Blossoms in America's Backyard
2026-03-21 13:30 - 15:00 (America/New_York) | 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.

Community Tree Planting at Armed Forces Retirement Home
2026-03-23 09:00 - 13:00 | Armed Forces Retirement Home, 140 Rock Creek Church Rd NW, Washington, DC, 20011
(DC) (Casey Trees) Join Casey Trees as we partner with the Washington Wizards to plant trees at the Armed Forces Retirement Home!
You provide the volunteers, we provide all the necessary tools and supplies to plant the trees. Participants will receive a hands-on training on site. After learning the tools and techniques, participants will be split up into groups supervised by a trained volunteer Team Leader and begin planting trees throughout the space.

Stream Team Leader Training (Virtual)
2026-03-24 18:00 - 19:00 | VA
(DC) (MD) (Rock Creek Conservancy) Please join Rock Creek Conservancy for a virtual training for our Stream Team Leader program. Stream Team Leaders are dedicated volunteers that work with the Conservancy to host their own trash cleanups and stormwater engagement events, increasing stewardship actions within their communities and throughout Washington, D.C. and Montgomery County, MD. The training will take place on zoom. A link will be sent to all registered participants on the day of the training.

Hillwood Orchids Tour
2026-03-25 10:30 - 11:00 | Hillwood Estate, 4155 Linnean Avenue, NW, Washington, DC, 20008, United States
(DC) (Hillwood) Join one of Hillwood’s orchid experts for a twenty-minute tour of the greenhouse, which houses Marjorie Merriweather Post’s extensive collection of exotic orchids, as well as cut flowers grown for floral arrangements throughout the mansion.

Naturally Latinos Conference (Hybrid)
2026-03-26 - 2026-03-28 | VA
(MD) (Nature Forward) This conference is a space for us to come together as a community that embraces the importance of our connection to nature and to one another. When we gather together, we recharge, we inspire each other, we learn from our successes and challenges, and we come out with a renewed strength to keep doing the work that we do.
This year’s theme, “Fortaleciendo comunidades y ecosistemas,”celebrates the work that many are doing to benefit our communities and bring nature back to urban spaces.

Jelly Fungi and Lookalikes (Virtual)
2026-03-26 19:00 - 20:00 | VA
(MD) (Natural History Society of Maryland) From translucent blobs to coral-like clusters, jelly fungi are among the most visually striking and biologically fascinating organisms found on Maryland’s forest floor. These gelatinous decomposers come in a spectrum of colors—bright orange, inky black, creamy white—and textures that range from rubbery cushions to toothy caps. Often mistaken for slime molds or cup fungi, jelly fungi play a vital role in breaking down dead wood and recycling nutrients in forest ecosystems.
In this talk, William Needham—Master Naturalist and former president of the Mycological Association of Washington—will guide us through the science and folklore of these squishy wonders.

Nature Narrative Writing (Virtual)
2026-03-26 19:00 - 20:00 | VA
(DC) (US Botanic Garden) In the spirit of her book, “Writing Wild: Women Poets, Ramblers, and Mavericks Who Shape How We See the Natural World,” Kathryn Aalto, Historian, Teacher, Speaker, and New York Times Best-selling Author will guide participants in how to observe the world around them with a writer’s eye, translating your observations into powerful, evocative prose that not only informs but also inspires readers to see the natural world in new ways.

Invasive Plant Removal at 630 West
2026-03-28 10:00 - 12:00 | Reservation 630 West, 3031 Sedgwick Street Northwest, Washington, DC, 20008, United States
(DC) (Rock Creek Conservancy) Join Rock Creek Conservancy and the National Park Service 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.

Exploring Leaf Shapes
2026-03-30 10:00 - 12:00 | US Botanic Garden, 100 Maryland Ave SW, Washington DC, 20001, United States
(DC) (US Botanic Garden) Join Lilly Andersen, USBG Family Education Specialist as you observe leaves of different shapes and sizes while considering the question: Why do leaves come in so many different forms? Learn to recognize patterns between the shapes and structures of leaves from a wide variety of plants, and then use your new knowledge to explore the Garden with a new perspective.

