Capital Nature

Late Fall Birding at Kenilworth
2025-12-18 08:30 - 11:00 (America/New_York) | Kenilworth Aquatic Gardens, 1550 Anacostia Ave, NE, Washington DC, 20019, United States
(DC) (Nature Forward) Our fall birding series visit natural areas under an hour’s drive from DC where a variety of habitats – including field, forest, and wetland – provide good opportunities for the observation and ID of birds in autumn. On the earliest walks, we’ll hope to catch some southbound migrants – including those “confusing fall warblers.” As the season progresses, we’ll watch for sparrows, raptors, waterfowl, and other birds, both resident and overwintering in the region. These teaching walks are aimed at beginning to mid-level birders, but all are welcome.

Watersheds in Winter (Virtual)
2025-12-17 19:00 - 20:00
(VA) (Arlington Parks) Join us for a virtual talk to explore how snow, ice, and road salt impact water quality—and learn simple actions you can take to protect your watershed during the colder months. Adults.

Senior Wellness Walk: Deanwood
2025-12-17 10:30 - 11:30 | 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.

Winter's Colors: A Reflective Writing Workshop (Virtual)
2025-12-17 10:00 - 11:30
(DC) (Smithsonian Associates) Discover the power of reflective writing guided by the founding instructor of the National Gallery of Art’s Writing Salon, Mary Hall Surface. Experience new ways to contemplate the gifts of winter inspired by the vibrant Winter Landscape by Wassily Kandinsky, an artist who embraced the transcendent power of color. Designed for writers of all levels, and for the curious, the workshop invites participants to look outwardly at art and to look inwardly through writing.

Tai Chi at Brookside
2025-12-17 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

55+ Nature Book Club
2025-12-16 18:00 - 19:30 | Sligo-Dennis Local Park – Activity Building, 10200 Sligo Creek Parkway, Silver Spring, MD, 20902, United States
(MD) (Montgomery Parks) Become part of a community that celebrates the beauty of literature and the outdoors! Explore a range of books centered around nature, wildlife, conservation, and environmental issues. Our meetings take place every third Tuesday of the month at a Montgomery Parks locations, mostly in-person. This month’s meeting is a holiday book swap!

Hillwood Tour: Bones of the Winter Garden
2025-12-16 12:30 - 13:00 | Hillwood Estate, 4155 Linnean Avenue, NW, Washington, DC, 20008, United States
(DC) (Hillwood) Explore the bones of Hillwood’s peaceful winter gardens with Jessica Bonilla, director of horticulture. Evergreen plants take center stage, deciduous woody plants become architectural, and hardscapes become more important. Winter’s cool light shapes the experience, and we can sense more subtle shades of green and brown. The few flowers in bloom are very special, and the texture of conifer needles and tree bark seem richer in the winter sunlight.
Tickets are distributed at the Ellen MacNeille Charles Visitor Center upon opening each day. This thirty-minute tour is limited to twenty and meets in the visitor center conservatory.

The Science Behind Houseplants (Virtual)
2025-12-16 12:00 - 13:30
(DC) (Smithsonian Associates) By understanding how plants work, you can be more successful at caring for them, since knowledge of basic plant biology can be a valuable tool for indoor gardeners fascinated by plants and their unique characteristics. Virginia Velez Thaxton, a horticulturist with the Interiors Section of Smithsonian Gardens, explores the essential factors plants need from their environment and offers an overview of the physiological processes at play.

Guided Walk at Meadowlark
2025-12-16 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.

Little Critters: Nature Play at the Bird House
2025-12-16 09:30 - 13:30 | Smithsonian’s National Zoo, 3001 Connecticut Avenue, NW, Washington, DC, 20008, United States
(DC) (Smithsonian National Zoo) Waddle, jump, or hop on down to the Zoo! Join us for creative, drop-in play at the Zoo as we explore different plants and animals that live in and near ponds. Little Critters: Nature Play is designed for ages 0-5 and their caregivers and families. Activities are designed with early learners in mind, but all ages are welcome. Parents and guardians must remain with their children.

Bird Walk at Kenilworth
2025-12-16 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.

Birding at Blue Mash (Waitlist)
2025-12-16 08:00 - 10:00 | Blue Mash Nature Trail, 20600 Zion Rd,, Laytonsville, MD, 20882, United States
(MD) (Montgomery Bird Club) Join members of the Montgomery Bird Club at one of the county’s top birding hotspots! We’ll be looking for raptors and overwintering sparrows and waterfowl. The path can be muddy and overgrown, so waterproof boots are recommended. The walk will be led by a knowledgable birder who knows local birds and their habitats. Contact the organizer to get on the waitlist.
The club organizes several walks each month throughout the seasons.

Senior Wellness Walk: Arboretum
2025-12-15 10:30 - 11:30 | Arboretum Community Center, 2412 Rand Pl NE, Washington, DC, 20002, 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.
Every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday through June 2026.

Monday Morning Birdwalk at Huntley Meadows
2025-12-15 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.

Flying Squirrel Campfire
2025-12-14 19:00 - 21:00 | Hidden Oaks Nature Center, 7701 Royce St, Annandale, VA, 22003, United States
(VA) (Fairfax County Parks) Enjoy an evening around the campfire, toasting marshmallows over the embers and learn about flying squirrels that live in our area. Cancelled in case of inclement weather. Children must attend with an adult and all attendees must register. Ages 4 to Adult.

