Adult Classes / Field Trips

Upcoming classes/field trips | Registration form | PDF Catalog | Rust programs

Explore the Great Outdoors with the Experts!

These programs offer nature novices and experienced naturalists alike a wide array of opportunities to explore and learn more about our area's natural history. All programs are led by experienced naturalists; foray lectures are at the Woodend Sanctuary, with field trips by private vehicle or carpool, unless otherwise noted. Don't miss out, sign up early!

Questions? Email Senior Naturalist Stephanie Mason or call Stephanie at 301-652-9188 x37. For registration information call Pam Oves at 301-652-9188 x 16 or email poves@audubonnaturalist.org. To register for a program please mail or fax the registration form.

Did you know? Paying by check saves ANS $ on credit card processing fees!

To qualify for a credit if you cancel a program, you must give at least six business days' notice, i.e. you can't cancel on a Monday for a weekend program and still receive a credit. The credit postcard will be mailed to you less a $5 administrative fee and must be included with a registration form to be valid. Call 301-652-9188 x 16
or email Pam Oves to cancel.

If ANS cancels a program, you will receive a full refund.

Upcoming Classes / Field Trips

July | August | September | October | November

July

Summer on Wheels Along the Patuxent  1 spot left!
Saturday, July 3 (8 am-12:30 pm)
Leader: Stephanie Mason
Dust off your bike and join us to explore the woods and wetlands along the Patuxent River in Prince George’s County, MD. We’ll use the Chesapeake Bay Critical Area Tour roadway, closed to cars on this day, to visit a variety of habitats in our search for summer activity in the natural world. We’ll dismount often to look for wildflowers, birds, butterflies, and frogs, as we cover the Tour’s reach from Patuxent River Park to Merkle Wildlife Refuge. Our round-trip ride will be 8 miles. Bring your own bike.
Members: $23; Nonmembers: $32
Registration required, please use registration form

Summer Shuffles Along the Canal
Wednesdays (9-11:30 am)
Section B: July 7 - Riley’s Lock - Rescheduled to Wednesday, July 14 due to the heat this week!!!
Section C: July 21 - Carderock
Section A: June 23 - Pennyfield
Leader: Stephanie Mason
Summer’s here and it may be hot, so we’ll keep our pace to a shuffle as we visit three areas along the Potomac River and the C&O Canal. We’ll stop often to observe birds, wildflowers, butterflies, dragonflies, snakes, and whatever else we may find underfoot or overhead. Carpooling will be available from Woodend.
Each walk: Members: $17; Nonmembers: $24
Two walks: Members: $30; Nonmembers: $44
All walks: Members: $43.50; Nonmembers: $60
Registration required, please use registration form

Natural History of Beetles
Thursday, July 8 (7:30-9:30 pm)
Saturday, July 10 (2-9 pm)
Leader: Warren E. Steiner, Jr.
Beetles comprise the most diverse group of insects in the world, and are found in great variety and abundance as far afield as the tropics and as close to home as our backyards. Join Warren E. Steiner, Jr., entomologist with the Smithsonian Natural History Museum, for an introduction to the natural history and classification of beetles. The class combines a Thursday night lecture with Saturday’s field trip to a nearby natural area, where we’ll search for beetles in aquatic, field, and forest habitats, discussing their life histories, feeding strategies, and adaptations. After a dinner break, our field trip will continue after sunset so that we can observe nocturnal beetle activity.
Members: $38; Nonmembers: $52.50
Registration required, please use registration form

Geology of the Fall Zone  Sorry - cancelled
Saturday, July 10 (9 am-12 noon)
Leader: Joe Marx
The steep descent through Dora Kelly Nature Park to Holmes Run Park in westernmost Alexandria, VA crosses the Fall Zone, the boundary between the Piedmont upland and the lower-lying Coastal Plain. Within a stretch of mile and a half, the two adjoining parks offer good exposures of four different geologic formations: two from the Piedmont and two from the Coastal Plain. Our moderately difficult hike will include a short bushwhack across uneven, muddy ground. The pace set and distance covered on this geology field trip is typically faster and farther than our usual "naturalist's shuffle."
Members: $20; Nonmembers: $28
Registration required, please use registration form