Invasive Plant Removal at Broad Branch
2026-04-04 10:00 - 12:00 | VA

Suitland Parkway Volunteer Day
2026-04-04 10:30 - 13:00 | Suitland Parkway, 2401 Alabama Ave SE, Washington, DC, 20020, United States
(DC) (Ward 8 Woods) Join Ward 8 Woods every first Saturday of the month to restore Suitland Parkway by removing trash and invasive vines that are smothering the trees. Since 2018, Ward 8 Woods Park Stewards and volunteers have removed more than 300 tons of trash from the woods of Suitland Parkway and cut vines from more than 1,000 trees. On the first Saturday of each month, we deploy to a different part of the parkway to clean up trash and save trees from being smothered by invasive vines.
Give back to the earth, exercise your body, spend time in nature and meet cool people with the Ward 8 Woods Conservancy.

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

Spring Walk on Theodore Roosevelt Island (Wait List)
2026-04-09 08:30 - 11:30 | Theodore Roosevelt Island, Washington DC, United States
(DC) (Smithsonian Associates) Enjoy a morning walk on a natural oasis in the Potomac River with Melanie Choukas-Bradley, the author of Finding Solace at Theodore Roosevelt Island. The nearly 2-mile path follows Theodore Roosevelt Island’s shore and moves deep into the swamp and tidal inlet along the boardwalk where willows, bald cypresses, and cattails frame views of Washington, D.C.
Choukas-Bradley shares an overview of the landscape’s fascinating mix of trees, wildflowers, birds, and other wildlife and highlights the island’s history and the legacy of the naturalist and conservationist president it memorializes. The morning also includes pauses for moments of guided forest bathing to quietly soak up the beauty of this wild island near the capital city.

DC Climate Week
2026-04-20 - 2026-04-26 | VA
(DC) (DC Climate Week) DC Climate Week (DCCW) is a community-organized week of events, exhibitions, tours, screenings, and gatherings across Washington, DC. Together, we will explore the challenges of the climate crisis and discover the solutions that give us hope.

What Trees Remember: Climate, Water, and Change (Virtual)
2026-05-28 19:00 - 20:00 | VA
(MD) (Natural History Society of Maryland) Trees are invaluable record-keepers of the past. Since their annual growth is intrinsically related to a combination of environmental factors, tree ring data can be used like a Rosetta Stone. Dr. Karen King will demonstrate how her research in biogeography and climate change is informed by tree-ring data. We will focus on regional examples from western Maryland to learn what tree rings can tell us about temperature, hydroclimate, and ecological variability.

An Immersion in Nature: Japanese Forest Bathing in Rock Creek Park
2026-06-04 08:30 - 10:30, 2026-06-05 08:30 - 10:30 | VA
(DC) (Smithsonian Associates) Experience forest bathing as Melanie Choukas-Bradley, a certified nature and forest-therapy guide and author of Wild Walking—A Guide to Forest Bathing Through the Seasons and A Year in Rock Creek Park, leads a 2-hour walk along a scenic stretch of Rock Creek in the nation’s oldest urban national park. Move slowly to soak up the beauty of the flowing creek and the lush June greens of the bountiful trees. Focus on the sights, sounds, and woodsy fragrances of Rock Creek Park, letting go of cares while slowly exploring the surroundings through all senses. This restorative celebration of the beauty of late spring in the wooded heart of the nation’s capital is the perfect way to learn why forest bathing is becoming popular all over the world.
Participants receive a signed copy of Wild Walking—A Guide to Forest Bathing Through the Seasons.

MLK Day: Litter Cleanup at Piney Branch
2027-01-19 13:00 - 15:00 | Piney Branch Oasis, 3499 Mt Pleasant St NW, Washington, 20010, United States
(DC) (Rock Creek Conservancy) Join Rock Creek Conservancy, the National Park Service, and Stream Team Leaders Keith Krosinsky and Alice Zou for a litter removal restoration event in Rock Creek Park. Trash is the visible form of stormwater pollution, a major threat to water quality and park health and its removal makes the parklands cleaner, safer, and more beautiful for all.

Extreme Cleanup at Broad Branch
2027-04-04 13:00 - 15:00 | VA
(DC) (Rock Creek Conservancy) Join Rock Creek Conservancy and the National Park Service for a litter removal restoration event in Rock Creek Park. Trash is the visible form of stormwater pollution, a major threat to water quality and park health and its removal makes the parklands cleaner, safer, and more beautiful for all. This event is part of the Annual Rock Creek Extreme Cleanup – a month-long push to remove litter throughout the Rock Creek watershed! Additional information will be sent from the event leader one business day before the event.
