Capital Nature

(VA) (Audubon Society of Northern VA) Morning is a great time for a bird walk through Four Mile Run Park – newer birders as well as veteran birders are welcome to join!

(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) (Anacostia Watershed Society) Join the Anacostia Watershed Society (AWS) and National Links Trust (NLT) for a Habitat Restoration Workday! During this workday you will help AWS with our invasive plant control and revegetation efforts along the riverside area of Kingman Island at Langston Golf Course.

(DC) (Friends of the National Arboretum) Join us for a 5k run or walk on the idyllic grounds of the National Arboretum and help us raise funds for Arboretum programs. Strollers and dogs are allowed but dogs must stay on a 6′ non-retractable leash. Can’t make it to the National Arboretum but still want to break out your running shoes? ...

(DC) (National Zoo) Join us for a wild time as we explore animals and the natural world through creative, free-choice activity stations in our brand-new indoor/outdoor classroom! Dig for horseshoe crabs in the sand table, make lunch for a bird in the mud kitchens, or just join us for a story or two!

(DC) (Casey Trees) Join Casey Trees with Tree Ambassador Glenn Hall for a Tree Walk at Oxon Run! We’ll start off with an easy-paced tree walk, where Glenn will give an overview of the history of Oxon Run Park and then point out some of the species of trees in the park, and finally go over the importance of green ...

(DC) (Smithsonian Natural History Museum) What do brighter nights mean for people and wildlife? 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?

(DC) (Smithsonian) In this workshop, you will learn how to mount and care for hoyas or wax plants to create a living wall hanging inspired by the foliage on Bisa Butler’s quilt, I Go Prepare a Place for You. In their natural environment, many hoyas grow on rocks or trees, not in the pots you see at the garden store. ...

(VA) (Arlington Parks) An introduction to mushroom identification for beginners. We’ll learn how fungi grows in the soil and their role in the environment on a fun nature walk through the park. Families.

(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).  Free and appropriate ...

(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 ...

(VA) (Audubon Society of Northern VA) Join us for a family-friendly afternoon bird walk on the trails of the Occoquan Bay National Wildlife Refuge. Your birding guide is Andreas Seiter, an experienced local birder, member of the Board of Directors of the Audubon Society of Nothern Virginia, member of the Northern Virginia Bird Club and Virginia Society of Ornithology.

(VA) (NOVA Parks) Come out of your shell and join us for a turtley awesome program! Meet some of our resident turtles and learn about their adaptations, habitat, and what sets them apart from each other. Then help us “race” our turtles with some live food to see who is the fastest (or rather the least slow!)

(DC) (Smithsonian Associates) Experience the power of reflective writing guided by the founding instructor of the National Gallery of Art’s popular Writing Salon, Mary Hall Surface. Inspired by works of art by Hudson River landscape painter Jasper Francis Cropsey and poetry by Mary Oliver, explore the lessons that the season of autumn offers us when we slow down, look closely, and ...

(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).  Free and appropriate ...

(VA) (Fairfax County Parks) Session 10 of 11 (Adults) This class features a gentle introduction to the Vinyasa method which helps participants increase the strength, flexibility and endurance necessary for gardening. Class held indoors.

(DC) (Smithsonian Anacostia Community Museum) Women have led the environmental justice movement. This exhibition explores how local women of color draw on a long history of activism and advance environmental justice efforts not only in D.C., but across the country and beyond. Visitors will be inspired as they learn why women have become leaders in the environmental justice movement, which ...

(DC) (National Portrait Gallery) “Forces of Nature: Voices that Shaped Environmentalism” presents some of the key people—scientists, politicians, activists, writers and artists—whose work has influenced attitudes toward the environment in the United States from the late 19th century until today. The exhibition traces a history of the movement from turn-of-the-20th-century conservationism to mid-20th-century environmentalism and its backlash. It also addresses ...

(MD) (Montgomery Parks) Connect with and care for your inner self through the Strolls for Well-Being, an evidence based program that promotes emotional healing and wellness through connection to nature. Over the course of eight weeks, you will complete twelve walks individually in Brookside Gardens, on your own schedule and with a beautiful full-color, 110-page journal as your guide. Each ...

(DC) (Smithsonian) Join Jennifer Brundage, National Outreach Manager in Smithsonian Affiliations, to explore strategies for supporting high-school students’ environmental action. Today’s youth have never known a reality without the background of climate change, and eco-anxiety is on the rise among young people. And yet, solutions for sustainable living abound everywhere, at every scale, in every community, and accessible to all. ...

(DC) (National Portrait Gallery) In conjunction with the exhibition “Forces of Nature: Voices That Shaped Environmentalism,” join the Portrait Gallery and co-host Monterey Bay Aquarium in a pivotal discussion around the future of climate action and environmental justice. Hear from leading intergenerational voices, Dolores Huerta, Julie Packard, Dorceta Taylor, and Wawa Gatheru, who are shaping the country’s sustainability and environmental ...

(VA) (Audubon Society of Northern Virginia) Help survey the remaining natural places sheltering remnants of an earlier, vital, natural history in NoVa. Consider joining one or more of the continuing natural resource surveys at Occoquan Bay NWR, Meadowood Recreation Area and other parks and preserves in eastern Fairfax and Prince William Counties. A report of each of the weekly, monthly surveys ...

