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) (National Park Service) Are you interested in learning how to get into birding, but don’t know where to start? Do you just want to watch birds without feeling the pressure of knowing exactly what you are looking at? Join a ranger at the Rock Creek Park Nature Center for a beginner birder program! This program will go over the ...

(MD) (Amy Kaslow Gallery) Enter Mother Earth’s majestic wooded world where thick velvet moss carpet thrives between massive tree roots anchoring towering trees. From the ferns along the forest floor to the lichen attached to the tallest growth, woodlands give us exquisite color and form. Indiana's Meg Lagodzki commands the room with striking hues of paper layered on board. Martina ...

(VA) (Potomac Conservancy) Join Virginia expert forester, Jim McGlone, to discover the hidden wonders of our trees, and the next generation of trees within their seeds, in the Potomac basin. We will learn about how communities around the region are coming together to save our forests by simply collecting the seeds that drop all around us in the fall, like ...

(VA) (Arlington County) Help improve habitat, meet fellow nature lovers, get exercise, and learn about native plants and wildlife all while making a difference in the great outdoors. Park Stewards lead volunteers in trying to eradicate “every last weed, every last Wednesday." And every first Sunday, too!  Volunteers under age 16 must be accompanied by an adult.

(MD) (Anacostia Watershed Society) Join Lindsay, Community Outreach Manager for Anacostia Watershed Society, for a sunset boat cruise along the Anacostia River on Tuesday, September 2nd. This cruise is meant to be meditative and reflective, allowing us to connect with nature and ourselves. This boat cruise is a part of AWS' pilot Forest Bathing Program. Forest Bathing, originally a Japanese ...

(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) (Hillwood) The fall garden shines as plantings, accented by tens-of-thousands of chrysanthemums, begin to transition from the bright growth of summer to fall colors. Jessica Bonilla, director of horticulture, highlights her favorite fall features and first-hand stories of practical gardening lessons. Tickets are distributed at the Ellen MacNeille Charles Visitor Center upon opening each day. This forty-five-minute tour is ...

(VA) (Fairfax Master Naturalists) Emmy award winning photographer and director, Kathryn Pasternak, will share her fascinating work before offering hands on tips to improve your own photography skills. Kathryn is a Fairfax County Master Naturalist and will explore ways you can contribute to your local scientific community through the app iNaturalist. Weather permitting, there may be a brief outdoors field trip to ...

(DC) (Casey Trees) Join Meredith from CCAN to remove Invasive Vines at the historic Woodlawn Cemetery in Washington, DC. We will spend the first 30 minutes doing a brief training on invasive vines and best practices for removal, and spend about 2 hours removing vines from the trees. We will focus on non-native invasive vines including porcelainberry (Ampelopsis glandulosa var. ...

(VA) (NOVA Parks) GREAT NEWS! Now garden guests may enjoy Meadowlark Botanical Gardens with their favorite canines every Wednesday for Pup Stroll Wednesdays. On Wednesdays, during regular daytime hours, leashed dogs are welcome in the gardens. (Only service dogs are permitted on other days.) Please note: Garden admission ends at 6:30pm.

(MD) (National Park Service) Help the Accokeek Foundation remove invasive plant species on October 9 in honor of National Public Lands Day! Meet at 3400 Bryan Point Road Accokeek, MD 20607  to receive tools, learn some easy plant identification techniques, and get oriented to the project at hand. Please wear sturdy close-toes shoes, long pants and sleeves, and bring water ...

(MD) (Casey Trees) Join CCAN to drop off fliers and talk to residents about the threat of invasive vines! The goal is to get homeowners signed up for the program ahead of our vine removal event on Saturday, October 18th. This project is sponsored through a partnership between CCAN and Casey Trees. Time slots are available as follows: 4:30pm – ...

(MD) (Montgomery Parks) This is a no rider left behind group ride – think “party pace. ”There will likely be some “session-ing” and skills instruction along the way. This is a perfect way to meet other riders and build skills on your bike. We have a limited number of bikes and helmets available free of charge in case you don’t ...

(DC) (Hillwood) The fall garden shines as plantings, accented by tens-of-thousands of chrysanthemums, begin to transition from the bright growth of summer to fall colors. Jessica Bonilla, director of horticulture, highlights her favorite fall features and first-hand stories of practical gardening lessons. Tickets are distributed at the Ellen MacNeille Charles Visitor Center upon opening each day. This forty-five-minute tour is ...

(VA) (Northern Virginia Bird Alliance) Join NVBA and our partners at Fairfax County Libraries for a bird walk at Frying Pan Farm Park. This event is free for everyone to join and we hope new birders will join us to view all the fantastic fall migrants! Participants will gather with the group leader outside the Frying Pan Park Visitor Center. ...

(VA) (Arlington Regional Master Naturalists) Do you like working outside? Join community volunteers in protecting the local environment from non-native invasive plants and replacing them with native plants.  This is a continuing project typically held every Saturday to reclaim Potomac Overlook Regional Park from non-native invasive plants. Be sure to come dressed for work, wear long pants, long sleeves, and ...

(VA) (NOVA Parks) Join an instructor-led gentle flow yoga class on Carlyle House’s picturesque Magnolia Terrace. Start by building heat with sun salutations, then progress to balance, deep stretching and finally relaxation. Please bring water, a towel, and yoga mat.

(DC) (Hillwood Estate, Museum & Gardens) Slow down, awaken your senses, and connect with nature as you experience a forest bathing walk in Hillwood’s gardens and grounds. 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 settings. Participants will ...

(VA) (Friends of Dyke Marsh) Help protect native plants by pulling and clipping invasive plants. We will train volunteers to identify the five or so target plants. We kindly ask that you not bring pets. Invasive plants can threaten and outcompete native plants.

(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) As the sun sets at Meadowlark Botanical Gardens, give yourself the gift of slowing down. Join Ilana Rubin (Kindred Nature) and Toni Kim (Inner Sound Collective) for a restorative evening of nature therapy and sound meditation. We’ll wander gently—up to one mile through the beauty of autumn—before settling into immersive soundscapes of singing bowls, chimes, and drums ...