Native Seed Cleaning & Viewing Party
2025-12-14 18:30 - 19:30 | Long Branch Nature Center & Park, 625 S Carlin Springs Rd, Arlington, VA, 22204, United States
(VA) (Arlington Parks) Sort, sift, pick and socialize! Join us to help us sort and clean native seeds while checking out some nature videos. Clean seeds will be shared for free in the spring.

Wild Forest Time
2025-12-14 14:00 - 15:30 | Black Hill Discovery Center, 20926 Lake Ridge Drive, Boyds, MD, 20841, United States
(MD) (Montgomery Parks) Do you dream of building forts in the woods or climbing a tree? Maybe you want to learn about woodland critters or create some art in the woods. Join us for a time to explore the woods how you want to. We’ll supply some materials and a space to create and explore, you supply the imagination and sense of adventure! Drop in at our campfire circle area any time during the program to join in on the fun. Ages 3+.

Search for Santa's Critters
2025-12-14 13:00 - 16:00, 2025-12-13 11:00 - 16:00 | Potomac Overlook Regional Park, 2845 N. Marcey Road, Arlington, VA, 22207, United States
(VA) (NOVA Parks) Santa’s animal friends are lost in the park and need rescuing! Join this festive scavenger hunt to locate the critters so they can help Santa deliver candy and treats in time for the holidays! This event is appropriate for families and children of all ages.

Weed Warrior Workday at Long Branch
2025-12-14 13:00 - 15:00 | Sligo Creek Stream Valley Park, Sligo Creek Trail, Long Branch Stream Valley Park, Long Branch Trail, 20700 Martinsburg Rd, Dickerson, MD, 20842, United States
(MD) (Montgomery Parks) Join James, Weed Warrior Supervisor, for a non-native, invasive plant removal workday in Long Branch Stream Valley Unit 1 (between Piney Branch Rd and Carroll Ave), in Takoma Park, MD. More details, including the exact meeting location, will be emailed to you after you register.
We will focus on non-native, invasive vines, especially porcelainberry (Ampelopsis glandulosa var. brevipedunculata).Native Virginia creeper and poison ivy are also present and beneficial, so we will avoid those.

Exhibit: Recovering Our Night Skies
2025-12-14 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.

Exhibit: Dazzling Diversity
2025-12-14 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.

Invasive Plant Removal at 630 West
2025-12-14 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 Rock Creek Weed Warrior Leader Kathy Sykes 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. This event is part of an area-wide volunteer-powered effort to help rescue our public parks and green spaces from non-native invasive species.

Seed Cleaning at Earth Sangha
2025-12-14 09:00 - 12:00 | Earth Sangha, 51011 Backlick Rd, Annandale, VA, 22203, United States
(VA) (Earth Sangha) Help Earth Sangha clean and prepare native seeds for spring planting. Seed cleaning will take place every Sunday through the winter.

Sunday Morning Bird Walk at Dyke Marsh
2025-12-14 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.

Christmas Bird Count
2025-12-14 - 2026-01-05 | Meadowside Nature Center, 5100 Meadowside Lane, United States
(DMV) (Audubon) (Montgomery Parks) Get ready to brave the cold for a great cause! Join Meadowside Nature Center’s team for Audubon’s annual Christmas Bird Count, a nationwide effort taking place from December 14 through January 5. You’ll join tens of thousands of volunteers across the nation in this long-running wildlife census, collecting critical data that helps assess the health of bird populations and informs conservation actions. Registered participants will receive an email in early December with the exact meeting location and other important details. The program is held at Meadowside Nature Center and throughout the metro region.

Winter Concert and Bonfire
2025-12-13 15:00 - 17:00 | Woodend Nature Sanctuary, 8940 Jones Mill Road, Chevy Chase, MD, 20815, United States
(MD) (Nature Forward) Join us for an afternoon of holiday fun at Woodend Sanctuary! This family-friendly event will feature holiday music by acapella group Nerds in Harmony alongside a bonfire where participants can make their own holiday goodies and interact with Woodend Sanctuary’s Nature Playspace.

Evergreen Tree Identification Hike
2025-12-13 14:30 - 16:00 | Brookside Nature Center, 1400 Glenallan Ave, Silver Spring, MD, 20902, United States
(MD) (Montgomery Parks) Winter is the time when our evergreens shine! Maybe you know that every evergreen tree isn’t a pine, but is it a cypress? A juniper? A cedar? Join us on a hike through Wheaton Regional Park to take a closer look at evergreens.

Wildlife Sanctuary Presentation
2025-12-13 13:00 - 14:00 | Mount Vernon Unitarian Church, 1909 Windmill Lane, Alexandria, VA, 22307, United States
(VA) (Northern Virginia Bird Alliance) Are you intrigued by observing wildlife in your own yard? Do you want to contribute to the environmental health of our planet?
If so come learn about the Wildlife Sanctuary program and how you can transform your yard to create habitat, attract beneficial wildlife, and get your yard certified as a Wildlife Sanctuary. You’ll learn about habitat best practices and receive tips to help you select native trees and plants that suit the conditions in your yard. A FREE redbud seedling will be available as a gift from the Wildlife Sanctuary program to those who register early!

Winter Wonderland at Burke Lake
2025-12-13 11:00 - 17:00 | Burke Lake Park, 7315 Ox Rd, Fairfax Station, VA, 22039, United States
(VA) (Fairfax County Parks) All aboard the Holiday Express! Climb on for a train ride, spin around the Carolers Carousel, play a round of Gingerbread Man Golf or cozy up by the fire to make s’mores. Celebrate the season with family fun, a visit with Santa, hot chocolate and candy canes.
