Celebrate Hispanic Heritage Month and join us on October 9 from 5 to 6:30 pm for an evening with one of our 2024 Naturally Latinos speakers María Elena Montero at Woodend Nature Sanctuary. María Elena is an expert bird guide and yoga teacher who will start off the walk with some gentle yoga moves before being led into the woods for a bird walk exploration with two of our Nature Forward Naturalist, Genevieve Wall and Gina Ghertner. We will come back to Woodend mansion grounds to do some more sunset yoga and wrap up eating bocaditos (snacks). RSVP using this button below (limit to 70 people). 

Join us in person on Wednesday, October 9 @ 5 pm to birdwatch, do bit of yoga, and eat delicious snacks!

Nature Forward is working to ensure a sustainable future in the DMV. While this event is FREE, your $10-$15 donation for this Conservation Café helps support that ongoing effort! 

Speaker’s Bio:

Maria Elena was raised in Takoma Park, Maryland, where she first fell in love with the outdoors and with birds. She is Afro-Latino of Cuban-Dominican descent and fluent in Spanish, rumbao and bachata (not necessarily in that order). An avid birder, Maria Elena sits on the board of directors for DC Bird Alliance and regularly leads birdwalks around the DC metropolitan area. 

María Elena se crió en Takoma Park, Maryland, donde se enamoró por primera vez del aire libre y de las aves. Es afrolatina de ascendencia cubano-dominicana y habla español, rumbao y bachata con fluidez (no necesariamente en ese orden). María Elena, una ávida observadora de aves, forma parte de la junta directiva del DC Bird Alliance y lidera regularmente caminatas de aves en el área metropolitana de DC.

Autumn Lights will take place on November 16 from 5:00 until 8:00 p.m. at our historic headquarters at beautiful Woodend Nature Sanctuary in Chevy Chase, MD. The evening will include a fun cocktail reception with a beer and wine bar and a special event-themed cocktail option. Guests will also enjoy delicious hors d’oeuvres, a cheese and crudités appetizers table, and a mouthwatering desserts assortment accompanied by a tea and coffee selection. Another much-anticipated highlight is our silent auction which will feature unique nature experiences, hand-crafted art and textiles, themed gift baskets and more.

All proceeds from Autumn Lights will support Nature Forward’s environmental education, restoration, and conservation mission work. However, the opportunity to gather together is an equally important part of our effort to create a larger and more diverse community of people who treasure the natural world and work to preserve it.

Tickets for Autumn Lights are available now at https://give.natureforward.org/event/autumn-lights-2024/e605358.