Botany by Nose   Sorry - cancelled
Saturday, July 17 (8:30-11 am)
Leader:  Carole Bergmann
While most of us rely on visual clues to help us identify the plants that comprise our landscape, our sense of smell can be an important, complementary tool. Anyone who has broken a Spicebush or Black Birch twig can confirm that. Our outdoor classroom will be Hoyle’s Mill Conservation Park in Boyds, MD, as we “scratch and sniff” our way through woodland and wetland habitats, identifying plants as we go.
Members: $17; Nonmembers: $24
Registration required, please use registration form

Summer in the Parks (8 am-12:30 pm)
Section D: Friday, July 23 - National Arboretum, DC
Section E: Sunday, July 25 - Occoquan Wildlife Refuge, VA
Section A: Saturday, June 19 - Riverbend Park, VA
Section B: Sunday, July 4 - Piscataway Park, MD
Section C: Friday, July 9 - Dyke Marsh, VA
Leaders: Stephanie Mason and Cathy Stragar
Join two naturalists to explore the summer richness of parks in the Potomac Watershed. As summer arrives and progresses into its muggy days and nights, wetlands and meadows soak up the sun and come alive with plant and wildlife activity. We’ll explore these habitats with walks of up to 2 - 3 miles, at a slow summer pace, in search of birds, butterflies, dragonflies, reptiles, amphibians, and summer plant life.
Each walk: Members: $23; Nonmembers: $32
Two walks: Members: $42; Nonmembers: $56
All five walks: Members: $80; Nonmembers: $112
Registration required, please use registration form

Paddle on the Patuxent   Sorry - cancelled
Saturday, July 24 (4:30-8:30 pm)
Leader: Jug Bay staff
Join us for a leisurely paddle through tidal marshes and along the Patuxent River’s edge at Jug Bay Wetlands Sanctuary in Anne Arundel County, MD. As day gives way to dusk, we’ll keep our eyes and ears open for turtles, muskrats, green tree frogs, owls, and other wildlife. Cost includes canoe fee and sanctuary entrance fee. Participants are welcome to enter the sanctuary and explore on their own before the canoe trip. Limited to 15 participants who will walk 2 miles round-trip to access the canoes.
Members: $28; Nonmembers: $39
Registration required, please use registration form

Sunset Stroll in the Hollow
Sunday, July 25 (7-9 pm)
Leader: Stephanie Mason
Enjoy a slow evening stroll through the field, forest, and wetland habitats of the Hughes Hollow area, south of Poolesville, MD. As the sun sets, we’ll look and listen for owls, frogs, foxes, beavers, bats, and insects, discussing the adaptations of these crepuscular and nocturnal animals.
Members: $17; Nonmembers: $24
Registration required, please use registration form

Wetland Plant Identification
Thursday, July 29 (7:30-9:30 pm)
Sunday, August 1 (all day field trip)
Leader: Cris Fleming
Wetlands are valuable natural resources for many reasons, including cleaning water, slowing flood damage, and providing habitat for many animals. Wetlands also contain many beautiful and interesting plants. Come learn about the different types of wetlands in the Washington area, the plant species associated with each type, and how to identify these species. We will also discuss how plants are used to determine wetland status for conservation policies. Saturday’s field trip will be at the Jug Bay Wetlands Sanctuary on the Patuxent River in Anne Arundel County, where we’ll get practice in identifying different species and see adaptations of wetland plants. Program fee includes admission to the Sanctuary.
Members: $43; Nonmembers: $57.50
Registration required, please use registration form

The Buzz on Bees and Wasps       Sorry - cancelled              Photo by Dirck Harris
Saturday, July 31 (8:30-11 am)
Leader: Cliff Fairweather
From solitary parasitic wasps to the highly social honey bee, from potter wasps to carpenter bees, these related insects form a fascinating and critically important part of the natural world. We’ll take a look at their diversity, fascinating life histories, significant ecological roles, and worrisome threats facing bees and wasps in our area with two naturalists.Our field class visits the wet and dry meadows at Clark’s Crossing, along the W.&O.D. bike trail in Vienna, VA, where we’ll look for wasps and bees, identifying them, and observing their habits.
Members: $17; Nonmembers: $24
Registration required, please use registration form

