Capital Nature

(VA) (Fairfax County Parks) (13-Adult) Walk with a naturalist by the lakeside and learn techniques and tips for drawing the natural world. Gain a better understanding of how to utilize different sketching and observational skills. Bring the medium of your choice to the class.

(MD) (Nature Forward) Come join Lisa Shannon and Rob Hilton at Rieves Pond at Patuxent North Tract. We’ll be looking for dragonflies and damselflies, of course, but also warblers, frogs, butterflies, plants, and anything else that catches our eye at this quiet green refuge within a refuge.

(VA) (Fairfax County Parks) (16-Adult) Celebrate the sisterhood of women by grabbing your best gal friend and going on a guided hike with a naturalist. Learn about the flora and fauna found around the lake, and most importantly, spend time with a close friend.

(VA) (Arlington Parks) Do you like working outside? Join community volunteers in protecting the local environment from invasive plants. This is a continuing project on the fourth Sunday of each month to reclaim the natural area around Ft. Bennett Park from invasive plants. Please bring your own gloves if you have them. If not, gloves are provided. Training and additional tools ...

(MD) (Brookside Gardens) Connect with nature through a forest bathing walk among the vivid colors and rich fragrances of summer blooms. Stroll the grounds and neighboring forest at a measured pace that allows you to notice the small miracles of nature unfolding.

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

(VA) (Fairfax County Parks) (4-Adult) Come and explore the "underworld" under fallen logs. Discover the bugs, fungus and salamanders that live under the forest floor. Collect, examine and identify creatures using magnifiers and microscopes. Learn about their important jobs as pollinators and decomposers through projects and scientific investigations.

(VA) (NOVA Parks) Don’t miss the last concert of the Virginia Chamber Orchestra’s seventh season in our Korean Bell Garden.  This concert will not only include music from classical masters, but will also feature “Anatolian Dances,” composed and performed by Osman Kivrak.   Bring your favorite blanket or bag chair and enjoy the sounds of the classics in a beautiful setting! ...

(VA) (Arlington Parks) Mark the start of the season with a meditative walk-through Fort C.F. Smith Park when summer is at its longest. Celebrate new beginnings and connection to nature among the trees and flowers. Families.

(DC) (DC Bird Alliance) Come and go as you please. Get to know the 1,364 trees that may be removed. Get to know the birds that call these trees home. Every Tuesday morning, 8-11am.

(DC) (National Park Service) Join park rangers and expert volunteers on Tuesday mornings from 8:30-10:00am for a weekly bird walk at beautiful Kenilworth. Over 250 different species of birds have been spotted at Kenilworth Aquatic Gardens and Kenilworth Park! The park manages habitat for ground nesting, aquatic, and woodland birds.  Bring comfortable shoes, water, and binoculars if you have them ...

(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 ...

(DC) (Hillwood) Experience the wonder of Hillwood with your preschooler! Explore a new theme in the mansion or gardens each week through make-believe, hands-on art-making, and imaginative play. Hillwood’s preschool programs take place on two Tuesdays and Wednesdays each month, March-June. Join us for a new theme each week!

(VA) (NOVA Parks) Join our yoga instructor for an hour long Yoga Class on Carlyle House’s Magnolia Terrace. A gentle flow yoga class. We will build heat with sun salutations then progress to balance, deep stretching and finally relaxation. Please bring water, a towel, and yoga mat. Wear comfortable yoga wear.

(MD) (Montgomery Parks) Join us each Tuesday evening in June for a series of free musical performances set in the beauty of the Gardens! Bring your friends and family, and don’t forget your chairs, blankets, and picnics (allowed in the Gardens on concert evenings only). Food trucks will be available for your dining pleasure. Kona Ice truck will also be ...

(DC) (THEARC Farm) Want time in a peaceful, outdoor space? Are you hoping to learn more about gardening? Would you like to help grow food for the neighbors? Join us! We'll be planting, weeding, watering, trellising, mulching, and other garden tasks. Adults of all skill levels are welcome. Kids under 16 should be accompanied by an adult. Volunteers may take ...

(MD) (Montgomery Parks) Tai Chi is an ancient, Chinese form of exercise perfect for adults seeking stress reduction while strengthening muscles, improving balance, and increasing flexibility. The Forms are repetitive patterns that emphasize slow, flowing motions and controlled movements. Classes will help beginners to learn the Forms while providing regular practitioners the guidance of an experienced instructor. This class will ...

(DC) (Smithsonian Gardens) Free weekly tours of the Enid A. Haupt Garden are offered every Wednesday at 10 a.m. from May 22 through September 25, 2024, weather permitting. Meet one of our knowledgeable docents by the tour sign in the Enid A. Haupt Garden near the south entrance to the Smithsonian Castle. No reservation is required.

(DC) (Hillwood) Experience the wonder of Hillwood with your preschooler! Explore a new theme in the mansion or gardens each week through make-believe, hands-on art-making, and imaginative play. Hillwood’s preschool programs take place on two Tuesdays and Wednesdays each month, March-June. Join us for a new theme each week!

(VA) (Four Mile Run Conservatory Foundation) Paddle Four Mile Run and help keep our waterways litter-free. Kayaks, paddles, and life jackets provided, or bring your own. Although our first volunteer kayak clean-up of the summer is already at capacity, there are plenty of additional opportunities during the long days of June. Join us for time on the water while keeping ...

(MD) (Montgomery Parks) Have you ever wanted to learn the names of the birds that visit your backyard, the wildflowers along the trail, or even which animal left that footprint in the mud? Montgomery Parks is pleased to offer a new online learning series for adults that teaches you to recognize the most common species of Montgomery County. Led by ...

