Monday Morning Birdwalk at Huntley Meadows
2026-04-27 07:00 - 09:00 (America/New_York) | 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.

City Nature Challenge: Nocturnal Naturalists at Bull Run Regional Park
2026-04-27 20:00 - 22:00 | Atlantis Water Park at Bull Run, 7700 Bull Run Drive, Centreville, VA, 20121, United States
(VA) (NOVA Parks) (Capital Nature) (MNCPPC)
Join us for this global community science event by making observations on the free app iNaturalist. We’ll set out to observe as many nocturnal critters as we can. We will also be setting up a mothing station and using a UV lights to locate critters that glow in the dark. It shapes up to be a great way to wrap up the City Nature Challenge and we hope to see you there!

Tuesday Morning Bird Walk at Kenilworth
2026-04-28 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!

Meet Your Neighborhood Arborist
2026-04-28 18:00 - 19:00 | Cleveland Park Library, 3310 Connecticut Ave. NW, Washington, 20008, United States
(DC) (Capital Nature) Did you know that every neighborhood in the District has a city Arborist who manages its public trees? Join us for a discussion with Aaron Rowe, the DC Arborist who looks out for the street and park trees in Cleveland Park and Woodley Park, two of Northwest DC’s greenest neighborhoods. Aaron will give an overview of the city’s Urban Forestry Division and his work as a public Arborist, then join Capital Nature’s co-founder Stella Tarnay for a discussion. We’ll talk about the health of the area’s trees, how the city is protecting them, the challenges they are facing, and how residents can contribute to the health of our public canopy.
This is the first in a three-part series on trees and their care hosted by Cleveland Park Library in collaboration with Capital Nature.

Weed Warrior Training - Part 1 (Hybrid)
2026-04-29 18:00 - 21:00 | University of the District of Columbia, 4200 Connecticut Ave NW, Washington DC, 20008, United States
(DC) (Rock Creek Conservancy) This training equips individuals with the knowledge, skills, and techniques to support the management of invasive plants in our region. For Part 1, you have the option of attending in person at the University of the District of Columbia or virtually via Zoom. Part 2 will take place in-person at an outdoor location in Rock Creek Park on May 9th.

Anacostia River Discovery Boat Tour
2026-04-30 18:00 - 19:00, 2026-05-14 18:00 - 19:00 | Diamond Teague Pier, 1520 First St. SE, Washington, DC, 20003, United States
(DC) (Anacostia Watershed Society) Join the Anacostia Watershed Society for a 1-hour Anacostia River Discovery Series boat tour to explore the ecological and historical changes that have occurred in the river and in the communities around the river. We will have the opportunity to witness some of the restoration of river habitats and how it has caused the rebound of the wildlife.

The Butterfly Experience
2026-05-01 09:00 - 15:00 | Brookside Gardens, 1800 Glenallan Avenue, Wheaton, MD, 20902, United States
(MD) (Montgomery Parks) A world of wonder takes flight as Montgomery Parks’ popular Butterfly Experience returns to Brookside Gardens. Visitors will be surrounded by hundreds of brilliant butterflies from the Americas, Africa, and Asia as they flutter among vibrant, lush tropical blooms. This intimate experience offers rare, up-close encounters while trained staff and volunteers highlight the stages of metamorphosis, the important role butterflies play in healthy ecosystems, and how to ensure these beautiful insects thrive in our own gardens.
Butterfly Experience runs through September 7th.

Tree Walk at Theodore Roosevelt Island
2026-05-01 09:30 - 12:30 | Theodore Roosevelt Island, Washington DC, United States
(DC) (Nature Forward) Usher in the merry month of May with a springtime nature stroll on the trails and boardwalk of DC’s Theodore Roosevelt Island with naturalist and author Melanie Choukas-Bradley. This springtime tree walk will take you deep into the island, where swamp and tidal inlet can be explored by boardwalk as willow, bald cypresses, and cattails frame views of the city beyond it. In addition to sharing her knowledge and love of the island’s trees, Melanie will share details of this National Park’s fascinating history.

Birding on Sligo Creek
2026-05-02 08:00 - 10:00 | Sligo Creek Stream Valley Park, Silver Spring, MD, 20901, United States
(MD) (Friends of Sligo Creek) Join us in mid-Sligo to see local birds and birds migrating northward from their wintering grounds. Led by 3 expert birders: David Blockstein, Mary Singer, and Dave Wood. This popular event fills up quickly and will be limited to 20 participants. Details will provided to people who register.

