Capital Nature

Senior Wellness Walk: Deanwood
2025-12-05 10:30 - 11:30 (America/New_York) | Deanwood Recreation Center, 1350 49th St NE, Washington, DC, 20019, United States
(DC) (Department of Parks and Recreation) Just 30 minutes every day can increase cardiovascular fitness, strengthen bones, reduce excess body fat, and boost muscle power and endurance. It can also reduce your risk of developing conditions such as heart disease, type 2 diabetes, osteoporosis and some cancers. Participants will enjoy group walking around the neighborhood, around the park, or just around. Seniors will enjoy outdoor neighborhood walking as a group while listening to oldies but goodies to keep active and help stay fit.
Every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday through June 2026.

On the Prowl for Water Fowl - Lecture
2025-12-04 19:00 - 21:30 | Woodend Nature Sanctuary, 8940 Jones Mill Road, Chevy Chase, MD, 20815, United States
(MD) (Nature Forward) Early winter is the best time to search for and learn to ID overwintering waterfowl in our area. If you’re ready to refresh your skills or learn for the first time, our leader Mike Bowen will offer a lecture at Woodend prior to the in-person field trip at Gunner’s Lake in Germantown, MD, where a paved trail around the water allows for easy waterfowl watching with binoculars. While our focus will be waterfowl, we’ll keep an eye open for all birdlife. All levels of birders welcome.

Full Moon Nature Hike and Campfire
2025-12-04 18:00 - 19:30 | Riverbend Park, 8700 Potomac Hills St, Great Falls, VA, 22066, United States
(VA) (Fairfax County Parks) Enjoy nature’s tranquil beauty and the night sky under a full moon. Your naturalist guide points out signs of creatures that glide, fly and tiptoe through the woods in the dark. Enjoy a campfire after the hike with s’mores provided. Children must be accompanied by a registered adult.

Project Feederwatch
2025-12-04 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.

Festive Fresh Wreaths
2025-12-03 13:30 - 15:30, 2025-12-03 10:00 - 12:00 | Brookside Gardens, 1800 Glenallan Avenue, Wheaton, MD, 20902, United States
(MD) (Montgomery Parks) Make a long-lasting beautiful wreath using fresh greens! Learn to make an evergreen wreath for your front door, complete with a pinecone and bow accents. Fee includes all materials for one wreath.
Instructor: Jason Gedeik, Brookside Gardens staff.

Exhibit: Dazzling Diversity
2025-12-03 10:00 - 17:30, 2025-12-02 10:00 - 17:30, 2025-11-28 10:00 - 17:30, 2025-11-25 10:00 - 17:30 | Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History, 1000 Madison Drive NW, Washington, DC, 20560, United States
(DC) (Smithsonian Natural History Museum) Celebrate the vast and varied insect world through the pages of early natural history books from the Smithsonian Libraries and Archives. Dazzling Diversity provides a glimpse into the wealth of recorded scientific knowledge in these books, and the continuing relevance of historical science to contemporary biodiversity research. It offers a snapshot of different classes of insects and their habitats, while showcasing the careful artistry of scientific illustration.
On view through December 16th.

Midweek Meander Along the Canal
2025-12-03 10:00 - 12:30 | Riley’s Lock, C&O Canal
(MD) (Nature Forward) Enjoy a leisurely late fall stroll on relatively close-in portions of the C&O Canal’s historic towpath which see less foot and bicycle traffic on weekdays than weekends. The focus of these naturalist-led walks will be the rich natural history of the varied habitats along the Potomac River and the Canal. We’ll proceed at a “naturalist’s shuffle” pace, stopping often to observe and enjoy seasonal plant and animal life, including birds, fall wildflowers, fruits, and foliage, butterflies, snakes, turtles – and whatever else we might find.

Tai Chi at Brookside
2025-12-03 09:00 - 10:30 | Brookside Gardens, 1800 Glenallan Avenue, Wheaton, MD, 20902, United States
(MD) (Montgomery Parks) Tai Chi is an ancient, Chinese form of exercise perfect for adults seeking stress reduction while strengthening muscles, improving balance and increasing ﬂexibility. The Forms are repetitive patterns that emphasize slow, ﬂowing motions and controlled movements. Classes will help beginners to learn the Forms while providing regular practitioners the guidance of an experienced instructor. No walk-ins will be accepted. Ages 18+.
Instructor: Charles Votaw

Guided Walk at Meadowlark
2025-12-02 10:15 - 11:15 | Meadowlark Botanical Gardens, 9750 Meadowlark Gardens, Vienna, VA, 22182, United States
(VA) (NOVA Parks) Enjoy free garden admission and a guided walk around Meadowlark’s 95 acres on Tuesdays. Each one-hour 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 and up.

Bird Walk at Kenilworth
2025-12-02 08:30 - 10:00, 2025-11-25 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.