August

Introduction to Dragonfly and Damselfly Studies
Thursday, August 5 (7:30-9:30 pm)
Sunday, August 8 (full-day field trip)
Leader: Richard Orr
Grab your binoculars and prepare to set your sights not on birds - although “mosquito hawk” is a common moniker - but on those six-legged, aerial acrobats of wetland habitats: the dragonflies and damselflies. On Thursday evening, local entomologist and dragonfly expert Richard Orr will use slides and videos to discuss identification, biology, and behavior of the more common species of Odonates in our area. Our field trip to the Patuxent Research Refuge near Bowie, MD, where our leader has conducted dragonfly studies, will give us a chance to test our identification skills.
Members: $38; Nonmembers: $52.50
Registration required, please use registration form

September

A Naturalist’s Labor Day
Sunday, September 5 (8:30 am-3 pm)
Leader: Stephanie Mason
“Labor” like a naturalist this Labor Day weekend, searching for birds, butterflies, late summer wildflowers, reptiles, and other natural attractions along the piedmont Potomac River valley. We’ll begin at Hughes Hollow near Poolesville, MD, where habitats range from ponds and marshes to fields and forests. Once the day warms up, we’ll seek shade along the C&O Canal’s rich floodplain forest, perhaps finding early ripe pawpaw fruit for a natural snack.
Members: $28; Nonmembers: $39
Registration required, please use registration form

Wings Over Sky Meadows
Monday, September 6 (8 am-Noon)
Leaders: Joe Coleman and Laura Weidner
Only an hour away from D.C. and situated on the slopes of the Northern Virginia Blue Ridge Mountains, Sky Meadows State Park offers a mix of habitats, including meadow, forest, field, and stream. We’ll explore this natural area with leaders who know it well in a search for birds, both resident and fall migrants, and late-season butterflies. We will walk up to 3 miles with some uphill and downhill in sunny terrain, but at a leisurely pace. Cosponsored with the Loudoun Wildlife Conservancy (LWC).
Members: (ANS & LWC) $23; Nonmembers: $32
Registration required, please use registration form

Natural Heritage Weekend: Dolly Sods
Saturday, September 11 (8 am) to Sunday, September 12 (4 pm)
Leader: Mark Garland
The Dolly Sods plateau, in the West Virginia mountains, is home to a rich variety of northern ecosystems, including bogs, spruce forests, and heath barrens.  The eastern edge of the plateau is a major migratory corridor used by southbound songbirds, raptors, and monarch butterflies. Join us to visit several habitats at Dolly Sods to watch for wildlife, while learning to identify characteristic plants of the region, including wild cranberries and blueberries. Each morning we’ll visit a banding station— Allegheny Front Migration Observatory— for a close-up look at birds.  Camping is the only overnight option on the Dolly Sods plateau, but motels and cabins in the Petersburg/Seneca Rocks region are reasonably close. Note that Dolly Sods can only be accessed via unpaved mountain roads.  While these roads are fully passable to 2-wheel drive passenger cars, some drivers may be reluctant to drive this type of road. 
Members: $100; Nonmembers: $140
Registration required, please use registration form

Fall Birding Series
A. Saturday, September 11 - Dyke Marsh, VA 
(7-10 am) Leader: Mike Bowen
B. Sunday, September 26 - Kenilworth Aquatic Gardens, DC
(7-10 am) Leader: John Bjerke
C. Saturday, October 9 - Paint Branch Trail, MD
(7:30-10:30 am) Leader: Mark England
D. Saturday, October 16 - Lois Green Conservation Park, MD
(8-11 am) Leader: Mike Bowen
E. Sunday, October 31 - Occoquan Bay NWR, VA
(8-11 am) Leader: Mike Bowen
F. Sunday, November 7 - Hughes Hollow, MD Full - call to be added to waitlist
(8-11 am) Leader: John Bjerke
Our fall birding series visits six protected areas, all 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 identification of birds in autumn. On the earliest walks, we’ll hope to catch some southbound migrants, in addition to the area’s resident birds. As the season progresses, we’ll watch for sparrows, raptors, waterfowl, and other birds, including resident and over-wintering species. These teaching walks are aimed at beginning to mid-level birders, but all are welcome. We’re delighted to add the Paint Branch Trail in College Park, Maryland to our destinations for this series. Most of our explorations will be on natural surface trails which may be uneven or muddy. The Paint Branch Trail is paved. Our explorations at Lois Green will include some uphill and downhill walking and a few short stretches of bushwhacking.
One walk: Members: $20; Nonmembers: $28
Two walks: Members: $36; Nonmembers: $51
Three walks:  Members: $49.50; Nonmembers: $72
Four walks: Members: $62; Nonmembers: $92
Five walks: Members: $72.50; Nonmembers: $105
Entire Series: Members: $84; Nonmembers: $117
Registration required, please use registration form