Invasive Plant Removal at Glenmont Park
2026-05-02 10:00 - 12:00 | Glenmont Local Park, 3201 Randolph Rd, Silver Spring, MD, 20906, United States
(MD) (Rock Creek Conservancy) Join Rock Creek Conservancy and Montgomery Parks for this invasive plant removal restoration event in Glenmont Local 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.

Spring Tree Walk in Rock Creek Park
2026-05-02 10:00 - 13:00 | Peirce Mill, 2401 Tilden St NW, Washington DC, 20008, United States
(DC) (Casey Trees) Join us and nature book author Melanie Choukas-Bradley for a three-hour tree walk along scenic Rock Creek and through the upland woods of the Western Ridge Trail. Melanie will show you how to identify American hornbeam, American elm, river birch, American sycamore, boxelder, black walnut and other stalwarts of the floodplain forest. She’ll then lead us into the upland woods where several species of oak, including DC’s official tree, the scarlet oak and a large spreading post oak, mockernut and pignut hickories, American beeches, and sugar and red maples flourish.

Sligo Creek Fest
2026-05-02 11:00 - 15:00 | DC
(MD) (Montgomery Parks) This annual celebration transforms the Sligo Creek Open Parkway into a lively street festival. Enjoy multiple performance stages, kid-friendly activities like tree climbing, roving entertainers, delicious food and drink vendors, and hands-on activities and demonstrations from Montgomery Parks groups.

Invasive Plant Removal at Little Forest
2026-05-03 10:00 - 12:00 | Little Forest Park, Military Road & 28th Street NW, Washington, DC, 20015, United States
(DC) (Rock Creek Conservancy) Join Rock Creek Conservancy, the National Park Service, and Weed Warrior Leader Bethann Siegel and John Burwell 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.

Our Watershed
2026-05-06 18:00 - 19:30 | West End Neighborhood Library, 2301 L St NW, Washington, 20037, 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.

Weed Warrior Training - Part 2
2026-05-09 09:00 - 12:00 | DC
(DC) (Rock Creek Conservancy) oin Rock Creek Conservancy and the National Park Service for our Weed Warrior training. Please note that this is a two-part training. Part 2 will take place in-person at an outdoor location in Rock Creek Park on May 9th. The exact location for Part 2 will be shared once finalized. Please ensure that you register for both parts of the training.

Exhibit: Recovering Our Night Skies
2026-05-10 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 2026.

Stream Team Leader Training (Virtual)
2026-05-12 18:00 - 19:00 | DC
(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.

State of the Canopy Webinar
2026-05-13 12:00 - 13:00 | DC
(DC) (Casey Trees) Join Andrew Schichtel, Executive Director of Casey Trees, and members of our leadership team for our inaugural State of the Canopy webinar. Together, we’ll explore key accomplishments and recommendations from this year’s Tree Report Card and share an insider’s look at the priorities guiding our work to restore, enhance, and protect the tree canopy across the national capital region.

An Evening with Casey Trees
2026-05-13 18:00 - 19:00 | Cleveland Park Library, 3310 Connecticut Ave. NW, Washington, 20008, United States
(DC) (Capital Nature) Join us as we host Casey Trees, the region’s leading nonprofit tree organization for a conversation in Cleveland Park. Their staff is usually out in the field planting trees, creating conservation easements, and advocating, but tonight we’ll hear directly from them about their transformative work, and see how we can tap into it to promote stewardship close to home;

Hear how Casey Trees, civic groups—and residents like us—are helping restore DC’s tree canopy throughout the city and in our neighborhoods.
Learn how best practices for watering and mulching can extend a tree’s life.
Tune in to tree volunteer opportunities.
Find out how to get a free tree.
See how homeowners are creating rain gardens and tree oases in their yards.
Ask a gnarly question about caring for your trees!

This is the second in a three-part series on trees and their care hosted by Cleveland Park Library in collaboration with Capital Nature.The event includes a raffle for two free books on tree species.

Butterfly Gardening
2026-05-14 10:00 - 12:00 | Brookside Gardens, 1800 Glenallan Avenue, Wheaton, MD, 20902, United States
(MD) (Montgomery Parks) Butterflies are declining worldwide, but gardeners can help. This lecture introduces key strategies for supporting Mid-Atlantic species, including understanding butterfly life cycles, recognizing species of concern, choosing appropriate host and nectar plants, integrating natives into existing gardens, and using design elements that create effective habitat. Learn practical steps to sustain butterflies at every life stage.
Carlos Rodriguez, Brookside Gardens Horticulturist

150th Anniversary of the Bartholdi Fountain (Virtual)
2026-05-14 12:00 - 13:00 | DC
(DC) (US Botanic Garden) Created for America’s 100th anniversary, the 30-foot-tall “Fountain of Light and Water” — aka the Bartholdi Fountain — is turning 150 this year! To celebrate this milestone anniversary, join Devin Dotson for a deep dive into the history of the fountain, how and when it joined the United States Botanic Garden, how we care for this beautiful piece of history, and the story of the sculptor who become internationally famous for another project, the Statue of Liberty.

