gardens, 1800 Glenallan Avenue, Wheaton, MD, 20902, United States
(MD) (Montgomery Parks) Journey through millions of years of evolution in this fascinating lecture by Raymond Carter, Brookside Gardens Staff. Discover how the plant, fungi and animal kingdoms co-evolved to create the complex ecosystems we know today. Afterward, enjoy a guided tour of the conservatory, where living examples reveal the remarkable adaptations shaped by time and environment.

Dogs for Conservation (Virtual)
2026-01-25 13:30 - 14:30
(VA) (Fairfax County Parks) Join Laura Holder, founder of Conservation Dogs Collective, for an inside look at the groundbreaking work her team of canine conservationists is doing. These specially trained dogs are using their powerful noses to locate endangered species like bumblebee nests and turtles, playing a vital role in wildlife preservation. They’re also helping to detect and eradicate invasive plant species and improving the health of our ecosystem.

Reducing Vehicle Collisions in Virginia (Virtual)
2026-01-27 18:30 - 20:00
(VA) (Wild Virginia) Explore how research, local knowledge, and public agencies are working together to reduce wildlife-vehicle conflicts and improve road safety, starting in Loudoun County. Since 2023, William & Mary’s Institute for Integrated Conservation (IIC) has partnered with the Virginia Department of Wildlife Resources to better understand where and why wildlife-vehicle collisions happen. Loudoun County, which has the highest rate of these crashes in Virginia, has been the primary focus of this work.

Native Ferns
2026-02-01 12:30 - 14:30 | Brookside Gardens, 1800 Glenallan Avenue, Wheaton, MD, 20902, United States
(MD) (Wild Ones) Kit Sheffield, a Virginia Master Naturalist, will be speaking on “Native Ferns”. Sheffield leads fern-related hikes and has been featured on gardening podcasts.

Earthly Love: A Conversation (Virtual)
2026-02-12 12:00 - 13:00
(US) (Yale School of Environment) The Forest School at the Yale School of the Environment, the Yale Forum on Religion and Ecology, and Orion Magazine present Orion contributors and award-winning authors Ross Gay and Aimee Nezhukumatathil. The event centers on themes of love, community, commitment, responsibility, and communication, exploring the intimacy and promise of humans’ moral, spiritual, and cultural relationships with the natural world – the love of nature and the nature of love.

GreenScapes Symposium (Virtual)
2026-02-13 09:00 - 16:00
(MD) (Montgomery Parks) This year’s GreenScapes Symposium is focused on: Integrating Ecology, Beauty and Adaptability in Design. Thriving landscapes support wildlife, enhance biodiversity, and respond to environmental challenges require thoughtful design and tested practices. Hear from experts in horticulture, ecology, and design to share solutions that work—from small gardens to large public landscapes. Learn how native keystone plants and layered “soft landings” can support pollinators from canopy to ground, and explore regenerative approaches that blend beauty, function, and biodiversity in every setting.
Through illustrative real-world case studies, you’ll discover how dynamic, naturalistic plantings can adapt and thrive, and how climate-resilient and diverse plant palettes can strengthen ecosystems in both urban and suburban environments.

Beyond Earth and Sky
2026-02-19 17:30 - 19:30 | Hillwood Estate, 4155 Linnean Avenue, NW, Washington, DC, 20008, United States
(DC) (Hillwood) In this third program in the Great Homes and Gardens lecture series, Douglas Hamilton Jr. and Norman Barker will give a lecture on their book: Tashiding: Beyond Earth and Sky, The Gardens of Douglas & Tsognie Hamilton. The lecture will give an exquisite tour of the Hamilton property and gardens, exploring its varied influences, including the family histories and cultures of its owners.

Birdability: Birding CAN Change the World (Virtual)
2026-03-05 19:00 - 20:00
(MD) (Natural History Society of Maryland) Virginia Rose was thrown from a horse at the age of 14, resulting in paralysis. Then, at the age of 44, she discovered birding. It changed her life. She founded Birdability with the vision that birding truly is for everybody and every body, regardless of disabilities or other health concerns. Their mission is to ensure birding is accessible to everyone.
In this presentation by Birdability Executive Director, Cat Fribley, let’s discover how accessible birding can make a significant impact on individuals with access challenges and learn practical ways you can contribute to a more inclusive birding community.

Our Watershed
2026-03-11 18:00 - 19:30 | Tenleytown Library, 4450 Wisconsin Ave NW, Washington, DC, 20016, United States
(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 aquatic life.

Accessible Birding Programs and Places (Virtual)
2026-03-17 16:00 - 18:30
(MD) (Natural History Society of Maryland) This extended workshop builds on the introductory presentation, Birding CAN Change the World, and is designed for those who are ready to move from learning into implementation.
Participants will take a deeper dive into what accessibility in birding truly looks like in practice. Together, we will explore real-world case studies from across the country that show how organizations, municipalities, parks, and nature centers have assessed barriers, made meaningful changes, and created more inclusive birding experiences for people with disabilities and other health concerns.

Our Watershed
2026-04-08 18:00 - 19:30 | Checy Chase Library, 5625 Connecticut Ave NW, Washington, 20015, United States
