National Capital Parks – East
Anacostia Park • Capitol Hill Parks • Carter G. Woodson Home NHS • Fort Dupont Park • Fort Washington Park • Frederick Douglas NHS • Greenbelt Park • Kenilworth Park & Aquatic Gardens • Langston Golf Course • Mary McLeod Bethune Council House NHS • Oxon Cove Park • Piscataway Park • Sewell Belmont House and Museum Washington DC www.nps.gov/nace (202) 690-5185 and Maryland
National Park Service U.S. Department of the Interior
Calendar of Events – Winter/Spring 2009
National Capital Parks – East offers a wide array of historic, cultural, and recreational areas that are part of Washington, DC, and its eastern environs. The park is comprised of over 8,000 acres of federal land, ranging from community parks and National Historic Sites to unique wetland ecosystems, meadows, and mature hard wood forests. Explore & Enjoy
January
National Puzzle Month Display Oxon Cove Park – Visitor Barn 9:00 a.m. to 3:45 p.m., January 1 to January 31 All Ages Join us in celebrating one of America’s favorite pastimes, puzzle solving. Browse around the Visitor Barn to see the variety of scenic picture puzzles on display. Invasive Plant Removal Greenbelt Park – Sweetgum Picnic Area 11:00 a.m., Saturday, January 3 301-344-3944 Ages 8 to Adult Make a difference and help preserve Greenbelt Park’s native plants. Join in a hands-on nature preservation activity as we pull non-native plants and help
preserve Greenbelt Park for future generations. Wear sturdy shoes, long pants, long-sleeved shirts, and work gloves. Animals in Winter Greenbelt Park – Ranger Station 1:00 p.m., January 4 301-344-3944 Ages 5-12 Join a park ranger and discover animal behavior and survival techniques through the winter season. Tours by the Fort Washington Guard Fort Washington Drawbridge 12:30 p.m., 1:00 p.m., 1:30 p.m., 2:00 p.m., Sunday, January 4 301-763-4600 All Ages Volunteers in Civil War uniforms will provide tours of the historic fort. Friends of Still Creek Greenbelt Park – Ranger Station Monday January 5, 7:00 p.m. – 9:00 p.m. Contact Bill Duncan 301-345-6515 Ages 16 to Adult Are you a creek lover? The Friends of Still Creek invite you to explore the Still Creek Watershed in Greenbelt Park. Meet at the ranger station.
Martin Luther King, Jr. Film Festival Frederick Douglass NHS – Visitor Center 11:30 a.m. to 2:00 p.m., Sunday, January 11 to Monday, January 19 202-426-5961 All Ages Visit the Frederick Douglass NHS for a film festival exploring the life and legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., and the Civil Rights Movement. For a more detailed schedule, please visit www.nps.gov/frdo.
Inaugural Birding Anyone? Kenilworth Aquatic Gardens – Visitor Center 8:00 a.m., Saturday, January 17 202-426-6905 All Ages Why not leave politics behind and take a walk on the wild side of Washington, D.C., for a bird walk led by Park Ranger Ian Lothian.
Saint Elizabeth Hospital Era Oxon Cove Park – Visitor Barn 12:00 noon to 3:00 p.m., Saturday, January 17 301-839-1176 All Ages Discover the history of Oxon Hill farm from 1891 to 1967 when Oxon Cove Park was the site of an alternative treatment program for Saint Elizabeth’s Hospital. Know Your Tree Neighbors Kenilworth Aquatic Gardens – Visitor Center 1:00 p.m., Saturday, January 17 and 10:30 a.m., Saturday, January 31 202-426-6905 All Ages Washington’s trees never really stop blooming. Park Ranger Kate Bucco will lead a half hour walk to observe buds, flowering seasons, and twigs. Call the park to confirm in case of icy weather. Life on the Farm in winter Oxon Cove Park – Visitor Barn 9:00 a.m., Sunday, January 18 301-839-1176 Grades K-12 Join a park ranger in discovering what chores need to be carried out on the farm. Help feed the animals, clean the stables, milk the cow, and feed the chickens. Finding Your Way Kenilworth Aquatic Gardens – Visitor Center 1:00 p.m., Sunday, January 19 202-426-6905 Ages 8 to Adult Ever get lost in town? Park Ranger Ian Lothian will lead a short hike through the park using a compass to demonstrate how you can become a master of directions. Call the park to confirm in icy conditions. Barnyard Tales Oxon Cove Park – Visitor Barn 11:30 a.m. to 12:00 p.m.,Sunday, January 25 301-839-1176 Recommended for Ages 3-9 however, all are welcome Life on the farm slows down in winter, so come sit a spell and listen to stories with a farm theme. Please RSVP Oh!! It’s So Cold Greenbelt Park – Ranger Station
11:00 a.m. to 12:00 noon January 31 301-344-3944 Ages 5 to 10 Children will explore the ways animals use there survival skills during the cold winter months. Groundhog Day Oxon Cove Park – Visitor Barn 9:00 a.m. to 10:00 a.m., Saturday, January 31 All Ages 301-839-1176 Hear the story of America’s most famous groundhog. We will discover a few little known facts about the groundhog and host our own ceremony for this year’s prediction. Will there be two more weeks of winter?
