Questions? Email [email protected].

NF COVID Policy for Outdoor Adult Programs
Continuing this fall, both leaders and participants are asked to observe social distancing throughout our outdoor field trips. We request that any participant or leader who has not been vaccinated for Covid-19 wear a mask. Of course, participants are always welcome to wear a mask if they are more comfortable doing so. If you test positive for COVID, you may participate in NF activities after you have a negative antigen/home test no sooner than 5 days after the first positive test.  Twelve will be our usual group size maximum, unless an outing’s focus and/or field conditions call for a smaller group.  All of the policies above are subject to change.

Autumn Along the Water
Saturdays, (9 am-2 pm)
A: October 1—Occoquan Bay National Wildlife Refuge, VA SORRY CANCELED
B: November 12—Potomac Heritage Trail, VA
Leader: Stephanie Mason
Each walk members $35; nonmembers $49
Join our Senior Naturalist for one or both of these field trips tracking the unfolding of fall along local waterways rich in natural history. We’ll enjoy the changing fall colors as we search for late-season blooms and fruits, resident and migrant birds, and all manner of still-active wildlife. In October, we’ll explore the open, grassland habitats and the extensive bottomland trails along Belmont and Occoquan Bays near Woodbridge, VA. November will find us walking the Potomac Heritage Trail from Riverbend Park downriver to Great Falls—and back through the Potomac’s rich floodplain forests. We’ll walk between 2.5 to 4 miles on natural surface and possibly muddy trails. November’s bottomland hike includes a few rocky stretches. REGISTER

Nature Photography Basics   
A: Sunday, October 2 (3-6:30 pm) SORRY CANCELED
B: Sunday, November 6 (1-4:30 pm)
Leader: Liz Guertin 
Each session: members $33; nonmembers $46 
Join Maryland Master Naturalist & Nature Photographer, Liz Guertin, for a journey into nature photography basics. Use any camera to compose and achieve the best shots possible in the outdoors. All cameras welcome—including your phone! Liz will cover everything from exposure and composition to the craft and ethics of nature photography. Our Section A October venue is the wonderful Patuxent Research Refuge/South Tract at sunset, where photographers can take advantage of fields of blooming goldenrod and beautiful reflections on the lake. In November, Section B’s destination will be the Jug Bay Natural Area at sunset, where we can take advantage of deciduous swamp cypress and other fall colors, as well as beautiful reflections on the water.  Our leader reminds you to bring a freshly charged device–and to feel free to bring sample photographs you’d like to discuss. REGISTER

Fall Birding Series
D: Sunday, October 2: Piscataway Park, MD (Cathy Stragar) (8-10:30 am)
E: Wednesday, October 12: Lois Green Conservation Park, MD (Mark England) (8-10:30 am)
F: Sunday, October 16: Hughes Hollow, MD (Len Bisson) (8-10:30 am) WAITLIST OPEN
G: Saturday, October 22: Dyke Marsh, VA (Lisa Shannon and Rob Hilton) (8-10:30 am)
H: Sunday, October 30: Kenilworth Aquatic Gardens, DC  (Mike Bowen and Anne Cianni) (8-10:30 am) WAITLIST OPEN
I: Sunday, November 6: Patuxent Research Refuge/Main Tract, MD (Lisa Shannon and Rob Hilton) (8-10:30 am) WAITLIST OPEN
Each walk: members $33; nonmembers $46
Our fall birding series visits natural areas under an hour’s drive from D.C. where a variety of habitats—including field, forest, and wetland—provide good opportunities for the observation and ID of birds in autumn. On the earliest walks, we’ll hope to catch some southbound migrants—including those “confusing fall warblers.” As the season progresses, we’ll watch for sparrows, raptors, waterfowl, and other birds, both resident and overwintering in the region. These teaching walks are aimed at beginning to mid-level birders, but all are welcome. Our explorations will be on mostly level, natural surface trails that may be uneven, muddy, and/or somewhat slippery. REGISTER

Midweek Meanders Along the Canal 
Wednesdays (10 am-12:30 pm)
C: October 5 – Widewater
D: October 19 – Pennyfield Lock
E: November 2 – Violettes’ Lock WAITLIST OPEN
Each walk: members $33; Nonmembers $46
Enjoy one or more of these leisurely autumn walks on relatively close-in portions of the C&O Canal which see less foot and bicycle traffic during the week than on weekends. The focus of our walks will be the general natural history of the varied habitats along the Potomac River and the Canal. We’ll proceed at a “naturalist’s shuffle” pace, stopping often to observe birds, fall wildflowers and foliage, butterflies, snakes, turtles—whatever we might find. REGISTER

