Capital Nature

(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) (National Park Service) Join a park ranger for a 1.5-hour relaxed kayak tour through the stories of the Georgetown Waterfront — where centuries of change flow beneath your paddle. Explore the land’s roots as a First Peoples village    Drift by a bustling colonial port and Civil War hub  Learn about the experiences of free and enslaved people  Glide past echoes of ...

(DC) (US Botanic Garden) In celebration of America’s 250th anniversary, the U.S. Botanic Garden will bloom with the flowers each U.S. state and territory has chosen as their official flower. Explore the display throughout the Garden that will showcase the state and territory flowers with living plants, artistic displays, botanical illustrations, and herbarium specimens. Associated educational programs will be offered throughout ...

(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.  

(VA) (Northern VA Bird Alliance) (Capital Nature) Join Ana Ka'ahanui, Co-Founder of Capital Nature, to learn how birding helps reduce stress, cultivate mindfulness and deepen our relationship with the natural world. Birding offers more than the excitement of identifying new species—it can also be a powerful practice for reducing stress, cultivating mindfulness, and deepening our relationship with the natural world. ...

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

(DC) (Friends of the National Arboretum) Experience the calming power of nature at an evening yoga class at the National Arboretum. This event is part of FONA’s Wellness Wednesday series, hosted all summer long during summer evening hours. Certified instructors from Bikram Yoga Works will lead a 60 minute FLEX’T™ yoga class that will help you unlock your fascia to ...

(DC) (US National Arboretum) Viewing stone lovers find inspiration in the traditional stones found and displayed in China and Japan. These small natural objects encourage contemplation of larger landscape scenes, objects in nature, and abstract images. Challenge your imagination by comparing the variety of stones on view in this exhibition. Members of the Potomac Viewing Stone Group, a regional organization ...

(DC) (National Park Service) Join a Kenilworth Aquatic Gardens Ranger for a talk about the park! The talk will cover the history of the park, the waterlillies and lotuses that are grown in the ponds, and the importance of the marshes that are connected to the ponds. Meet the ranger in front of the visitor center where the talk will ...

(DC) (Anacostia Watershed Society) Join the Anacostia Watershed Society for a 1-hour Anacostia River 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.

(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) (DC Bird Alliance) Join DC Bird Alliance for a FREE Youth Wildlife Photography Workshop series designed for young people interested in creativity, nature, and storytelling. Participants will explore some of DC’s most beautiful green spaces while learning the fundamentals of wildlife photography from DCBA's own seasoned professional photographers. Ages 14 and up. All equipment is provided, so no prior ...

(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 meet at the parking lot of the Langdon Park Rec Cente. We will start with a brief training ...

(VA) (Arlington Parks) (NOVA Parks) Join us at Potomac Overlook 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. If you have your own garden gloves and tools, please bring them along. If not, they will be ...

(DC) (Rock Creek Conservancy) Join Rock Creek Conservancy and the National Park Service for a cleanup of the Carter Barron Amphitheater. We will remove debris, paint, clear leaf litter, weed, sweep, and trim back invasive plants, helping preserve the amphitheater while it awaits future restoration. This is a unique opportunity to get a 'behind the scenes' look at the amphitheater ...

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

(DC) (NPS) Join us for a guided walk of the labyrinth in the Georgetown Waterfront Park.  The labyrinth is a calming place for tourists, residents and visitors of all types to connect with nature, themselves and each other, all amidst the bustle of urban Washington, DC. This free event is coordinated by the Friends of Georgetown Waterfront Park.

(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 ...

(DC) (Friends of Peirce Mill) Come learn about old-fashioned ice cream, made famous by Dolly Madison, Quaker friend of Betsy Peirce, and invented by Augustus Jackson, who was the White House chef from 1817 until 1837. We’ll show how ice cream was made in the early 19th century–and talk about why it was such a rare and special treat. Kids ...

(DC) (Hillwood) The Hillwood cutting garden in August is lush with blooms. A variety of colors and textures fill the garden beds. Dahlias, zinnias, celosia, sunflowers, gomphrena, salvia, and herbs are just some of the delights to select for your floral creations. In this workshop, we will create a rustic and casual floral design using blooms from local flower farms ...

(MD) (Montgomery Parks) Join us in the park after dark to look for moths. We’ll set up a mothing station designed to attract these beautiful yet secretive nocturnal animals. Our insect enthusiasts will be on hand to help us identify what we find as we collect data for an ongoing study.