(MD) (Nature Forward) Blockhouse Point Conservation Park has been designated one of the “Best Natural Areas” in M-NCPPC Parks and offers plant enthusiasts a number of special habitats to explore. Our leader–a retired botanist/forest ecologist/ naturalist–will lead us on a hike through higher quality forests aimed at beginning to mid-level plant enthusiasts. We’ll ID plants along the way, focusing on ...

(DC) (City Blossoms) Join us for free staff-led activities for children, families, neighbors, volunteers, and anyone who wants to drop by. Open Times are a chance for visitors (especially kids) to experience the garden through a variety of activities, such as cooking, art, and maintenance. Anyone who comes to lend a hand is welcome to take home some garden goodies as ...

(VA) (Fairfax County Parks) (3-Adult) Join us for this exciting new program to meet and learn about our native turtles. Learn about their behaviors, diet, and more.

(DC) (Hillwood) Tanabata, the Japanese Star Festival, celebrates the legend of Orihime, the weaver princess, and Hikoboshi, the herder. These lovers, separated by the Milky Way, are allowed to meet just once a year on the seventh day of the seventh month. Enjoy a summer evening relaxing in Hillwood’s spectacular gardens and take part in festive outdoor entertainment on Hillwood’s expansive ...

(DC) (Rock Creek Conservancy) Thursday evenings this summer, Rock Creek Park (U.S. National Park Service) and Rock Creek Conservancy are hosting FREE, family-friendly events at rotating locations throughout the east side of the park. Join us for music from DJ Lance Reynolds and fun-for-all-ages games and activities. Summer in the Parks events bring the Rock Creek community together to enjoy ...

(MD) (Montgomery Parks) Join Barbara, Weed Warrior Supervisor, for a non-native, invasive plant removal workday at Long Branch-Arliss Neighborhood Park. We will focus on non-native, invasive plants including porcelainberry (Ampelopsis glandulosa var. brevipedunculata), wintercreeper (Euonymus fortunei), English ivy (Hedera helix), wineberry (Rubus phoenicolasius), and bush honeysuckle (mainly Lonicera maackii). Native Virginia creeper and poison ivy are also present and beneficial, so ...

(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, ...

(DC) (US Botanical Garden) Join Dr. Paul V. Miller, Musician and Engineer, and Christopher Coz, Musician and Engineer, as they explore the history and technology related to the world of plant musicians and sound designers. During this online demonstration they will share some of their sound experiments while considering what it means to have an artistic collaboration with a tropical ...

(VA) (Arlington Parks) Beetles not only look cool, they're also often beneficial. We'll learn about the largest order of insects through a hands-on indoor portion and then go on a hike to look for beetles. Ages 8 to 12.

(VA) (Fairfax County Parks) (5-Adult) Join us for an evening campfire the whole family can enjoy. Explore the wonders of our natural world through nature walks, interactive activities and animal presentations. Includes s’mores. Topics vary by date. Children must be accompanied by a registered adult.

(VA) (Fairfax County Park) (5-Adult) Join us on a magical evening walk in the park to learn about and see the different colors and signal patterns of this fascinating insect.

(VA) (NOVA Parks) Hear the birds singing and take in the historic Occoquan scenery on a kayak paddle led by ACA certified paddling instructor and NOVA Parks Roving Naturalist, Matt Felperin. Expect to observe songbirds, Great Blue Herons, Cormorants, Osprey, and maybe even some Bald Eagles! We will begin with a brief paddling instruction overview before heading out. Previous kayak ...

(VA) (Fairfax County Parks) (3-12 yrs.) Walk alongside a naturalist and a group of youth birders as you learn new tricks to identify the birds around you. Develop new skills such as using binoculars, identifying birds with a field guide, and writing down observations in your own birding journal. Journals will be provided, but participants are welcome to bring their ...

(DC) (Hillwood) 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 be guided on a ...

(DC) (Rock Creek Conservancy) 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 ...

(DC) (MD) (Anacostia Watershed Society) Mussels are mighty protectors of clean freshwater, filter-feeding all kinds of pollution from their habitat. Join the Anacostia Watershed Society (AWS) and the Interstate Commission on the Potomac River Basin (ICPRB) for a walk from Kenilworth Aquatic Gardens to Kenilworth Lake to learn more about the amazing mussels of the Anacostia River. Expect to walk ...

(DC) (City Blossoms) Join City Blossoms in the Marion garden! Tasks for this workday will include garden maintenance activities such as weeding pathways and beds, spreading mulch, watering, and planting. If you are bringing your children to volunteer or participate with you, there is a field to list their names and sign on their behalf. If you are a youth ...

(VA) (Del Ray Artisans) Practiced by artists and naturalists alike, nature journaling is a centuries-old exercise in refining our powers of observation, appreciation for nature, drawing skills, and mindful presence. This group is open to all experience levels as we meet to sketch, connect, and learn together! We will have plenty of time for sketching in nature before gathering again ...

(VA) (Loudoun Wildlife Conservancy) Join Loudoun Wildlife Conservancy and Virginia Master Naturalist Anne Ellis at the Sweet Run State Park for a leisurely walk in search of butterflies. We will explore the meadows and Xerces pollinator plantings, “bugging strip” and old farm areas around the Interpretive Center. If you are thinking about joining the annual Butterfly Count on August 3, ...

(VA) (Loudoun Wildlife Conservancy) Come out to Banshee Reeks Nature Preserve to discover why moths constitute about 90 percent of all the Lepidoptera on the planet — not bad for a group of animals that flew with some of our most well-known dinosaurs! Join Dr. David Adamski and Loudoun Wildlife Conservancy to review and explore the most common moth families ...

(VA) (Fairfax County Parks) (4-Adult) Join us at the park to enjoy an evening of fireflies. Bring a plastic jar with a lid to catch and then release. Children must be accompanied by a registered adult.