February
Tours by the Fort Washington Guard Fort Washington Drawbridge 12:30 p.m., 1:00 p.m., 1:30 p.m., 2:00 p.m., Sunday, February 4 301-763-4600 All Ages Volunteers in Civil War uniforms will provide tours of the historic fort. Invasive Plant Removal Greenbelt Park – Sweetgum Picnic Area 11:00 a.m., Saturday, February 7 301-344-3944 Ages 8 to Adult Make a difference and help preserve Greenbelt Park’s native plants. Join in a hands-on nature preservation activity as we pull non-native plants and help preserve Greenbelt Park for future generations. Wear sturdy shoes, long pants, long-sleeved shirts, and work gloves. Greenbelt Park celebrates Black History Month Greenbelt Park Ranger station 2:00 p.m, Sunday, February 8 and 2:00 p.m., Sunday, February 15 301-344-3944 All Ages Discover Charles Young, the first African American superintendent, and his contributions to the National Park Service Know Your Tree Neighbors Kenilworth Aquatic Gardens – Visitor Center 1:00 p.m., Saturday, February 7and
1:00 p.m., Saturday, February 21 202-426-6905 All Ages Washington, D.C. trees never really stop blooming. Park Ranger Kate Bucco will lead a half hour walk to observe buds, flowering seasons, and twigs. Call the park to confirm in case of icy weather. Friends of Still Creek Greenbelt Park – Ranger Station 7:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m., Monday, February 9 Contact: Bill Duncan 301-345-6515 Ages 16 to Adult Are you a creek lover? The Friends of Still Creek invite you to explore the Still Creek Watershed in Greenbelt Park. Meet at the ranger station. Frederick Douglass 191st Birthday Celebration Frederick Douglass National Historic Site 10:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m., Saturday, February 14 202-426-5961 All Ages Join the National Park Service in celebration of the 191st anniversary of the birthday of the great orator, abolitionist and statesman. Witness winning orations presented by the 2008 Frederick Douglass Oratorical contest participants. Musical selections will be performed. Owls and their Family Greenbelt Park – Ranger Station 10:00 a.m, Sunday, February 15 301-344-3944 All Ages Come and explore how male and female owls court and get ready to raise their hatchlings and fledglings. Discover how they hunt, capture and feed. Owl pellet dissection activity included. Prince George’s County and the Underground Railroad Greenbelt Park – Ranger Station 1:00 pm., Saturday, February 28 301-344-3944 All Ages Join a park ranger for a hike along the trails of Greenbelt Park to learn about the Underground Railroad. We will recount stories of real experiences which occurred as enslaved persons traveled using the Underground Railroad in Prince George’s County.
March
Spring Walk Fort Washington Entrance Parking Lot 7:30 a.m. to 9:30 a.m., Saturday, March 21 All Ages Celebrate the return of spring with Park Guide Bambi Sears as she conducts a hike through the park looking for the early signs of spring. The Potomac River and Fort Washington Fort Washington Park – Visitor Center 1:00p.m. to 3:00 p.m., Sunday, March 29 All Ages Join Park Guide Bambi Sears at the Fort Washington wall for a stunning view of the Potomac River as she leads you on an informative discussion on the river’s role in the coastal defense of the Nation’s Capital.
April
Fort Washington Park – Visitor Center 21st Annual Potomac Watershed Cleanup 9:00 a.m. to 1:00p.m. Saturday, April 4 301-763-4600 All Ages Join your neighbors in cleaning up the shores of Fort Washington Park. Meet at the park’s visitor center. Be sure to wear work clothing and rugged shoes. Fort Washington Park Artillery Training Day 10:30 to 3:30 p.m., Sunday, April 5 301-763-4600 All Ages The first of the season’s artillery demonstrations, volunteers learn and refresh their memories of the proper procedures to load and fire the park’s Civil War cannons. The cannon will be fired throughout the day.