Butterfly Walk & Learn at Wolf Trap National Park, August 2

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Photo: Sam Schaen – Monarch Butterfly

 

Sunday, August 2, 2026
10:00 AM – 11:30 AM

Free event

REGISTRATION REQUIRED

Meet – In front of the Wolf Trap Filene Center Box Office
Wolf Trap National Park for the Performing Arts Vienna, VA

Join Dr. Elise Larsen at Wolf Trap National Park for our August 2nd Butterfly Walk and Learn!

Immerse yourself in the world of butterflies at Wolf Trap National Park for the Performing Arts. Dr. Elise Larsen, ecologist and post-doctoral associate at the Ries Lab of Butterfly Informatics at Georgetown University, assisted by the Friends of Wolf Trap National Park and the Fairfax County Master Naturalists, will take you on a guided tour through the park’s native gardens and grounds to discover beautiful butterflies, including brightly colored brushfoots and soaring swallowtails. This relaxed stroll along walking paths will delight nature lovers, gardeners, and photographers of all ages. Learn about the local butterflies, tips for spotting and identifying some of the common butterflies of our region, and the plants they rely on. Learn how to help butterflies in your own backyard. Bring your camera and binoculars as we observe and admire butterflies around the Park.

Please Note: Participants will spend time on narrower paths and uneven ground as well as wide walkways. We recommend dressing appropriately for the weather and bringing a water bottle. The guided tour will be approximately 90 minutes.

Event Details:

  • Date: Sunday, August 2, 2026
  • Time: 10:00 AM – 11:30 AM
  • Meeting Point: In front of the Wolf Trap Filene Center Box Office
  • Parking: Free parking available in the east or west lots as you enter Wolf Trap National Park.
  • Duration: Approximately 90 minutes
  • Heavy Rain: Event will be rescheduled
  • Safety Notice: Participants are responsible for their own safety and well-being. By attending, you agree to accept any risks associated with outdoor activities and consent to having your photo/likeness used.

Tickets:

  • Cost: Free
  • Space: Limited
  • Registration: Please RSVP only if you plan to attend. If your plans change, cancel your tickets so others can participate.

For more information and directions, visit: Wolf Trap National Park Visitor Information

We look forward to seeing you at this exciting and educational event!

www.butterflyinformatics.org

www.friendsofwolftrap.org

www.farifaxmasternaturalists.org

 

Virtual CEU Opportunities – Walker Nature Center Deep Dives: Spiders – Silk Specialists, August 20th & Fall Migration, September 17th

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Photo: Courtesy of the Reston Walker Nature Center

Walker Nature Center has upcoming “Deep Dives” – one-hour virtual explorations of natural history topics:

Spiders – Silk Specialists:  Thursday, August 20th, 7:00 – 8:00 pm
Join Nature Center Manager Ken Rosenthal to explore the world of spider silk.  Only about 50% of all spiders actually spin webs.  Learn what it takes to build a web and find out what those other species are doing with their silk.
Fall Migration:  Thursday, September 17th, 7:00 – 8:00 pm
Join Nature Center Manager Ken Rosenthal to bid farewell to our fall migrants.  Bird migration is one of the great spectacles in all of nature, but birds are not our only fall migrators.  Find out who else will be leaving us.
All programs are geared toward adults.  Registration is free, with a $5 suggested donation.  A link will be emailed to registrants prior to the program.
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.

Mindful Birding: Finding Wonder, Well-being and Connection through Birds, August 4th

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Image: Courtesy of Northern VA Bird Alliance and Capital Nature -Mindful Birding Presentation

Tuesday, August 4, 2026
7:00 PM – 8:00 PM EDT

Online event

Fee: $12.09

Registration required

Overview

Join Ana Ka’ahanui for an event all about 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. Discover how slowing down and engaging your senses can transform the way you experience birds and their habitats.

Drawing on research about the mental and physical health benefits of birding, as well as practices from forest therapy (“forest bathing”), we’ll explore how birds can help us become more present, attentive, and connected. Learn how mindful birding can foster wonder, resilience, and well-being.

Presenter: Ana Ka’ahanui, Certified Forest Therapy Guide, Virginia Master Naturalist, Founder of Wonder Joy Walks, and Co-Founder of Capital Nature.

Leave it to Beavers, August 2nd

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Photo credit: Ellyne Geurts

Sunday, August 2, 2026
11:30 AM – 12:30 PM
Mason Neck State Park – Bay View Trailhead
7301 High Point Road
Lorton, VA 22079

Beavers are nature’s architects! Meet one of our interpreters, at the Bay View Trail head for a short hike down the trail to the marsh to see evidence of Mason Neck’s resident family of beavers. Learn how they live, why they build dams and lodges, and discover the role that they play in supporting a healthy environment.

Email MasonNeck@dcr.virginia.gov for more information.

Additional details can be found on the Virginia Department of Conservation and Recreation website.