Fridays at Carderock
B: October 7 (9:30 am-2:30 pm)
C: November 4 (10 am-2:30 pm) WAITLIST OPEN
D: December 2 (10 am-2:30 pm) WAITLIST OPEN
Leader: Stephanie Mason
Each walk members $35; nonmembers $49
An elder of a Native American tribe from the Pacific Northwest advised: There is more to be learned by climbing the same mountain a hundred times than by climbing a hundred different mountains. Following this admonition, our Senior Naturalist continues this 2022 series of broad-based nature explorations along the Potomac River’s C&O Canal and its varied habitats: from upland rocky woods to rich floodplain forests. After a summer hiatus, our hikes will return each month to a stretch of Towpath moving from the Carderock Recreation Area upriver to Widewater. We’ll retrace our steps along the Canal back to Carderock for a total of around 4 miles. We’ll experience lingering summer in September, autumn’s colorful transformations in October and November, and then the arrival of winter’s open landscapes in December. On each walk, we’ll keep our eyes and ears open for the changing seasonal activity of wildlife and plant life. These hikes will move faster and farther than our usual naturalists’ shuffle. REGISTER

Botany Hike in the Bottomlands    
Saturday, October 8 (9 am-Noon)
Leader: Bradley Simpson 
Members $33; nonmembers $46 
Our Restoration Manager/tree ID instructor leads this early autumn plant hike to visit the bottomland habitats of Turkey Run Park, situated along the Potomac River and accessed off the GW Parkway near McLean, VA. All things green—or sporting early fall color—will be the hike’s focus:  trees and shrubs, wildflowers, and ferns. Be prepared for a steep hike down (and back up again, of course!) mostly on constructed stairs to reach the bottomland forest—where there may be muddy conditions underfoot on natural surface trails. There will also be a couple of stream crossings to traverse on this roughly 1.5 mile hike. REGISTER

Floral Folklore and Ethnobotany
Sunday, October 9 (10 am-1 pm)
Leader: Alonso Abugattas
Members $33; nonmembers $46
Join Alonso Abugattas, the popular Capital Naturalist blogger, on a floral walk through the less-visited Kings Highway side of Huntley Meadows Park in Alexandria, VA. We will explore several habitats there, discussing the natural history, fascinating floral folklore, and purported uses of many of the plants—both common and uncommon—we’ll encounter. REGISTER

Evening on the Canal 
Sunday, October 9 (6:30-8:30 pm)
Leader: Stephanie Mason
Members $30; nonmembers $42
Join senior naturalist Stephanie Mason on a walk through the woods and along the Potomac River’s C&O Canal beginning at Swain’s Lock near Potomac, MD. As day gives way to dusk—and then to nightfall—we’ll look and listen for owls, foxes, bats, and other nocturnal and crepuscular animals, discussing the adaptations of creatures whose “day” begins as ours ends.  Fingers crossed for clear skies so we are able to walk under the light of the month’s full moon. REGISTER

Square Foot Habitat Gardening
Sunday, October 9 (10 am-12 pm)
Members $30; nonmembers $42
Learn how to make the most of every square foot in your garden for wildlife benefit. Habitat is a precious commodity in our urban region, especially for wildlife stressed by climate change. But you can make a difference, even in a small space by packing it with food, shelter, water and nesting opportunities. Class held in the tent by the mansion. REGISTER

Introduction to Tree Identification
Thursday, October 13 (10 am-2 pm)
Leader: Stephanie Mason
Members $35; nonmembers $49
October is a great month to begin learning to ID our local trees and shrubs. With colorful leaves and this season’s seedpods still hanging on, there are visible and fairly easy-to-find distinguishing characteristics to help sort out various species. Based at our Woodend Sanctuary, this learning session will begin under an outdoor awning where we’ll talk about techniques for tree ID, coupled with the introduction to and practice with an ID key. For the rest of our time, we’ll stay outside and practice our new ID skills on the many trees growing on-site. Both beginners and those who want to brush up on their tree ID skills are welcome. REGISTER

Rocks on the Mall
Saturday, October 15 (1-5 pm)
Leader: Joe Marx
Members $35; nonmembers $49 
Many structures that border the National Mall in downtown Washington proudly showcase the bedrock of other localities. We will meet at the 12th St. & Jefferson Dr. entrance to the Smithsonian Metro station and do a two-mile, flat and easy loop around the eastern end of the Mall. We will examine various building facades, fountains, paving stones and free-standing walls and consider the type of rock, its manner of formation and the place of origin. Limestone, often with fossils visible, is the most common building stone on the Mall, but we will also see good examples of granite, gneiss, marble, dolomite and sandstone. To prevent geologic overload, the trip leader will bring a supply of historical anecdotes about the sites we visit. Note: Our geology walks move at a faster pace than our usual “naturalists’ shuffle.” REGISTER