Geology of Seneca Creek
Sunday, September 12 (12-4 pm)
Leader: Joe Marx
Seneca Creek State Park, in central Montgomery County, MD, preserves much of the valley of a medium-sized Piedmont stream.  Modern floodplain and valley wall features are easily observed along the creekside trail. There are also several outstanding rock outcrops that tell the story of an ancient ocean consumed during the formation of Pangaea. We will hike about 3 miles in the vicinity of Black Rock Mill, near Darnestown.  Our hike will combine potentially muddy floodplain terrain with some rocky upland areas.  Hopefully, hurricane season will be over by the time of our visit. The pace set and distance covered on this geology field trip is typically faster and farther than our usual "naturalist's shuffle."
Members: $23; Nonmembers: $32
Registration required, please use registration form

Bats About
Thursday, September 16 (7-9 pm)
Leader: Leslie Sturges
Come and explore the natural history and conservation concerns of the bats of our region with this program at our Woodend Sanctuary in Chevy Chase, MD. Under the guidance of naturalist and Bat World NOVA director Leslie Sturges, we will learn about the habits and habitats of these fascinating mammals, as well as techniques for tracking, trapping, and studying bats in the wild. We will begin inside with a slide lecture on bats and their biology and management. We’ll then head out onto the sanctuary grounds to look for and ID local bats using an ultrasonic detector.
Members: $17; Nonmembers: $24
Registration required, please use registration form

Fall Hikes Along the C&O Canal
Hike A:  Sunday, September 19 (8 am-5 pm) Antietam Creek Recreation Area to Snyder’s Landing (7.2  miles)
Hike B:  Saturday, October 23 (8 am-5 pm) Snyder’s Landing to Dam #4 (7.8 miles)
Leader: Cliff Fairweather
Join us for this new pair of hikes to explore the natural and cultural history along the C&O Canal towpath between Antietam Creek and Dam #4, near Sharpsburg, MD. We’ll follow summer’s departure and fall’s arrival along the Potomac’s rich floodplain forests and wetlands, while keeping our eyes and ears open for all manner of wildlife and the seasonal blooms and fruits of trees and wildflowers.  We’ll also consider the Canal’s role in local and national history, and its importance for conservation today. These hikes offer a natural history experience for persons who want to move farther and faster than the pace of most ANS programs. We will stop to observe natural phenomena, but will keep a pace necessary to cover the distance stated on the Canal’s dirt or gravel surfaced towpath.
Each hike: Members: $30; Nonmembers: $42
Both hikes: Members: $56; Nonmembers: $78
Registration required, please use registration form

Midweek Meanders Along the Canal
Wednesdays (10 am-12:30 pm)
Section A: September 22 - Widewater
Section B: October 6 - Carderock
Section C: October 20 - Violettes Lock
Section D: November 3 - Swain’s Lock
Leader: Stephanie Mason
Enjoy one or all of these leisurely autumn walks along portions of the C & O Canal which enjoy less traffic than the towpath’s stretches close-in to Washington. The focus of our walks, each beginning from a different location, will be general natural history of the varied habitats along the Potomac River and the C & O Canal. We’ll proceed at a “naturalist’s shuffle” pace, stopping often to observe birds, fall wildflowers and foliage, butterflies, snakes, turtles – and whatever else we might find. Participants interested in carpooling will meet at Woodend.
Each walk: Members: $17; Nonmembers: $24
Two walks: Members: $30; Nonmembers: $44
Three walks: Members: $43.50; Nonmembers: $60
All four walks: Members: $52; Nonmembers: $72
Registration required, please use registration form

