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Weekend Highlights Saturday, August 28 Habitat Restoration Project Help remove non-native invasive species in the Pohick Stream Valley and restore this forest's health from 10 a.m. to noon. Participants must be at least 12 years old, unless accompanied by an adult. This workday is free to attend. For more information, call 703-324-8681. Pond Life Meet a naturalist by Walney pond at Ellanor C. Lawrence Park. To talk about tadpoles, dragonfly nymphs, water scorpions from 10 to 11 a.m. Bring boots that can get wet and be ready to find out who is living under the water at the pond’s edge. The cost is $10 per family. To register, call 703-631-0013. 28th Annual Begonia Show and Sale Feast your eyes at this show at Green Spring Gardens sponsored by the Potomac Branch of the American Begonia Society. Expand your plant palette! Be tempted with splashes of color and shape for homes and greenhouses that last long after frosts have put our outdoor gardens to bed. The sale offers a wide variety of begonias, including subtropical species. The show is open on Saturday from 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. and on Sunday from noon to 3:30 p.m. For information, call 703-642-5173. Sunday, August 29 28th Annual Begonia Show and Sale Feast your eyes at this show at Green Spring Gardens sponsored by the Potomac Branch of the American Begonia Society. Expand your plant palette! Be tempted with splashes of color and shape for homes and greenhouses that last long after frosts have put our outdoor gardens to bed. The sale offers a wide variety of begonias, including subtropical species. The show is open on Saturday from 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. and on Sunday from noon to 3:30 p.m. For information, call 703-642-5173. Monarch Tagging and Waystation Butterfly Gardening From 1:30 to 3 p.m., meet monarch caterpillars and butterflies up close at Hidden Oaks Nature Center and discover fun facts about their metamorphosis and their preparations for autumn travel to Mexico. Participate in tagging monarchs as part of Monarch Watch research program. Learn how to attract these and other garden jewels to your backyard. The cost is $5 per person. The program on Sunday, August 29 runs from 2 to 3 p.m. To register, call 703-941-1065.   Saturday, September 4 Dino Extravaganza Puppet Show From 2 to 3 p.m. children three years and older with an adult will enjoy puppet shows and activities at Hidden Oaks Nature Center featuring the biggest animals that ever walked the earth! Walk with a naturalist to find hidden clues along the trail from the Jurassic era. The cost is $5 per person. To register, call 703-941-1065. Sunday, September 5 Tagging Monarch Butterflies Learn to identify monarch butterflies at Hidden Oaks Nature Center. Discover their fascinating life cycle and assist with tagging as they migrate to Mexico. Visit a Monarch waystation garden and learn how you can help increase monarch populations. Participants must be at least five years old. The program is offered from 1:30 to 2:45 p.m. and again from 3 to 4:15 p.m. The cost is $6 per person. To register, call 703-941-1065. Colvin Run Mill Grinding Demos Come watch the miller grind grain at Colvin Run Historic site from noon to 3 p.m. The cost is $6 per adult, $5 per student 16 years or older, and $4 per child and seniors. Before you visit, call 703-759-2771 to confirm program will be held. Acoustic Jam It’s an old-fashioned knee-slappin’, finger-poppin’, toe-tappin’ good time at Frying Pan Farm Park’s Country Store from 1 to 4 p.m. Come by to enjoy this free drop-in session. For information, call 703-437-9101. Saturday, September 11 Virginia Indian Festival Eight Virginia and Washington, D.C. area tribes, including the Rappahannock dancers and drummers, will help celebrate the Virginia Indian Festival at Riverbend Visitor Center from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. See demonstrations by tribe members, tool-making experts and local archaeologists, plus bow and arrow shooting and spear throwing with an atlatl. Help build an authentic dug-out canoe. Crafts, pottery and music will be available for purchase. The cost is $5 per person. For information, please call 703-759-9018. Astronomy Campfire Families with children ages four and older trek to see night sky constellations, then join a Hidden Oaks Nature Center naturalist to toast marshmallows and hear fact and fable about astronomical wonders. The one-hour program begins at 7 p.m. and the cost is $5 per person. To register, call 703-941-1065. Burke Lake Club Championship Players compete in an 18-hole individual stroke tournament from 8 to 10 a.m. Prizes will be awarded for 1st, 2nd, and 3rd place scores and closest to the pin contests. Registration begins two weeks prior to the event. The rain date is September 18. The $30 fee includes lunch. To register, call 703-323-1641. Family Portraits in the Woods From 8:30 to 11:30 a.m. a professional photographer from Portrait Playtime will capture family memories by Hidden Oaks Nature Center’s pond. Receive a complimentary 8 x 10 photograph with your order. Sittings are 20 minutes, and a portion of the $50 fee supports nature center programs. Call the park at 703-941-1065 to register. Sunday, September 12 Sully Quilt and Fiber Arts Show and Sale From 10 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., rain or shine, vendors show and sell new and antique quilts, other fiber arts, quilt-related merchandise, antique linens, antique sewing tools, books and fabric at Sully Historic Site’s 37th annual fall Quilt and Fiber Arts Show. The show includes quilting demonstrations and lectures from Northern Virginia Quilters Unlimited, children’s activities, quilt appraisals, quilted door prize from Hayfield Country Quilters, and food. The fee of $9 per adult, $8 per senior, and $6 per child includes