Capital Nature

(VA) (Audubon Society of Northern Virginia) Occoquan Bay NWR is one of the best places to see waterfowl in northern Virginia. Walk leader Greg Butcher is the recently retired Migratory Species Coordinator for U.S. Forest Service International Programs. He is a Ph.D. ornithologist who has worked for the National Audubon Society, American Birding Association, Partners in Flight, Birders World magazine, ...

(DC) (Anacostia Community Museum) Join us for a last-chance viewing of the exhibition, To Live and Breathe: Women in Environmental Justice in Washington, DC. Hear from the curator, Rachel Seidman, and community leaders, discover your "Activist Animal" and more through the exhibition's interactives, and enjoy good food and fellowship.

(DMV) (Audubon Society of Northern Virginia) Join us Sunday afternoon, January 7, for a virtual Audubon Afternoon that features the first of our Stretch Our Parks Lectures featuring Dr. Charles Nilon, an ecologist and professor from the University of Missouri. Dr. Nilon’s decades of research and service have combined two of his lifelong passions – understanding how to safeguard urban ...

(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) 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.

(DMV) (The Nature Conservancy MD/DC and Capital Nature) Join fellow citizen science and nature enthusiasts for a fun and informational evening on Lichens of Maryland by Dr. Natalie Howe. We'll then look at lichens on iNaturalist, sharpening our identification skills along the way. This is part of a monthly iNat ID Nite series. Programs are generally held on the 2nd ...

(MD) (Nature Forward) Bundle up and join us for these general nature walks along the flat C&O Canal. We’ll keep our eyes and ears open for over-wintering birds and other wildlife, practice winter botany skills, and enjoy the expansive views along the Potomac River that this season provides. These walks will move at a bit faster pace than our usual ...

(MD) (Montgomery Parks) This series of classes feature foundational yoga poses that are designed to support better breathing, walking, and space orientation. Yoga movements help build muscle, bone density and core strength while improving balance, posture, and flexibility. Mats are not included. Instructor: Sherry Weber This class meets weekly.

(VA) (Arlington Parks) Come enjoy the forest in all of its winter beauty. We'll walk through Glencarlyn Park to see evergreen plants, the foraging critters and a few surprises. Adults.

(VA) (NOVA Parks) "Whooooo cooks for youuuu? Whoooo cooks for youuuu allllll?" No, this is not a chef looking for a job! This is the call of a Barred Owl, perhaps Northern Virginia's most frequently observed owl. Join the roving naturalist on a quest to find these feathered friends. Learn more about owl adaptations, behavior, and role in the ecosystem ...

(VA) (NOVA Parks) “Whooooo cooks for youuuu? Whoooo cooks for youuuu allllll?” No, this is not a chef looking for a job! This is the call of a Barred Owl, perhaps Northern Virginia’s most frequently observed owl. Join the roving naturalist on a quest to find these feathered friends. Learn more about owl adaptations, behavior, and role in the ecosystem ...

(VA) (EcoAction Arlington) Start a new year with a new resolution to volunteer for the environment. EcoAction Arlington holds an in-person Volunteer Social in the beginning of the new year, usually in January. Attend our volunteer social to get to know us, what we do, and how you can help. Light refreshments will be provided. This is an opportunity to ...

Join us for our winter season theme of “Animals in Winter”.

(MD) (Montgomery Parks)  Join us for our winter season theme of “Animals in Winter”. All season long learn about how different animals survive and thrive in the cold winter months through self guided activities and programs at the nature center. This theme month will be span over the winter season starting on December 2 and ending on February 29 .

(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) 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 is encouraged, just so we can notify participants of cancellations. If you have any questions, please feel free ...

(DMV) (Audubon Society of Northern Virginia) Join Dr. David Luther for a program on preventing avian extinctions. More species in the world are threatened with extinction today than at any other time in recent history. However, at the same time, a number of programs have made great strides in successfully conserving threatened species and preventing their extinctions. Dr. Luther will ...

