Before spring gets underway, we want to take a moment to reflect on progress from the Educator Coaching Program (ECP). As part of FONA’s School Garden Support Program, ECP provides flexible support to educators from under-resourced D.C. schools. This school year, we are working with teams from five schools, helping empower them to achieve vibrant school gardens.

These five school garden teams have been very busy this year! Here are some highlights from the first half of the school year:

• Patterson Elementary School’s garden team hosted a workday where students, families, and staff planted a fruit tree, maintained the garden, and distributed 131 pounds of food grown in the Washington Youth Garden
• The garden team at Friendship Chamberlain started a new garden club to complement the existing cooking club
• Garden teams at Stanton and Hendley Elementary Schools hosted Hispanic Heritage Month food tasting events

The school garden teams have exciting plans on the horizon for spring. Students and staff at Cleveland Elementary School will build new raised beds, and many schools will have crop planting work days to start the growing season off strong.

Allie Arnold, School Garden Support Program Manager, shared a full mid-year update in a recent School Garden Gateway newsletter.

Read Allie’s Mid-Year Highlights >

FONA’s Flowering 5K is less than two weeks away on March 22nd! Warm weather will soon bring bursts of color and flowers all throughout the Arboretum. This race is the perfect way to shake off the winter blues and soak up some spring sun. Bring the whole family! Strollers are welcome, and children under 13 can race for free. Dogs are also welcome, though must stay on a 6-foot non-retractable leash.

Did you know that we offer 20% military discounts for veterans, active duty, and reserve military members? Email us for the discount code if you qualify. FONA members also get 20% off registration. Check the latest member newsletter for the discount code, or donate any amount to join FONA and receive the discount. 

Register for the Race >

Have you ever experienced the healing power of trees? Find calm under the canopy at our Spring Equinox Forest Bathing session on Sunday, March 22nd from 10 AM to 12 PM. Forest bathing, or shinrin yoku, is the simple practice of taking in the woods through the senses for health benefits. Anyone can enjoy forest bathing walks, whether you are new to mindfulness or a regular practitioner. 

Our forest bathing walks are around two hours long and consist of three “invitations.” For each one, you will be prompted to meditate on an aspect of the natural world as you explore the collection, then given the opportunity to share with the group. This guided meditation slows your mind and allows you to experience nature with all senses.

Register for Forest Bathing >

Planning your spring garden? Opt for native plants! Native plants provide food and shelter for many different types of wildlife, including pollinators and birds. There are thousands of native plant species, but they are often underutilized in garden design. Native plants not only support wildlife, but also bring a lot of beauty to the garden. Since they are adapted to the local environment, they also require less maintenance and are easy to grow. 

Stock up on natives at FONA’s Native Plant Sale. On Saturday, March 28th from 8 AM to 1 PM outside the Visitor Center, shop for spring ephemerals, woody plants, and perennials from a small number of native plant vendors from the Mid-Atlantic region. Vendors may sell out quickly, so get there early to secure your plants. Register for the Native Plant Sale to let us know you’re coming and receive important event updates.

Register for the Native Plant Sale >

When looking for a pop of yellow in early spring, look further than forsythia and daffodils. Winterhazels drip with fragrant yellow flowers in March, sometimes coinciding with the bloom period of spring camellias, star magnolias, and flowering apricots. Each inflorescence carries a cluster of bell-like flowers that provide hummingbirds and bees with one of their first meals of spring. When finished blooming, Corylopsis spicata produces deeply pleated leaves that emerge reddish-purple, maturing to blue-green. However, there are yellow-leaved cultivars on the market under the names ‘Ogon,’ ‘Aurea,’ or ‘Golden Spring.’ While most Corylopsis are indigenous to China, Corylopsis spicata is native to southern Japan, on the island of Shikoku, where it grows in woodlands. Keep an eye out for spike winterhazels in the Asian Collections and the Introduction Garden when visiting the U.S. National Arboretum this spring.

Kamala Codrington-White, an Agricultural Science Research Technician at the National Arboretum, shares plants of note at the Arboretum in this recurring segment. Find these plants on your next trip to the Arboretum. Photos by the National Arboretum.

With warmer weather upon us, students are invited to get outdoors and visit the Washington Youth Garden through Science Program Reaching OUT (SPROUT) field trips. SPROUT is FONA’s school year field trip program, where children can explore our one-acre demonstration garden and learn hands-on garden science. D.C. educators, fill out the form below to request a SPROUT Field Trip for your class. Limited spots are available so request a trip soon!

Request a SPROUT Field Trip >

FONA is delighted to announce a new addition to our ongoing Anacostia River Outdoor Volunteer Trail collaboration. FONA and eleven local environmental organizations have joined forces to offer a fun, collaborative new way to volunteer: the volunteer passport. Volunteer with a partner organization, collect a unique stamp or sticker on your passport page, and explore different ways to give back. 

Join us in celebrating the new volunteer passport on Saturday, March 21st at the Anacostia Park Roller Skating Pavilion. From 10 AM to 12 PM, help with litter cleanup and invasive species removal at Anacostia Park to receive your first stamp in your passport. From 12 PM to 3 PM, meet the environmental organizations involved in the Volunteer Trail, learn about their volunteer opportunities, and get a free poster. Plus, enjoy skating, crafts, and karaoke as part of Friends of Anacostia Park’s Super Friends Saturday event. A free shuttle is available from Anacostia Metro (parking garage side) to the pavilion.

Register to Volunteer >

See our calendar for a list of all of our upcoming events and programs. Events highlighted in purple have member perks like discounts and early access to registration. Donate any amount to become a FONA member!