EVENTS & PROGRAMS
FEATURED EVENTS
WYG 50th Anniversary Weekend
We’re celebrating Washington Youth Garden’s 50th Anniversary with a weekend of fun!
Saturday, June 11th: Family-friendly birthday party in the garden with games, activities, and birthday cake.
Sunday, June 12th: Evening benefit in the garden celebrating 50 years of WYG with cocktails, dinner, and toasts.
Summer 5K
Saturday, June 25th: 9 AM
Enjoy the National Arboretum in full swing during FONA’s Summer 5K. This race will take you past garden collections in bloom, over tree-lined rolling hills, and along streams winding their way to the Anacostia River. All roads are closed to cars during this race so you can safely enjoy running through this 450-acre urban green space.
Dinner Under the Stars
Tuesday, September 20th, 5:30 PM – 8:30 PM
Join us for our 26th annual Dinner Under the Stars. Enjoy cocktails in the National Arboretum’s Ellipse Meadow and a tented dinner in view of the Capitol Columns. Spend a wonderful fall evening with colleagues, business leaders, and government representatives.
EDUCATION PROGRAMS
With a focus on serving under-resourced communities, FONA nurtures curious minds and healthy bodies by connecting youth to food, the land, and each other. Our youth education programs take place at Washington Youth Garden on the grounds of the U.S. National Arboretum and in partner schools across Washington, DC.
Green Ambassadors developed new skills & addressed food insecurity in their communities
educators engaged from 50 schools & organizations
Grow@Home kits shared with DC students
pounds of produce harvested & donated to local families
Washington Youth Garden (WYG) is a one-acre education garden at the National Arboretum and is a destination for garden-based education and nature play. It was originally established in 1971 to teach local elementary students horticulture and life skills.
Today, Washington Youth Garden is a welcoming and inviting place for the DC community to learn and grow together. WYG’s sensory garden, innovative growing techniques, and nature-explore classroom encourage visitors of all ages to engage with agriculture, farming, and environmental education. Thousands of pounds of fresh fruits and vegetables are grown in WYG each year, all of which are distributed to students and families in the DC community to fight food insecurity.
Visit the Garden
The garden is open to all Arboretum visitors and has parking nearby. Please follow our three garden agreements during your visit:
- Stay on the path
- Pick with permission
- Respect all living things
Garden Events
We host many events open to the public throughout the year, such as School Garden Maintenance mornings, weekend Family Days, and our fall Garlic Planting Party. See our calendar for upcoming events in Washington Youth Garden.
Get Involved
Volunteers help in our Washington Youth Garden at the Arboretum for 3 hours a week from April through October. Our volunteers provide crucial help with gardening tasks such as weeding, planting, mulching, and pest control. You don’t need prior experience, but you must be willing to make friends with the soil and the bugs! Sign up to volunteer today.
The School Garden Support Program works with educators across DC to build strong, sustainable school garden programs. Our program empowers teachers to connect students to garden-based education through field trips in Washington Youth Garden, virtual classroom support, and professional development opportunities for DC educators.
Field Trips
Our field trips take place in Washington Youth Garden at the U.S. National Arboretum. Field trips are 90 minutes long and explore a specific garden theme in an exciting and interactive way.
Virtual Classroom Support
Bring garden science into your classroom or home with our Grow@Home activity kit, Virtual Farm Field Trips, and curated online learning resources.
Professional Development
Our professional development opportunities train teachers and school staff to make garden-based education a part of daily life in schools.
The Green Ambassador Program (GAP) provides year-round employment and development opportunities for high school students. Youth enter the program in Farm Crew, progress to the Guild, and finally become program Leaders.
Farm Crew
Participants begin GAP in the Farm Crew, a six-week paid summer internship where they learn hands-on skills such as gardening, cooking, and carpentry as well as interpersonal skills like communication and collaboration.
Guild
Participants then continue the program through the Guild, a paid internship during the academic year. They apply skills learned during the Farm Crew to implement community action projects that address food insecurity.
Leaders
After participating in the Farm Crew and Guild internships, Green Ambassadors are invited to mentor incoming Farm Crew participants, deepen their knowledge through garden internships, and broaden connections through an alumni network.
RECREATION PROGRAMS
We provide unique opportunities for people to connect with nature. Check out our calendar below to see what’s available.
Forest Bathing
Connect with nature while exploring the grounds. During this two-hour program, our certified forest bathing guides invite you to reflect on the world around you and guide you through focused meditations. Each event explores new collections to highlight the Arboretum’s unique seasonal diversity. See calendar below for dates and times, or buy a forest bathing gift card for someone else.
Photography Workshops
Hone your nighttime photography skills by learning through sunset and sunrise photo workshops at the National Arboretum. Learn from the experts and register for a class with Capital Photography Center. See calendar below for dates and times.
Fitness Activities
Stay active at the Arboretum through yoga classes and seasonal 5K and 10K running races. See calendar below for dates and times.
VIRTUAL EVENTS
In our Digging In virtual event series, we host experts to discuss exciting topics pertaining to the National Arboretum’s mission. As a FONA member, you can attend the events live and dig in with the experts.
Understanding Organic Lawn Care
Connecting through Cocoa & Coffee
Want to watch “Digging In” live?
CALENDAR
may
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august
september
november
december
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