Friday Escapes
Escape from the office and join a naturalist on these broad-based nature explorations of close-in parks. All walks include some uphill/downhill on possibly muddy trails.
Huntley Meadows Park
Friday, September 24 (10 am-1:30 pm)
Leader: Stephanie Mason
Hidden away in the middle of suburban Alexandria, VA, are the large, freshwater marsh and swamp of Huntley Meadows Park. From the Park’s boardwalk and observation deck, we’ll hope for close-up looks at wetland wildlife, including marsh birds, dragonflies, muskrats, and reptiles and amphibians. We’ll identify late blooms and enjoy the first blush of fall foliage.
Blue Mash Nature Trail
Friday, October 8 (10 am-1:30 pm)
Leader: Stephanie Mason
Known as a birding hotspot in upper Montgomery County, the open meadows, ponds, and forested edges of the Blue Mash Nature Trail provide good habitat for a variety fall wildflowers, butterflies, and other wildlife as well. In this broad-based nature exploration, we’ll keep our eyes and ears open for whatever we might find. 
Each walk: Members: $20; Nonmembers: $28
Two walks: Members: $36; Nonmembers: $48
Registration required, please use registration form

Early Fall Butterflies Along the Bay
Saturday, September 25 (full-day field trip)
Inclement weather date: Sunday, September 26
Leaders: Dick Smith and Stephanie Mason
While Monarch butterflies are heading south to Mexico, many southern species are still expanding their range northward.  Butterfly expert Dick Smith and our Senior Naturalist will lead this search for butterflies on the move—Sleepy Orange, Buckeye, Cloudless Sulphur, and Ocola Skipper—just to name a few—as well as late-season resident species.  Our destinations will be two parks just on the other side of the Chesapeake Bay Bridge: Terrapin Beach Nature Park on Kent Island, and Chesapeake Bay Environmental Center (formerly Horsehead Sanctuary) in nearby Grasonville.  We’ll walk between 3-4 miles in generally open and sunny terrain as we explore their various habitats.
Members: $30; Nonmembers: $42
Registration required, please use registration form

Evening Walk on the Canal 
Sunday, September 26 (6:45-8:45 pm)
Leader: Stephanie Mason 
Join senior naturalist Stephanie Mason on this walk through the woods and along the Potomac River’s C&O Canal beginning at Pennyfield Lock near Potomac, MD. As day gives way to dusk - and then to nightfall - we’ll look and listen for owls, foxes, bats, katydids, moths, and other nocturnal and crepuscular animals, discussing the adaptations of these creatures whose “day” begins as ours is ending.
Members: $17; Nonmembers: $24
Registration required, please use registration form

October

Natural Heritage Weekend: Cape Charles
Saturday, October 2 (8 am) to Sunday, October 3 (5 pm)
Leaders: Lynn Davidson and Hal Wierenga
Cape Charles is the southern point of the Delmarva Peninsula, located across the mouth of the Chesapeake Bay from Norfolk and Virginia Beach. Migrant songbirds, raptors, and monarch butterflies congregate at Cape Charles in the fall, much as they do at Cape May, NJ, but Cape Charles sees many fewer visitors. Explore the phenomenon of fall migration while visiting outstanding natural areas around Cape Charles, including Kiptopeke State Park and the Eastern Shore of Virginia National Wildlife Refuge. We will walk several trails, watching for wildlife, and visit the songbird and raptor banding stations at Kiptopeke. We will also learn about monarch butterfly migration at Cape Charles.
Members: $70; Nonmembers: $98
Registration required, please use registration form

Fall Paddle on the Patuxent
Saturday, October 2 (10 am-2 pm)
Leader: Karyn Molines
On this early fall day, join us for a leisurely paddle through the tidal marshes and along the Patuxent River’s edge at Jug Bay Wetlands Sanctuary in Anne Arundel County. We’ll keep our eyes and ears open for turtles, muskrats, songbirds, waterfowl, and other wildlife. The Sanctuary and its wetlands are a component of the Chesapeake Bay National Estuarine Reserve in Maryland. Cost includes canoe fee and Sanctuary entrance fee. Limited to 15 participants who will walk 2 miles round-trip to access the canoes. Our household and multi-program discounts do not apply to this program.
Members: $28; Nonmembers: $39
Registration required, please use registration form