(DC) (Smithsonian) From deserts to rainforests, what makes a habitat a suitable animal home? What Makes a Habitat a Home explores habitats around the world and some of the animals that live in these habitats. Part of Smithsonian’s National Zoo Conservation Classroom series for kids and families.

(DC) (National Portrait Gallery) Join the National Portrait Gallery for an interactive poetry writing workshop exploring the themes of environmentalism and environmental justice. Attendees will create poetry inspired by portraits of scientists, activists and artists whose work has influenced attitudes toward the environment in the United States. Experiment with poetic forms to express an environmental message. Open to writers of ...

(DC) (Smithsonian) When early modern humans encountered Neanderthals and Denisovans, these archaic humans contributed DNA to our genomes. But how many archaic human groups did we encounter and what role does archaic human DNA play in the lives of present-day people? Laurits Skov is a geneticist at UC Berkeley studying the role of archaic DNA in modern humans. In this ...

(DC) (Rock Creek Conservancy) Join us for a panel discussion as we learn of the history and origins of the National Park Service, and Rock Creek Park. Together we will learn about the works of Frederick Law Olmsted, founder of American Landscape Architecture, which inspired the creation of parks and its benefits to the public. Our conversation will consist of ...

(DC) (DC Parks and Recreation) Join the Department of Parks and Recreation and the Department of Energy and Environment at the ARC to share your vision for the future of Oxon Run Park and the stream. You can find more information about the stream project. This project is a partnership among DOEE, the DC Department of Parks and Recreation (DPR), ...

(MD) (Nature Forward) Native plant gardens fight climate change and are beautiful. So why do so many Homeowners Associations (HOAs) want to ban them? Join Nancy Lawson, nature writer and founder of The Humane Gardener, for a discussion with leading experts in MD and VA who advocate allowing sustainable landscaping in HOAs.

(MD) (Nature Forward) You’re invited to join one (or both) of our field tutorials for an introduction to the most common sparrows and finches in our region during this season. Tips for recognizing plumage, voice, habitat preferences and more will be shared by our teacher-leader teams. Mike Bowen will present an optional illustrated photo & vocalization lecture at our Woodend ...

(MD) (Nature Forward) Join Nature Forward naturalists to explore the meadows, forests and stream at Woodend. Learn about the work we do to improve our native habitats for our local wildlife.

(DC) (Smithsonian) 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 it inspired by nature.

(VA) (Audubon Society of Northern VA) The late afternoon is a great time for a bird walk through Four Mile Run Park – newer birders as well as veteran birders are welcome to join!

(VA) (Audubon Society of Northern VA) Join NOVA Parks Roving Naturalist Matt Felperin along with folks from Audubon Society of Northern Virginia and Loudoun Wildlife Conservancy in a casual and educational bird walk at Gilbert’s Corner Regional Park in Aldie, VA. Learn more about this underbirded mixed forest and meadow habitat park which hosts a diverse range of resident and ...

(VA) (Audubon Society of Northern VA) The morning is a great time for a bird walk through Upton Hill – newer birders as well as veteran birders are welcome to join!

(DC) (Casey Trees) Join us in planting trees at DC Water Brentwood Reservoir! You provide the volunteers, we provide all the necessary tools and supplies to plant the trees. Participants will receive a hands-on training on site. After learning the tools and techniques, participants will be split up into groups supervised by a trained volunteer Team Leader and begin planting ...

(DC) (Anacostia Watershed Society) Join the Anacostia Watershed Society (AWS) and National Links Trust (NLT) for a Habitat Restoration Workday! During this workday you will help AWS with our invasive plant control and revegetation efforts along the riverside area of Kingman Island at Langston Golf Course.

(DC) (Potomac Conservancy) Join Potomac Conservancy for a safe, fun, 50 person trash cleanup at C&O Canal Path (DC). This event will be co-hosted by ICCP and Georgetown Heritage! Make a huge difference for the Potomac River as we turn to the water for a safe, healthy place to recreate outdoors.

(MD) (Montgomery Parks) Join a Brookside naturalist and learn the basics of birding on our frustration-free “flat” bird practice trail. Our wildlife pond boardwalk is accessible for all budding birders. Stroll or roll to each bird station and learn proper use of binoculars, how to navigate a field guide and what to look for and at as you step into ...

(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).  Free and appropriate ...

(DC) (Rock Creek Park) 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 for a thriving native understory. Event location, directions, and information will be sent from the event leader 48 hours prior ...

(VA) (Audubon Society of Northern VA) Join us for a walk through Occoquan Bay National Wildlife Refuge to learn how to identify common native trees and how you can be a good park neighbor by planting your own native trees at home. You’ll also learn why trees are so important, both in parks and the areas surrounding parks.

(MD) (Anacostia Watershed Society) Venga y ayúdenos a cuidar los árboles de nuestra comunidad y al mismo tiempo aprenda sobre la naturaleza. No solo eso, sea un científico de la comunidad y ayúdenos a documentar especies en las áreas donde hemos plantado árboles.

(MD) (Montgomery Parks) This is a no rider left behind group ride – think “party pace.” This is a perfect way to meet other riders and build skills on your bike. We do have a limited number of bikes and Helmets available free of charge in case you don’t have one (we will ask to hold something as collateral during ...