(MD) (Montgomery Parks) Save the trees, protect the Long Branch watershed, and honor the legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. during the MLK Weekend of Service Join Barbara, Weed Warrior Supervisor, for a non-native, invasive plant removal workday at Long Branch Stream Valley Unit 2 and Long Branch Local Park. We will focus on non-native, invasive vines and shrubs including ...

(MD) (Nature Forward) Join a naturalist for an introduction to the pleasures of winter plant observation and study. Naturalist Henry David Thoreau wrote that a walk through winter’s woods, fields, and wetlands was like walking through a “cabinet of curiosities.” He described the landscape as nature’s self-made herbarium. During this season, trees and shrubs stand out against the sky with ...

(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) (Arlington Parks) Join us for a photo tour of the birds of Arlington. We'll begin with the more common birds we may see at feeders and nearby, then proceed to more unusual species. In addition to presenting photos of beautiful birds in their natural habitat, wildlife photographer Calvin Schnure often uses images that provide insights into how these creatures ...

(MD) (Potomac Conservancy) Join Potomac Conservancy for Martin Luther King Jr. Day of Service trash cleanup at Fort Foote Park (MD). Make a huge difference for the Potomac River as we turn to the water for a safe, healthy place to recreate outdoors and celebrate Martin Luther King Jr. legacy.

(VA) (Potomac Conservancy) Join Potomac Conservancy and Latino Outdoors for Martin Luther King Jr. Day of Service trash cleanup at Daingerfield Island/Four Mile Run Park (VA). Make a huge difference for the Potomac River as we turn to the water for a safe, healthy place to recreate outdoors and celebrate Martin Luther King Jr. legacy.

(MD) (Nature Forward) Join enthusiastic birders at Woodend to learn birding basics. One will learn binocular basics and how to identify common birds as well as explore the wonders of migration. Second registrant is FREE.

(MD) (Montgomery Parks) Want to join the 45 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. Meet ...

(VA) (Arlington Parks) Help us with improving Glencarlyn Park. Each Saturday we will have stewardship projects like weed pulling, raking, trail maintenance and trash pick-up. Your hard work will make the park a better place for both people and nature. Teens ages 12 to 17.

(DC) (Rock Creek Conservancy) Join Rock Creek Conservancy, the National Park Service, and Weed Warrior Leader Liz Crafford 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.

(MD) (Montgomery Parks) Save the trees and honor the legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. during the MLK Weekend of Service Join Ellen, Weed Warrior Supervisor, for a non-native, invasive plant removal workday in Maydale Conservation Park in Colesville, MD. We will be focusing on non-native, invasive vines and shrubs, including porcelainberry (Ampelopsis glandulosa var. brevipedunculata), wintercreeper (Euonymus fortunei), ...

(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.

(VA) (Arlington Parks) Join us for a presentation to learn more about how our local owl species find mates and how they build nesting sites to raise their babies. Then come meet our resident owl! Adults.

(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.

(MD) (Montgomery Parks) Start 2024 off with a peaceful naturalist-led stroll through nature. We’ll take our time while quietly taking in the sounds, scents and sights of the winter forest.

(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.

(VA) (Arlington Parks) All are welcome to join us on a leisurely-paced hike through a park. There are restrooms at the nature center. This fun hike will be on paved trails in the forest, where we will examine and explore whatever we find along our route. The trails are accessible, smooth and shaded, but may have some hills. There will ...

(VA) (NOVA Parks) Join us for a class that’s your intro to camping! Never been before and want to learn some of the basics? Or just want to pick up some new tips and tricks? Come and pitch a tent, make some handy knots, and build a campfire with us while we enjoy some smores! $12 per participant for ages ...

(VA) (Fairfax County Park) Enjoy activities including guided star gazing, observing the night sky through the lens of a telescope, and listening to ancient stories about the constellations around a campfire. Participate in other activities and crafts as you enjoy the beauty of the night sky. 3 to Adult.

(VA) (Fairfax County Parks) Enjoy an evening around the campfire, toasting marshmallows over the embers and learn about flying squirrels that live in our area. Canceled in case of inclement weather. Children must attend with an adult and all attendees must register. 4 to Adult.