Ferns of Great Falls, Virginia
Saturday, October 2 (9 am-12:30 pm)
Leader: Cris Fleming
Here’s a chance to learn to recognize some of our native ferns and fern allies. Aimed at beginners and those interested in refreshing their knowledge, this half-day field trip will explore varied habitats that harbor these non-flowering plants. Botanist Cris Fleming will lead this leisurely walk along the Swamp Trail and the River Trail at Great Falls Park. Our explorations will cover some uneven and rocky ground, all at a leisurely pace.
Members: $20; Nonmembers: $28
Registration required, please use registration form

Geology of Manassas Battlefield
Sunday, October 3 (1-5 pm)
Leader: Joe Marx
Two pivotal battles were fought at Manassas Junction during the American Civil War. In 1861, the First Battle of Bull Run made clear to both North and South that the war would likely be longer and bloodier than originally anticipated. The second battle, in 1862, gave Lee the upper hand in Northern Virginia, allowing him to invade Maryland a few weeks later. In both battles, the local geology influenced the outcome, favoring soldiers who knew the terrain. We will drive around the National Military Park - stopping for short and relatively easy hikes with mild uphill/downhill - to sites where we can ponder the influence of bedrock and topography on military history. The pace set and distance covered on this geology field trip is typically faster and farther than our usual "naturalist's shuffle."
Members: $23; Nonmembers: $32
Registration required, please use registration form

Natural Heritage Series: Pickering Creek 
Sunday, October 3 (full-day field trip)
Leaders: Stephanie Mason and Cathy Stragar
The Pickering Creek Audubon Center in Talbot County, MD, is a 400-acre working farm on the Eastern Shore.  Located nine miles north of Easton, the center features a variety of habitats including mature hardwood forest, fresh and brackish marsh, meadow, non-tidal wetlands, and over a mile of shoreline on the tidal Pickering Creek. We’ll spend this early fall day exploring these areas in search of late season blooms and early fall color; birds and butterflies on the move; and all manner of wildlife activity, including still-active reptiles, amphibians, and insects; and resident birds and mammals.  We’ll walk between 3-4 miles on mostly level terrain.
Members: $30; Nonmembers: $42
Registration required, please use registration form

Introduction to Tree Identification
Wednesday, October 13 (9 am-3 pm)
Leader: Cris Fleming
Can’t see the trees for the forest? Fall is a great time to learn to identify our local trees and shrubs. With brilliant leaves highlighting the trees, new buds formed, and many fruits hanging on, there are lots of distinguishing features that help sort out the various species. This all-day program at our Woodend Sanctuary will begin indoors with a look at some techniques of tree identification, and then move outside to use our skills to identify many of the trees that grow on the grounds. Both beginners and those who want to brush up on their ID skills are welcome.
Members: $28; Nonmembers: $39
Registration required, please use registration form

Fall Night Sky
Thursday, October 14 (7:30-9:30 pm)
Leader: Richard Orr
When crisp fall air returns to the mid-Atlantic, it often brings with it clean clear skies. This time of year, just after dark the summer triangle descends in the west while the great square of Pegasus, the winged horse, reigns in the autumn night sky. We’ll begin our evening with an indoor presentation to learn the fall constellations, thus starting a  journey into the natural history of the universe - a mixture of mythology, science, and imagination. If luck provides us with a clear sky, we’ll head outside to our Woodend Sanctuary grounds to view some of the best of the celestial sights, including the 1st quarter moon and Jupiter through a telescope.
Members: $17; Nonmembers: $24
Registration required, please use registration form

Fall Morning at Oxon Hill Farm Park
Sunday, October 17 (9 am-Noon)
Leader: Stephanie Mason
Overlooking the Potomac River a few miles south of Washington in Prince George’s County is Oxon Hill Farm Park. Our explorations will cover up to a couple of miles on foot as we visit a variety of habitats in search of early fall color, late season blooms, and migrant birds, butterflies, and dragonflies, as well as resident wildlife. Free, but registration required, please use registration form.