Forest Nighttime Magic: Bioluminescence and Fluorescence Walk WAITLIST OPEN
Saturday, October 15 (6-8:30 pm)
Leader: Serenella Linares 
Members $33; nonmembers $46
There are magical creatures illuminating the forest, away from our eyes during the cool nights of  fall. Join Adult Education Director and Mycologist Serenella Linares in an exclusive visit to Jug Bay Wetlands Sanctuary, where we will witness both fungal and invertebrate magic. Learn about the processes producing these light shows and the advantages that this fantastic phenomenon has for the creatures that possess it. Our program fee does not include the entrance fee of $6.00 per car for this PG County Park. REGISTER

On the Move at Cape May WAITLIST OPEN
Wednesday, October 19 (8 am) to Thursday, October 20 (4 pm)
Leader: Mark Garland
Members $120; nonmembers $168    
New Jersey’s Cape May is an astounding place to witness autumn migration. Under the right weather conditions, a single day can bring several thousand southbound hawks, tens of thousands of migrating songbirds, and thousands of Monarch butterflies onto the southern tip of the state. Waterfowl, herons, dragonflies and even bats also travel through Cape May in October. Under the guidance of an expert naturalist and birder who’s a local (and a former NF Senior Naturalist), we’ll visit many of the diverse natural areas around Cape May and celebrate the rich spectacle of fall migration. Overnight options include hotels, B&B’s, owner rentals, and campgrounds in and around Cape May, which are booked by participants themselves. REGISTER

Fall Flora Fridays
Fridays (10 am-1 pm)
B: October 21—Huntley Meadows Park, VA
C: November 18—Kenilworth Aquatic Gardens, DC
Leaders: Marney Bruce (A) and Stephanie Mason (B & C)
Each walk: members $33; nonmembers $46
These walks of up to two miles will celebrate the transition from lingering summer blooms to ripening fall seeds and fruits–to the grand show of dramatic foliage color and leaf fall. Although aimed at beginning to mid-level plant enthusiasts, all are welcome. Expect a stop-and-go pace on basically flat trails (natural surface on A & C; boardwalk on B) in three local parks offering a mix of habitats. REGISTER

Special Walk: Fall Birding at RedGate Park
Saturday, October 22 (9-11 am)
Leader: Cintia Cabib, Documentary Filmmaker
Members $30; nonmembers $42
Don’t miss this exclusive birding adventure with filmmaker Cintia Cabib to experience the kind of birdwatching that inspired her film “Bird Walk.” This outing at RedGate Park follows Cintia’s October 18 Naturalist Hour presentation (register separately). Find out about the incredible transformation of the defunct RedGate Golf Course into a birding paradise. To date, an incredible 166 bird species have been identified at RedGate Park. Limited to 15 participants. REGISTER

Forest Bathing with Adria
Sunday, October 23 (10 am-12 pm)
Leader: Adria Zeldin
Members $20; nonmembers $30
Join tour leader, Adria Zeldin, in a soothing exploration and mindfulness walk through the forests at Woodend. Relax and take in the fresh air and cool shade these trees have to offer. REGISTER

Fall on Wheels Along the Canal
Thursday, October 27 (9 am-2 pm)
Leader: Stephanie Mason
Members $35; nonmembers $49
Fall colors are blazing and the Towpath along the Potomac River is one of the finest places in the D.C. Metro area to experience this season’s richness. In order to cover more territory and visit more habitats, we’ll use bikes to explore the stretch from Swain’s Lock to Blockhouse Point, a 9-mile round-trip ride. We’ll dismount often to look for fall fruits and admire lingering fall foliage, while keeping an eye and ear open for fall migrants, overwintering birds, and any other still active wildlife. Bring your own bike. REGISTER

Forest Fungi and the Wood Wide Web
A: Friday, October 28 (9:30-11:30 am)
B: Saturday, November 5 (9:30-11:30 am)
Leader: Serenella Linares
Members $30; nonmembers $42
Fall is the season when the majority of mycological friends of trees produce so many of the mushrooms that we observe. Join Adult Education Director, Serenella Linares, on a walk through our Woodend Sanctuary grounds to explore the fascinating connections between trees and fungi, as well as their reproductive strategies. NOTE: the focus of our field outings is fungi’s important and under-appreciated role in forest ecology, not the edibility of particular species of mushrooms. REGISTER

Raptors on the Move at Waggoner’s Gap
Saturday, October 29 (3/4 day field trip)
Leaders: Liam and Laura McGranaghan
Members $40; nonmembers $49
Fall brings thousands of migrating raptors—hawks, falcons, eagles, and their allies—to the Appalachian ridges and Atlantic coast. Our field trip goes to one of the premier hawk-watching sites in the area: Pennsylvania’s Waggoner’s Gap, about a 2.5-hour drive from DC. Our experienced leaders, known for their raptor expertise, will help you develop your own ID skills for these birds-on-the-move. Getting to the hawk watch lookout—you’ll want to bundle up for this rocky and open-air viewing site!—requires walking up a short, but rocky, trail to an outcropping of perched boulders. REGISTER