From the Walker Nature Center: Natural History Deep Dives – Parasitic Plants, Nov. 11th, Calorie Counting, Dec.12th and Winter Waterfowl, Jan. 21st (2027)

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Photo: Courtesy of the Reston Walker Nature Center

 

Natural History Deep Dives: 
The Nature Center is offering three one-hour webinars on various natural history topics.  These programs are geared toward adults.  Registration is free, with a $5 suggested donation.  A link will be emailed to registrants prior to the program.  The webinars will only be available live; they will not be recorded.

Location: Walker Nature Center, 11450 Glade Dr, Reston, VA 20191

If you have a Reston Association Webtrac account, you can register there.  Otherwise contact Ken Rosenthal directly at krosenthal@reston.org or 703-435-6510.

Parasitic Plants:
Thursday, November 11, 2026
7:00 pm to 8:00 pm

Parasitic plants are all around us.  Reston Association Environmental Supervisor James Houck will lead an exploration of the weird world of parasitic plants native to Virginia and beyond.  We will discuss how to spot them, what makes them special and how they differ from other plants.

Calorie Counting:
Thursday, December 12, 2026
7:00 pm to 8:00 pm

Winter is a lean time for many animals; there is not a lot of available food, and staying warm takes energy.  Join Nature Center Manager Ken Rosenthal to discover the little tricks our winter wildlife use to maximize their caloric intake and use that energy as efficiently as possible.

Winter Waterfowl: 
Thursday, January 1, 2027
7:00 pm to 8:00 pm

Every winter, waterfowl return to our region to overwinter, escaping the harsh Canadian cold.  But it’s cold here too. What adaptations help these birds survive living on the water in winter?  Celebrate World Waterfowl Day with Nature Center Manager Ken Rosenthal and unlock our winter visitors’ secrets for staying warm in frigid waters.

Birding Occoquan Bay, December 1st

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Photo: Rusty Moran

 

Tuesday, December 1, 2026
9:00 am – 3:00 pm

Cost (which includes bus transportation and any park fees):  $35 for Reston Association members and $45 for non-members.
Meeting place: Walker Nature Center, 11450 Glade Dr, Reston, VA 20191

Explore Occoquan Bay in search of winter waterfowl and sparrows.  Additionally, the refuge’s tidal marshes and bottomland forests are home to many interesting year-round residents.  There will be 2-3 miles of walking on gently rolling unpaved surfaces.
The trip will be led by one of Walker Nature Center’s naturalists and is open to Reston residents and non-residents.  Cost, which includes bus transportation and any park fees, is $35 for Reston Association members and $45 for non-members.  We will depart the Walker Nature Center (11450 Glade Drive) at 9:00 am and are scheduled to return by around 3:00 pm.  The time spent birding is eligible for FMN CEUs.
Register by November 28th.  If you are familiar with the reston.org WebTrac system, you can register there (search on the keyword “birding”).  Otherwise, you can contact the Walker Nature Center directly at naturecenter@reston.org or 703-476-9689.