Welcome Back Birds! (Virtual)
2026-05-14 13:00 - 14:00 | DC
(DMV) (Cornell Lab of Ornithology) Celebrate your favorite new arrivals and learn answers to common questions about how they made the journey. Today’s webinar theme is Bird Migration in Your Backyard.

Weed Warrior Workday at Long Branch
2026-05-15 08:30 - 10:30 | Long Branch Recreation Center, 8700 Piney Branch Road, Silver Spring, MD, 20901, United States
(MD) (Montgomery Parks) Join Barbara, Weed Warrior Supervisor, for a non-native, invasive plant removal workday at Long Branch Stream Valley Unit 2 and Long Branch Local Park. Meet in front of the Long Branch Community Recreation Center. We’ll walk together to the Creekside worksite.
We will focus on non-native, invasive vines and shrubs including porcelainberry (Ampelopsis glandulosa var. brevipedunculata), English ivy (Hedera helix), and bush honeysuckle (Lonicera spp.). Native Virginia creeper and poison ivy are also present and beneficial, so we will avoid those.

Anacostia River Festival River Clean-up
2026-05-16 08:00 - 12:00 | DC
(DC) (Anacostia Watershed Society) Join the 11th Street Bridge Park and the Anacostia Watershed Society for a community clean-up as part of the Anacostia River Festival! Come make an impact, connect with neighbors, and help keep our park beautiful for everyone. See locations details on AWS registration page.

Invasive Species Removal at Langdon Park
2026-05-16 09:00 - 12:00 | Langdon Park Recreation Center, 2901 20th St NE, Washington DC, 20018, United States
(DC) (Casey Trees) Join CCAN, The Langdon Park Forest Stewards, and Casey Trees to get outside and remove invasive plants! Take part in the exciting Assisted Natural Regeneration efforts happening to restore the forest at Langdon Park in NE DC. We will start with a brief training on non-native invasive species and best practices for removal, and spend about 2 hours removing invasives. We will focus on non-native invasive plants like Bush (Amur) Honeysuckle.

Expert Is In: Neuro-Botany
2026-05-16 10:00 - 12:00 | US Botanic Garden, 100 Maryland Ave SW, Washington DC, 20001, United States
(DC) (US Botanic Garden) Interested in learning how plants affect our brains and bodies? Drop by the Medicinal House to talk with Dr. Terri Postma, Neurologist and Health Policy Advisor and learn about the intersection of botany and neurology. You’ll hear about the dual nature of plants, how their complex chemistry can serve as both a source of life-saving medicine and a potential neurotoxin, and learn more about how our well-being is deeply rooted in the botanical world.

Forest Bathing at Locust Grove
2026-05-16 10:00 - 12:00 | Locust Grove Nature Center, 7777 Democracy Blvd, Bethesda, MD, 20817, United States
(MD) (Montgomery Parks) This 2-hour session, led by certified forest therapy guide Adria S. Zeldin, will guide you through mindfulness-based sensory invitations to help you slow down, awaken your senses, and reconnect with nature. Please dress comfortably with the weather in mind. We will be outdoors and moving slowly so you may want to bring extra layers. This trail difficulty is moderate.

Anacostia River Festival
2026-05-16 14:00 - 18:00 | Anacostia Park at Good Hope Road, 1100 Good Hope Rd SE, Washington, 20020, United States
(DC) (Building Bridges) Join us for this free, family-friendly event at Anacostia Park as we come together to Celebrate DC Herstory honoring the women who shaped our city while uplifting community, culture, and connection. This day will include live musical performances, arts and crafts for all ages, fishing, nature exploration activities, pickleball, mindfulness movement workshops and more!

Youth Birding in the Garden
2026-05-17 09:00 - 10:00 | Brookside Gardens, 1800 Glenallan Avenue, Wheaton, MD, 20902, United States
(MD) (Montgomery Parks) Take a bird walk with an expert instructor and learn the basics of using binoculars, listening for bird calls, using field guides and digital tools, and looking carefully in all directions. Stop at the spots in the garden that are most attractive for local birds and learn more about them. Borrow a pair of our binoculars or bring your own (optional). Meet in the Visitor Center and dress for the weather. Ages 8 to 16.