Botanical Gems in Montgomery County: Northwest Branch Park
Sunday, October 17 (1-4:30 pm)
Leader: Carole Bergmann
In 1904, after a horseback ride in the stream valley of Northwest Branch, Theodore Roosevelt declared that it was “a beautiful gorge, deep and narrow, with great boulders and even cliffs. Excepting Great Falls, it is the most beautiful place around here.” Much of this area today is preserved as Montgomery County parkland, and it feels surprisingly wild despite the urbanization surrounding it. The county’s forest ecologist will lead this hike of 2.5-3.5 miles, focusing on fall plant identification and ecology. Our trail will be a natural surface path, with some uphill/downhill and some limited rock scrambling. 
Members: $20; Nonmembers: $28
Registration required, please use registration form

Raptor ID and Natural History
Thursday, October 21 (7:30-9:30 pm)
Saturday, October 23 (full-day field trip)
Leader: Paul Engman
Hawks, falcons, eagles, and their allies share similar characteristics, but each has a unique life history. Many are migratory, and fall brings thousands of migrating raptors to the Appalachian ridges and Atlantic coast. Thursday’s slide lecture focuses on the natural history and identification of eastern raptors. Our field trip goes to one of the premier hawkwatching sites in the area, Waggoner’s Gap in PA, about a 2.5 hour drive from the D.C. area. It has a reputation for affording hawk watchers a look at less common migrants such as golden eagles and goshawks from its rockpile lookout.
Lecture only: Members: $17; Nonmembers: $24
Lecture & field trip: Members: $38; Nonmembers: $52.50
Registration required, please use registration form

Natural Heritage Series: Blue Ridge Beginnings
Friday, October 22 (10:30 am-5:30 pm)
Leader: Stephanie Mason
A little more than an hour northwest of Washington lies Catoctin Mountain, the front edge of the Blue Ridge. Here, on a day of the week when visitors are few, we’ll enjoy the splendid hues and forms of fall foliage and fruits in Catoctin Mountain Park. We’ll walk between 2-4 miles, at a leisurely pace, as we look for the plants and animals that inhabit the parks, woods, and waterways. In addition to natural history, we’ll consider the Mountain’s cultural history and past land uses. Our explorations will include some uphill and downhill hiking over rocky ground.
Members: $30; Nonmembers: $42
Registration required, please use registration form

Natural Heritage Hike: American Chestnut Land Trust
Sunday, October 24 (full-day field trip)
Leaders: Stephanie Mason and Cathy Stragar
A little over an hour’s drive from the Capital area, the American Chestnut Land Trust in Calvert County, MD preserves 3,000 acres in the most pristine watershed on the western shore of the Chesapeake Bay. That watershed—Parkers Creek—contains some of the largest unbroken woodlands left in this coastal plain county. We’ll hike between 4 to 5 miles of trails as we explore this rich area, keeping our eyes and ears open for wildlife activity and identifying plants along the way. There will be some uphill and downhill on this moderate hike.
Members: $30; Nonmembers: $42
Registration required, please use registration form

November

A Year at Boundary Bridge
Saturdays (9 am-2 pm)
Section D: November 6
Section A: January 30
Section B: April 10
Section C: June 12
Leader: Melanie Choukas-Bradley
Join the author of City of Trees for a series of hikes in one of Washington, D.C.’s most beautiful wild areas. Starting at Boundary Bridge and following the same 2.5 mile loop trail each season, we’ll explore the large trees, diverse shrubs, and exceptional wildflowers along a scenic stretch of Rock Creek, just inside the Maryland/ District Line. We’ll also see and hear many species of birds, butterflies, and amphibians. On our winter walk, an ideal time to admire the Park’s topography, we’ll look and listen for winter flocks and identify many species of woody plants. In April, we’ll witness the spring magic of Rock Creek’s myriad wildflowers. As summer arrives in the Park, we’ll hope for a glimpse of a kingfisher as we look for ferns and early seasonal wildflowers such as enchanter’s nightshade. Autumn is glorious in Rock Creek Park, and we’ll conclude our series with a walk through colorful oaks, maples, and ashes, searching for the flowers of an early witch hazel in bloom. Our 2.5 mile circuit hike will be on trails with moderate uphill and downhill walking.
One walk: Members: $25; Nonmembers: $35
Registration required, please use registration form