 

 

Water Cycle: Incredible Journey, August 8th

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Photo credit: Jerry Nissley

Saturday, August 8, 2026
2:30 PM – 3:30 PM
Mason Neck State Park
7301 High Point Road
Lorton, VA 22079

Dive in to water month at Mason Neck State Park and learn about the incredible journey of water in the water cycle! Join an Interpreter at the Picnic Area for a fun game to learn about the way water moves through our watershed and about the waters surrounding Mason Neck State Park! Bug spray and water recommended.

Email MasonNeck@dcr.virginia.gov for more information.

Additional details can be found on the Virginia Department of Conservation and Recreation website.

 

Grass Class with the VNPS Grass Bunch at Riverbend Park, August 29th

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Photo credit: Jerry Nissley

Saturday, August 29, 2026
3:00 pm – 5:00 pm
Riverbend Park Nature Center Parking Lot
8814 Jeffery Road – Great Falls

Join the Potowmack Chapter Grass Bunch for a hands-on introductory class on some common grasses — both native and introduced. Then take a walk in the Riverbend Park meadow to see where they grow.

The Grass Bunch is group of Potowmack chapter members and friends who are interested in the identification, classification, and ecology of plants known as grasses or sedges. They are often seen with their heads down close to the ground studying the details of a particular specimen and comparing notes on “What is it?”.

Space is limited and registration is required.

Email potowmack@vnps.org for more information.

Additional details can be found on the Virginia Native Plant Society website.

 

Spectacular Skinks! August 15th

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Photo credit: Virginia Department of Conservation and Recreation

Saturday, August 15th, 2026
12:00 PM – 1:00 PM
Mason Neck State Park
7301 High Point Road
Lorton, VA 22079

Fast… colorful… illusive! Celebrate the weekend after World Lizard Day and discover the spectacular world of skinks – a unique group of lizards – and the species native to Mason Neck State Park! Join an interpreter at the picnic area to learn about skinks and play a fun game! Water and bug spray recommended. 

Email MasonNeck@dcr.virginia.gov for more information.

Additional details can be found on the Virginia Department of Conservation and Recreation website.

 

RAPTOR RAPTURE, September 12th

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Photo: Courtesy of the Loudoun Wildlife Conservancy

 

Saturday, September 12, 2026
1:00 p.m.

Fort Hunt Park Pavilion A
8940 Fort Hunt Rd, Fort Hunt, VA

Free event no registration required – Spead the word

Learn about and get close-up looks at raptors, a family that includes owls, hawks and falcons when Secret Garden Birds and Bees will bring live birds to Fort Hunt Park. The birds were injured and have been rehabilitated but cannot survive on their own. This event is sponsored by the Friends of Dyke Marsh, and the U.S. National Park Service. This is a great event for kids of all ages.

Aprenda sobre las aves rapaces y disfrute de una experiencia de cerca con ellas. Las rapaces incluyen búhos, halcones y falcones. La organización Secret Garden Birds and Bees llevará aves vivas al Fort Hunt Park. Estas aves fueron rescatadas tras sufrir lesiones, rehabilitadas con éxito, pero ya no pueden sobrevivir por sí solas en la naturaleza. Este evento es patrocinado por Friends of Dyke Marsh y el Servicio de Parques Nacionales de los Estados Unidos. ¡Es una actividad excelente para niños y personas de todas las edades!

 

Freind’s of Dyke Marsh(FODM) Presents – Freshwater Fish and More, October 21

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Photo: Courtesy of Mike Pinder, Various Minnow Species Gather to spawn on the nest of a bluehead chub.

 

Wednesday, October 21, 2026
7:00 PM

Virtual Learning Session

Registration is required but the event is free (see link below)

At FODM’s free, online member meeting on October 21, Mike Pinder will explore Virginia’s diversity of freshwater fishes, major family groups,
distribution, habitats and the unique behaviors of certain species.   He will also help participants learn how to see and identify this often
unnoticed and underappreciated group of Virginia’s wildlife. Pinder is the Aquatic Biologist for the Virginia Department of Wildlife Resources.   Pinder is the Aquatic Biologist for the Virginia Department of Wildlife Resources.

Register for this Zoom presentation at:
https://us06web.zoom.us/meeting/register/dpyqnOJqRKC69xcYs6g0kQ#/registration.

 

 

Firefly Walk, July 5th

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Photo credit: Terry Priest

Sunday, July 5, 2026
Time: 8:00–10:00 p.m.
Location: Huntley Meadows Park, Alexandria
Cost: $12 per person

The program is open to participants ages 5 and older.

Join naturalists at Huntley Meadows Park for an evening Firefly Walk and discover the fascinating world of these bioluminescent insects. Participants will explore park trails at dusk while observing fireflies and learning how they use flashes of light to communicate, attract mates, and navigate their environment.

Additional details and registration information can be found on the Fairfax County Park Authority website.