Critter Corner at Walk of Lights
2025-12-01 17:30 - 22:00 | Meadowlark Botanical Gardens, 9750 Meadowlark Gardens, Vienna, VA, 22182, United States
(VA) (NOVA Parks) Stop by the Critter Corner near the Visitor Center fireplace to meet some fascinating live animals from Potomac Overlook Regional Park’s Nature Center! NOVA Parks’ Roving Naturalist will bring some surprise guests like an owl, a turtle, and maybe a snake. Visit before or after exploring the Winter Walk of Lights to see and learn about some interesting critters!

Monday Morning Birdwalk at Huntley Meadows
2025-12-01 08:00 - 10:00, 2025-11-24 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.

Winter Tree Identification Walk
2025-11-30 14:00 - 15:00 | Gulf Branch Nature Center & Park, 3608 Military Rd, Arlington, VA, 22207, United States
(VA) (Arlington Parks) Arlington hosts a diverse cast of over 50 native tree species! Join us for a light walk to learn how to identify trees without leaves or flowers, by looking at their buds, bark, and other features. Teens age 14 and up are welcome to attend with a registered adult.

Exhibit: Recovering Our Night Skies
2025-11-30 10:00 - 17:30, 2025-11-29 10:00 - 17:30, 2025-11-24 10:00 - 17:30 | Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History, 1000 Madison Drive NW, Washington, DC, 20560, United States
(DC) (Smithsonian Natural History Museum) Artificial lights have become such common nighttime fixtures that we take them for granted. But what do brighter nights mean for people and wildlife? The effects of light pollution go beyond our diminishing view of the stars, but the solutions can have an immediate impact.
Through over 100 photographs, nearly 250 objects, interactive experiences, tactile models, and a theater program, discover why dark nights matter, rekindle your connection with the night sky, and consider how much light at night is enough—for whom, for what purpose, and who gets to decide?
On view through December.

Invasive Plant Removal at Reservation 630 East
2025-11-30 10:00 - 12:00 | Reservation 630 East, 2801 Quebec Street Northwest, Washington, 20008
(DC) (Rock Creek Conservancy) Join Rock Creek Conservancy and Weed Warrior leader Rena Subotnik or 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 from the event leader 48 hours prior to the event.

Sunday Morning Bird Walk at Dyke Marsh
2025-11-30 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.

Invasive Plant Removal at Trail 9
2025-11-29 10:00 - 12:00 | Trail 9, Broad Branch Rd & Beach Dr NW, Washington, DC, 20008, United States
(DC) (Rock Creek Conservancy) Join Rock Creek Conservancy 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 from the event leader 48 hours prior to the event.

Gratitude Nature Walk at Meadowlark
2025-11-28 10:00 - 12:00 | Meadowlark Botanical Gardens, 9750 Meadowlark Gardens, Vienna, VA, 22182, United States
(VA) (NOVA Parks) Give yourself the gift of renewal at the start of the holiday season with a soothing nature therapy experience at Meadowlark Botanical Gardens. Join certified nature and forest therapy guide Ilana Rubin of Kindred Nature for a calming morning mini retreat designed to pull you away from daily routines. This weekday practice offers a special opportunity to pause, reset, and refresh during the gardens’ most peaceful hours.

Nature Walkabout at Long Branch
2025-11-26 12:00 - 13:00 | Long Branch Nature Center & 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 interesting insects, fabulous flowers, mysterious mushrooms, relaxing reptiles, booming bullfrogs, singing songsters, and hear about the histories, facts and folklore behind each. Seek out seasonally significant challenges. As the weather cools and the animals become dormant, we’ll focus on healthy walking.

Natural Resources Survey at Occoquan
2025-11-26 07:30 - 12:00 | Occoquan Bay National Wildlife Refuge, 14050 Dawson Beach Rd, Woodbridge, VA, 22191, United States
(VA) (Northern Virginia Bird Alliance) If you would like to discover native birds, other fauna and flora — in the company of dedicated citizen scientists — then consider joining this outing!
Many know Northern Virginia for its economic dynamism, cultural development and ever-changing landscape. Less well known are the places sheltering remnants of an earlier, vital, natural history: Occoquan Bay NWR, Meadowood Recreation Area and other parks and preserves in eastern Fairfax and Prince William Counties. Each of these publicly-protected sites has a particular blend of habitats representative of Northern Virginia’s special natural character.
A report of each of the weekly, monthly surveys is emailed to participants as well as the U. S. Fish & Wildlife Service, Bureau of Land Management and other managing agencies. Summary reports, checklists and analyses of survey data provide an up-to-date inventory of species and insight into the state of populations.

Lunchtime Meditation and Mindfulness (Virtual)
2025-11-25 12:00 - 12:30 | VA
(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.

Late Fall Walk at Meadowlark
2025-11-25 10:15 - 11:15 | Meadowlark Botanical Gardens, 9750 Meadowlark Gardens, Vienna, VA, 22182, United States
