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N° 258 — August 6, 2025
Enjoy regular updates and insights from FONA, the U.S. National Arboretum, and our award-winning Washington Youth Garden.
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With less than one month left to enjoy summer evening hours at the National Arboretum, we want to help you soak up as much of this special experience as possible. FONA is hosting a number of free and paid visitor programs and events in August to help you do just that.
Take a moment for mindfulness. Practice yoga in the Grove on Wednesday, August 20th or soak up the harmonies of a sound bath on Tuesday, August 12th and 26th. We also just opened registration for a special evening forest bathing walk on Wednesday, August 27th.
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Make paw-sitively perfect connections. Stop by our Dog Days "Pup-up" in the Grove with our friends from the SPCA on Thursday, August 14th. Meet some adoptable dogs, drop off food or supply donations for the SPCA, learn how to support the SPCA with Shelter Skip Days, or grab a doggy snack for your own canine companion. We'll host another casual "pup-up" on Thursday, August 21st, as well as a Dog Days Celebration on Wednesday, August 27th.
Learn About Dog Days of Summer Events >
| | Make a picnic out of Food Truck Fridays. Dos Carnales will serve Mexican food this Friday, August 8th from 3 PM to 7:30 PM. Eat your fill of Indonesian food from Arni's Kitchen on Friday, August 15th from 5 PM to 7:30 PM. Enjoy fusion tacos from Taco Dirty To Me on Friday, August 22nd from 5 PM to 7:30 PM. Find these food trucks on Meadow Road near the Visitor Center. | | | Members of FONA's staff and board working at the Garden Fair & Plant Sale. | | |
Join our team as a Communications Coordinator and help connect people to FONA's and the National Arboretum's work! This full-time, permanent position will join FONA's growing communications team. They will support our programs, events, and development needs by coordinating a variety of channels such as newsletters (like this one!), social media, website, signage, and more.
Applications are now open and will be reviewed on a rolling basis starting after August 20th, with an expected cutoff date of September 8th. The expected start date is September or October 2025.
Apply for the Communications Coordinator Position >
| | Dog of the Year Photo Contest | |
Only a few days left to nominate your canine companion for our Dog of the Year photo contest! Nominations will close on Monday, August 11th at 10 AM. You must be a FONA member in order to nominate your dog. Members, check your emails for the nomination form passcode or email us if you can't find it. Voting will begin on Wednesday, August 13th and will be open to the public.
Donate any amount to become a FONA member and join the competition. You can make a one-time gift, or pledge a monthly donation and "join the pack" as a Sustaining Member. The passcode to unlock the nomination form will be included in your donation confirmation email.
Nominate Your Pup for Dog of the Year >
| | Dog Taco from our 2020 Dog Days of Summer contest. Photo courtesy of Becky. | | | | Did you know that August is National Make-a-Will Month? Having a will secures your legacy and allows you to plan ahead for the people, places, and causes you care about. If you choose to include FONA in your will, your legacy will also help secure the future of the National Arboretum. You will be invited to join FONA's Heritage Society, a dedicated group of individuals who share a commitment to the Arboretum and a love of plants, science, and nature. | | |
Not sure how to get started? FreeWill is a free online resource that guides you through the process of creating a legally valid will or trust. You can use this tool regardless of whether or not you include FONA in your will. You can also make a legacy gift to FONA by making FONA a beneficiary of a retirement account, life insurance policy, or living trust. We encourage you to check with your financial advisor to understand your options.
Please let us know if you've already included FONA in your estate plans. We'd love to thank you and welcome you into the Heritage Society.
Learn More About Planned Giving >
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Dive into the intriguing world of carnivorous plants during our Carnivorous Plant & Bog Workshop, co-hosted by FONA and Cultivate the City. Join us on Saturday, August 16th from 2 PM to 4 PM and learn how to care for and propagate carnivorous plants and create a thriving bog garden at home. Depending on which ticket you purchase, you will either build a bog of your own during the class, or will take a carnivorous plant home to plant later. Tickets are available for $30 and $60, and include different quantities of plants and gardening materials. FONA members, email us for the $5 member discount code.
Register for the Workshop >
| | Maypops passionflower is a temperate relative of the tropical passionfruit, with similar sweet fruit and beautiful flowers. Left on its own, it is a fast-growing vine that spreads by suckering, but it can be trained into a bushy form as well. It is a larval host for several butterflies and it provides nectar for pollinating insects and hummingbirds. Ripe Passiflora incarnata fruit is eaten by birds and mammals, including humans, who use it to flavor drinks and desserts as a substitute for passionfruit. | | | |
In its native range of the central and eastern United States, it grows in sunny areas like prairies, riverbanks, and forest edges. This plant isn’t picky about soil or climate. Keep an eye out for maypops in Fern Valley this summer at the U.S. National Arboretum, but please don’t pick the fruit.
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.
| | From Our Friends: Ikebana International | |
Ikebana International, Washington D.C. Chapter 1 presents a continental breakfast and demonstration by Professor Noritaka Noda of the Ikenobo Ikebana NYC Chapter. The demonstration will be Saturday September 6th, 10 AM - 1 PM at the National Arboretum. Registration is required.
Learn More & Register >
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Summer Evening Hours
June 1 - August 30, 5 PM - 8 PM
Arboretum grounds stay open to the public
Important Evening Hours Details >
Food Truck Friday: Dos Carnales
Friday, August 8, 3 PM - 7:30 PM
Serving Mexican cuisine
Evening Sound Bathing
Select Tuesdays, 6:30 PM - 7:30 PM
August 12, August 26
Refresh your mind with soothing soundscapes
Class Schedule & Registration >
Dog Days "Pup-up"
Thursday, August 14, time TBD
Casual meetup during evening hours
Food Truck Friday: Arni's Kitchen
Friday, August 15, 5 PM - 7:30 PM
Serving Indonesian cuisine
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Carnivorous Plant & Bog Garden Workshop
Saturday, August 16, 2 PM - 4 PM
Learn how to care for and build a bog garden
Learn More & Register >
Forest Bathing
Saturday, August 16, 9 AM - 11 AM
Guided meditation & mindfulness
Learn More & Register >
Evening Yoga
Wednesday, August 20, 6:30 PM - 7:30 PM
Outdoor yoga for all skill levels
Learn More & Register >
Dog Days "Pup-up"
Thursday, August 21, time TBD
Casual meetup during evening hours
Food Truck Friday: Taco Dirty To Me
Friday, August 22, 5 PM - 7:30 PM
Serving fusion tacos
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Evening Forest Bathing
Wednesday, August 27, 5:30 PM - 7:30 PM
Guided meditation & mindfulness
Learn More & Register >
Dog Days Celebration
Wednesday, August 27, time TBD
Photo contest winner will be announced
Music in the Meadow: Rock Garden
Friday, September 5, 7 PM - 8:30 PM
Paid outdoor concert with classic rock vibes
Purchase a Ticket >
Dinner Under the Stars
Tuesday, September 9, 5:30 PM - 9 PM
Unforgettable evening of connection & impact
Learn More & Purchase a Ticket >
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The National Arboretum is open from 8 AM to 8 PM through August 30th for summer evening hours. Use the R Street entrance for entry/exit after 2 PM on weekdays or 4:30 PM on weekends. Last admittance onto the grounds is at 7:30 PM.
Check Our Website for Full Details >
| | It's now easier than ever to become a FONA member. Donate any amount to join or renew your membership for one year, or pledge to give monthly and support our work all year round as a Sustaining Member. There are also many tax-smart donation options. | |
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