Capital Nature

(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.

(DC) (DC Bird Alliance) Join us with our partner, Tregaron Conservancy, to explore these beautiful secret gardens, meadows and pond. Tregaron is a haven for birds and bird-watchers alike, with an abundant and beautiful variety of species making their home within the trees and woodlands, or visiting on migration throughout the year. Check out species seen at the Conservancy here. ...

(DC) (Rock Creek Park) Join Rock Creek Conservancy, the National Park Service 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. Event location, directions, and information will be ...

(MD) (Montgomery Parks) Join Maria, Weed Warrior Supervisor, for a non-native, invasive plant removal workday in Rock Creek Stream Valley Unit 6 at the Parklawn Community Garden. We will focus on non-native, invasive vines, especially wisteria (Wisteria sinensis and Wisteria floribunda). Native Virginia creeper and poison ivy are also present and beneficial, so we will avoid those. Instructions will be sent ...

(MD) (Metropolitan Washington Council of Governments) Learn how Blue-Green Infrastructure (BGl) can reduce flooding, create greener spaces, & boost recreation in your community. Discover how Blue-Green Infrastructure (BI) can help improve your community's flood resilience and environmental health. At this family-friendly workshop, you can have a chance to learn more about your local watershed and how you can get involved. ...

(VA) (NOVA Parks) Slither on over to Bull Run Regional Park for an amphibian adventure! Early March is an incredibly active time of year for our local amphibians as they look -and sing- for a mate. The flooded forests at Bull Run, known as vernal pools, are highly prized by these animals because they lack aquatic predators and are therefore ...

(MD) (Metropolitan Washington Council of Governments) Learn how Blue-Green Infrastructure (BGl) can reduce flooding, create greener spaces, & boost recreation in your community. Discover how Blue-Green Infrastructure (BI) can help improve your community's flood resilience and environmental health. At this family-friendly workshop, you can have a chance to learn more about your local watershed and how you can get involved. ...

(VA) (Arlington Parks) Join members of the Northern Virginia Bird Club for informal walks through Glencarlyn Park in search of resident and migratory birds. Experienced and beginning birders welcome. Bring binoculars and field guides if you have them. Adults.

(DC) (Tregaron Conservancy) Join David Harold for Tai Chi practice on Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays. We will gather west of the Lily Pond near the entrance at Klingle Road NW. David is passionate about making Taiji and Qigong practice and principles accessible. For 15 years, he led a free, weekly public outdoor practice in Winston-Salem, NC. That practice continues to be led ...

(MD) (Montgomery Parks) Are you fascinated by nature? Do you love being creative? Drop in for an unstructured time of creativity! Relax and de-stress with doodling, drawing, painting, collage and more. Materials will be provided along with a few project ideas. All attendees must register. Inclement weather could cancel this program. Be sure to check BrooksideNature.org for day-of event status. ...

(VA) (Arlington Parks) Ever wondered why the salamander crossed the road? Prepare for the “big night” of amphibian migrations by learning about these creatures with a chance to meet one up close. Includes a short hike. Ages 6 to 10.

(VA) (EcoAction Arlington) Please join the 47th EcoAction Arlington annual meeting which will focus on activities to make our lives more sustainable and how we can amplify our collective actions to make a difference for our community. Attendees will have the opportunity to take part in Interactive breakout sessions to explore ideas around the themes of tree canopy, composting, reducing ...

(DC) (Smithsonian) 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 ...

(VA) (Loudoun Wildlife Conservancy) Join Nancy Morgan, Director Emeritus, Georgetown Lombardi Arts and Humanities Program, for this monthly  opportunity, presented by Loudoun Wildlife Conservancy, to enjoy the combined health benefits of time spent in nature and writing thoughts and feelings.  Writing is often considered a solo, reflective practice, but writing in the company of others can be a supportive, community ...

(MD) (Montgomery Parks) “Are you interested in birding? Do you want to be part of a national community science project? Then, join us at Locust Grove Nature Center 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. Registration ...

(DC) (Rock Creek Conservancy) Join Rock Creek Conservancy and Rock Creek Park as we host a conversation at the intersection of race, history, and Rock Creek Park. Celebrate Women’s History Month by exploring the history - and future - of women who have shaped Rock Creek. Former superintendent Georgia Ellard will return to speak to the role of women in ...

(DC) (Smithsonian Associates) What do an annoying house fly, the nearly endangered Mexican long-tongued bat, and a poop-eating butterfly have in common? Each creature, respectively, is the reason we can enjoy a bite of chocolate, a nip of a tequila, or the calming scent of lavender. Naturalist and educator Liana Vitali of Jug Bay Wetlands Sanctuary in Maryland offers an ...

(DC) (US Botanic Garden) People and plants are inextricably linked. From our enjoyment of beautifully cultivated gardens to our reliance on plants for food, medicine, and more, people and plants have an interwoven history. Join USBG Executive Director Dr. Susan Pell in conversation with Dr. Lisa Philander, Deputy Executive Director, to hear about Dr. Philander's extensive ethnobotany research and her ...

(DC) (Smithsonian Asian Art Museum) Meditation helps us build a relationship to a place of inner quietude. Whether you’re a beginner or a skilled practitioner, join us for free online meditation sessions each week led by DC-based meditation teachers on Tuesdays and Fridays. Friday sessions include inspiration from art in the museum collections, much of which is inspired by nature, ...

