Capital Nature

(DC) (Smithsonian Gardens) Nine exhibits across Smithsonian Gardens around the National Mall hold history and memories, tell American stories, and carry culture through food growing and seed saving. The exhibition also introduces gardens as places of wellbeing, connection, and innovation—from horticultural therapy to the powerful role trees play in ecosystems and in cities.

(VA) (Arlington Parks) Meet one of the Animal Ambassadors that live at Gulf Branch Nature Center and learn their histories and how they came to live here with us. Find out fun and interesting facts and stories about these amazing animals. Families.

(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 7 a.m. April through September. 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.  

(MD) (Montgomery Parks) Join us for a sunset cruise aboard the pontoon boat. We’ll search for beaver lodges and feeding sites, and hopefully see some beavers! As the sun sets, we’ll use our bat detector to help us find feeding bats. Please register and pay for all participants. You may want to bring a jacket or sweater as it is ...

(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. ...

(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 ...

(MD) (Montgomery Parks) Join our new Therapeutic Recreation Kayaking Program for a fun, inclusive experience on the calm waters of Little Seneca Lake. Participants with disabilities will learn kayaking skills like basic strokes, boat control, and more taught by certified instructors. Our trained staff will ensure a safe and enjoyable program. Each registered participant can bring one guest by answering ...

(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 ...

(DC) (Smithsonian) View the first major retrospective of the acclaimed Hoocąk (Ho-Chunk) artist: Water’s Edge: The Art of Truman Lowe. Lowe’s elegant, minimalist sculptures made of willow branches, feathers, and other organic materials evoke the rivers, streams, and waterfalls of the Wisconsin woodlands where he was raised and the canoes used to traverse them.

(MD) (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 ...

(VA) (NOVA Parks) Join an instructor-led hour-long Yoga Class on Carlyle House’s Magnolia Terrace. This is a gentle flow yoga class, where we will build heat with sun salutations then progress to balance, deep stretching and finally relaxation. Please bring water, a towel, and a yoga mat. Wear comfortable yoga wear.

(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 ...

(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 ...

(DC) (Hillwood) Slow down, awaken your senses, and connect with nature as you experience a forest bathing walk in Hillwood’s gardens and grounds with certified forest bathing guide Ana Ka’ahanui. Inspired by the Japanese practice of shinrin-yoku (which translates to “absorbing the forest atmosphere”), forest bathing is a research-based activity designed to promote health and well-being through immersion in natural ...

(DC) (US Botanic Garden) Want to know more about how plants shape soundscapes? Drop by the Garden Court to talk with Dr. Heather Spence, Acoustic Ecologist, Musician/Composer. You'll learn about acoustic ecology, sound-based research, and dive into how a fruit's water content affects its relationship to sound. Bring your questions and connect with plant science professionals in this Expert Is ...

(DC) (Friends of the National Arboretum) Get in the groove at our first Music in the Meadow concert of the year! Experience the soulful melodies and smooth vocals of the Sirius Company band, who will perform a medley of classic R&B and go-go music. Plus, take your pick of delicious offerings from food trucks on site! This outdoor concert is ...

(DC) (National Park Service) We invite you to join a National Park Service volunteer birder 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 ...

(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 ...

(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.

(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 ...

(DC) (US Botanic Garden) Each June, in honor of Kamehameha Day, the local Hawaiian community crafts beautiful lei using plant materials sourced from the mid-Atlantic region and beyond. During this drop-in program at the Garden’s Conservatory, learn about Hawaiian culture, and try your hand at lei-making. Then watch as members of the Hawai’i State Society of Washington D.C. prepare lei ...

(DC) (Rock Creek Conservancy) Join Rock Creek Conservancy, the National Park Service, and Rock Creek Staff, Landrum Beard 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.

(DC) (Casey Trees) Join Casey Trees and the Anacostia Watershed Society for a tree walk and boat tour on the Anacostia River. Starting at the main entrance to Kingman & Heritage Islands, we’ll see and learn to identify the diverse tree species on the island while we make our way to the boat dock. Once on the boat, we will ...