Nature Classes & Field Trips

Leader: Stephanie Mason
Members $33; nonmembers $46
With daylight hours in decline and frosty overnights on the rise, here’s your chance to experience the changing seasons AND burn off a few calories as holiday feasting gets underway. We’ll hike 4 miles—from Pennyfield Lock to Blockhouse Point Park and back—along the Potomac River’s C&O Canal, enjoying the last hurrah of fall and the early signs of (inevitable!) winter. This broad-based nature hike will move at a faster pace than our usual Naturalists’ Shuffle. REGISTER

Celebrate the holiday season with Nature Forward!

Saturday, December 2, 2023
5:30 – 8:30 pm
Woodend Nature Sanctuary

Get Your Tickets or Donate Now!

Enjoy an evening of friends, food, and fun in the beautifully decorated Woodend Mansion.

You’ll hear an inspiring update from Lisa Alexander on Nature Forward’s accomplishments in 2023 and take a look ahead to a promising 2024.

You’ll also savor a variety of refreshments throughout the evening, including beer, wine, hors d’oeuvres, a delicious buffet dinner, tempting desserts, and coffee and tea.

And you won’t want to miss our amazing silent auction, plus browse a wide selection of unique, nature-themed gifts at Woodend Nature Shop.

Help spread the word! We encourage you to invite new friends to join us to celebrate and support our mission work.

Your participation in this festive event supports Nature Forward conservation, restoration, and education programs.

Get Your Tickets or Donate Now!

Leader: Paul Pisano
Members $33; nonmembers $46
December is a good time to begin learning how to ID overwintering waterfowl in our area. Typically, local waters are not yet frozen and outdoor temperatures are still comfortable for the birders! We’ll base our field trip at Gunner’s Lake in Germantown, MD, where a trail around the water allows for waterfowl watching with binoculars. Of course, our leader(s) will be carrying a spotting scope and anyone is welcome to bring along their own as well. While our focus will be waterfowl, we’ll keep an eye open for all manner of birdlife in the habitats around the Lake’s perimeter. REGISTER

Leader: Stephanie Mason
Members $33; nonmembers $46
With official winter waiting in the wings, we’ll wrap up our fall series of walks along parts of the C&O Canal which see less foot and bicycle traffic midweek. Our focus will be the general—and exceedingly rich—natural history of the varied habitats along the Potomac River and the historic Towpath. We’ll proceed at a “naturalist’s shuffle” pace, stopping often to observe and ID still-active wildlife, plants of the season—and whatever we might find. A series of similar bi-weekly Winter Walks Along the Canal will begin in January. REGISTER

Leader: Bradley Simpson
Members $33; nonmembers $46
Join Habitat Manager, Bradley Simpson, at Woodend Sanctuary for an introduction to identifying woody plants in winter. We will traverse the gardens, lawn, and forest trails to explore buds, bark, fruit, and twigs of many trees, shrubs, and vines. Expect a slow-paced walk with lots of stops. This walk will give participants a taste of the instructor’s upcoming winter NHFS class on winter woody plant ID. REGISTER

Join enthusiastic birders at Woodend to learn birding basics. One will learn binocular basics and how to identify common birds as well as explore the wonders of migration. Members $12; nonmembers $16. Second registrant is FREE. REGISTER HERE.

Leader: Stephanie Mason
Members $33; nonmembers $46
Enjoy a late afternoon stroll through the field, forest, and wetland habitats of Hughes Hollow Wildlife Management Area, south of Poolesville, MD. We’ll keep our eyes and ears open for the sights and sounds of wildlife as the afternoon winds down, the sun sets–and darkness falls. The natural surface trails here will be uneven and possibly muddy. REGISTER

Leader: Stephanie Mason
Members $33; nonmembers $46
With official winter waiting in the wings, we’ll wrap up our fall series of walks along parts of the C&O Canal which see less foot and bicycle traffic midweek. Our focus will be the general—and exceedingly rich—natural history of the varied habitats along the Potomac River and the historic Towpath. We’ll proceed at a “naturalist’s shuffle” pace, stopping often to observe and ID still-active wildlife, plants of the season—and whatever we might find. A series of similar bi-weekly Winter Walks Along the Canal will begin in January. REGISTER

Leader: Stephanie Mason
Members $35; nonmembers $49
The first day of winter in the Northern Hemisphere is arriving. Whether you call this astronomical event the shortest day of the year—or the longest night of the year—it’s a good occasion to push away from your computer and join fellow nature lovers on a hike in a beautiful place. Our outing starts at the Widewater area along the C&O Canal Towpath and will move upriver to Great Falls. Here we’ll traverse the bridges out to the Great Falls Overlook—and after enjoying the drama and din of the Falls, we’ll retrace our steps back to Widewater. As daylight fades on our return walk downriver, we’ll look and listen for wildlife activity—primarily birds—as they settle in for the longest night of the year. Expect a round trip of nearly 4 miles on the natural-surface Towpath at a pace faster than our usual Naturalists’ Shuffle. REGISTER