(VA) (NOVA Parks) Join us as we work to keep our park healthy and beautiful!  Assist with invasive plant removal, habitat restoration, and other projects as needed.  Come dressed for and prepared to work outdoors. Gloves and snippers are recommended, but extras may be provided if needed.  Meet at the picnic shelter (located in main parking lot). Ages 9 + ...

(VA) (Sierra Club) Join us on a 7-mile loop trail in Sky Meadows State Park where we will explore the Blue Ridge Mountains in Fauquier County, Virginia.  The 1,860-acre park is run by the The Virginia Department of Conservation and Recreation (DCR) and boasts 22 miles of hiking trails, 9 miles of bike trails, and Appalachian Trail access, including scenic ...

(DC) (District Department of Energy & Environment) Rooting DC is the District’s central meeting ground for individuals nonprofits, businesses, and government entities looking to grow gardens and a healthier food system in the nation’s capital. There will be educational, workshops, exhibitor booths, local eats, networking space, and valuable community-building where local growers and food-systems stakeholders share their knowledge and learn ...

(MD) (Montgomery Parks) Want to join the 96 million other bird-watching Americans, but don’t know where to start? We’ll start with the basics of bird identification and go over how to select and use binoculars. Then we’ll go do some birding! If you have your own binoculars, please bring them along. And be sure to dress for the weather. Meeting ...

(MD) (Anacostia Watershed Society) In the late summer of 2024, volunteers helped the Anacostia Watershed Society to collect over 18 pounds of wild rice seed from the wild rice (Zizania aquatica) growing in the wetlands of Kingman Lake. Now the seeds are ready to be planted! Join AWS to propagate the seeds through mudballing (seeding) in wetlands along the River ...

(DC) (National Zoo) Bring your little zoogoer for a wild time as we explore animals and nature through creative, drop-in play! 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. Find more Smithsonian cultural and nature ...

(VA) (Arlington Parks) Join us at Grandma's Creek to Improve habitat, meet fellow do-gooders, get exercise, and learn about native plants and wildlife all while making a difference in the great outdoors! Adults, teens, and families ages 8 and up. Training will be provided, and gloves and tools are available for volunteers to use. You should dress to work outdoors ...

(VA) (Arlington Parks) Want to restore habitat and increase species diversity right here in Arlington? Work parties are held every month at over a dozen parks. We are making a real difference, with the return of ferns and wildflowers, and the animals that depend on them, in areas once covered in destructive invasive plants. Adults, teens and families ages 8 and ...

(DC) (Friends of Anacostia Park) Help us keep Anacostia Park sparkling in the new year & join us the second Saturday of every month to pick up trash, hear an update from community partners and meet your neighbors! Gloves, trash grabbers and bags will be provided. We will meet at the corner of Marion Barry Jr. Ave SE & Anacostia ...

(DC) (Rock Creek Conservancy) Join Rock Creek Conservancy, the National Park Service, and Weed Warrior 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. Event location, directions, and information will be sent from ...

(DC) (Rock Creek Conservancy) Help the National Park Service's National Capital Region Invasive Plant Management Team, Rock Creek Park, and Invader Detectives survey for Corydalis incisa (Incised Fumewort). We will be hiking and recording any instance of this plant on the Valley Trail, moving south from Riley Spring Bridge. This plant was first detected in Bronx County, NY in 2005 ...

(DC) (Casey Trees) Join Casey on Hellbender Hill, one of our protected conservation easements, to take down some invasive species! Over the past few years we have been working towards restoring the greenspace on this protected conservation easement site by pulling and controlling invasive species. Join us to fight the invasive pressure and contribute to this project.    

(DC) (US Botanic Garden) Rarely does the public get to see the Garden's growing facility – 85,000 square feet under glass divided into 34 greenhouse bays and 17 environmental zones. Come see the facility and the many thousands of plants we grow there! In addition to foliage and nursery crops, you'll see USBG collection plants not currently on display, including ...

(MD) (Montgomery Parks) oin us for an interactive story time followed by an outdoor exploration or activity for children ages 3-7. We will meet in the outdoor classroom area located in the Children’s Garden, weather permitting. Adults must accompany children. Meet in the Outdoor Classroom located in the Children’s Garden area. Find more Montgomery Parks events here.

(MD) (Montgomery Parks) Join Montgomery Parks and co-hosts Neighbors of Northwest Branch at a volunteer park cleanup! Help beautify your community green spaces, keep litter out of our streams, and protect wildlife. Find more Montgomery Parks events here.

(DC) (Ward 8 Woods) Join Ward 8 Woods every second Saturday of the month to restore Shepherd Parkway by removing trash and invasive vines that are smothering the trees. Since 2011, over 2,000 volunteers have removed over 200 tons of trash from the woods and cut invasive vines from over 500 trees, but much work remains to be done. Give back ...

(VA) (NOVA Parks) Who likes owls? Which owls live at Winkler and what are they like? Want to learn about owls from the inside, out? Spend some time at the preserve discovering the owls that live here, experience owl feathers and bones and take apart your own owl pellet. This program is appropriate for families with children ages 7 and ...