a tour of the historic house. For information, please call 703-437-1794. Monarch Tag and Tea Parents and children sip tea and tag live monarch butterflies at Hidden Oaks Nature Center from 2:30 to 3:45 p.m. Enjoy a release ceremony after the tea party. Tea treats include sweets from the Michoacan area of Mexico where the monarch butterflies are flying. The cost is $15 per person. To register, call 703-941-1065. A Natural Perspective: Art Show Opening Meet multi-media artist Jenna Fournel, whose work celebrates the natural world in paintings, etchings, photography and collage, at Huntley Meadows Park from 2 to 4 p.m. Her show is on view through October. For information, call the park at 703-768-2525. Saturday, September 18 Fall Birds and Bagels From 8 to 11 a.m. adults search for resident and migrating birds on a walk at Huntley Meadows Park . Re-cap the sightings during a continental breakfast at the visitor center. The cost is $8 per person. To register, call 703-768-2525. Seed Saving Learn the basics of seed saving, including: seed harvest, drying, cleaning and storage. Venture into our gardens with Mary Frogale, propagation horticulturist, to collect seeds at Green Spring Gardens from 9:30 to 11 a.m. The cost is $22 per person. To register, call 703-642-5173. Cardinal Flowers and Goldenrods Stroll with a Virginia Native Plant Society member to view splendid fall wildflowers along the stream and meadow at Ellanor C. Lawrence Park from 9:30 to 11 a.m. Meet at Cabell's Mill. Participants must be at least 12 years old. The cost is $5. To register, call 703-631-0013. Bat Fest Bat World NOVA's Leslie Sturges will present live local bats at Hidden Oaks Nature Center from 7 to 9:30 p.m. Go on an evening bat hike, discover the array of backyard bugs attracting these natural bug zappers, and enjoy games and crafts. The cost is $7 per person. To register, call the park at 703-941-1065. Sunday, September 19 60th Anniversary: Dr. Seuss and Parks Dr. Seuss' If I Ran the Zoo and the Fairfax County Park Authority are both 60 years old this year. Celebrate at Hidden Oaks Nature Center from 2 to 3:30 p.m. Create your own fanciful book entitled, If I Ran the Nature Center. Meet live animals and create a Seussical craft. The cost is $6 per person. To register, call 703-941-1065. Snapping Turtles Meet at Ellanor C. Lawrence Park’s Walney Pond to search for snapping turtles from 10 to 11 a.m. Participants must be six years or older. The cost is $5. To register, call 703-631-0013. Mill Run Dulcimer Band Concert Welcome the band back to Colvin Run Mill Historic Site for the fall series from 2 to 4 p.m. and enjoy your favorite old-time tunes. For information, call 703-759-2771. Huntley Meadows Park - Wild Side Wagon Ride Take a 90-minute tractor ride with a naturalist to look for and learn about songbirds, wildflowers, butterflies and waterfowl in the wetland. Then stop for a snack at the observation platform. Meet at South King's Highway park entrance. Rides are slated for 12:30 to 2 p.m., 2:30 to 4 p.m., and 4:30 to 6 p.m. The cost is $6 per person. Register online, or call the park at 703-768-2525. Saturday, September 25 Collage Workshop Painter and printmaker Jenna Fournel will teach adults how to turn images from nature into 3D works of art at Huntley Meadows Park from 1 to 3:30 p.m. Supplies, refreshments and a walk with the artist are included in the $20 fee. To register, call 703-768-2525. Mantis Mayhem! Children ages three and older with an adult study the role of mantises in the ecosystem and uncover more about insects at Cub Run RECenter from 2 to 3 p.m. The cost is $4 per person. Register online at or call 703-222-4664. Mason District Park Fall Festival Enjoy police and fire demonstrations, children’s activities including moonbounces and pony rides, shopping for crafts, live entertainment and more. The festival begins at 10 a.m. and ends at 4 p.m. Admission is free; tickets may be purchased for individual rides. Craft vendors must register in advance by calling 703-256-7717. The rain date is Sunday, September 27. For information, please call 703-941-1730. Nature Photography: Reptiles & Amphibians Join a photographer and naturalist on a walk to photograph reptiles and amphibians at Ellanor C. Lawrence Park from 10 to 11 a.m. Learn tips including camera angles. Bring a digital camera. Participants must be eight years or older. The cost is $5. To register, call 703-631-0013. Bill Wellington Family Concert Enjoy the great fun of Bill Wellington’s music during a family celebration of folklore, songs and stories at Frying Pan Farm Park Visitor Center from 10 to 10:40 a.m. or 11:30 a.m. to 12:10 p.m. To make a reservation, call 703-437-9101. New! Bread Tasting at the Mill Go beyond your favorite loaf and savor the huge diversity of breads at Colvin Run Mill Historic Site from 10:30 a.m. to noon. Learn about different types of bread and how to buy, serve and store the best of them. Taste a variety of delicious local and ethnic breads and pair them with other foods. The cost is $22 per person. To register, call 703-759-2771. Sunday, September 26 Voices of the Past Song will ring out again at the Frying Pan Spring Meeting House from 1 to 2:30 p.m. Celebrate the rich history and diverse culture of this National Historic Register property. Built in 1791, the simple white building housed an integrated congregation, sheltered wounded Civil War soldiers and witnessed 200 years of community growth and change. Hear the stories, tour the grounds and enjoy light refreshments in the church yard, just as the parishioners did at their day-long meetings. All proceeds will benefit cemetery restoration. The cost is $15 per person. To register, call 703-437-9101. It Takes Tea to Tango Sip tea and tap your feet at Historic Green Spring from 1 to 3 p.m. An afternoon of tea tunes highlights musical styles associated with tea throughout history. Hear the bamboo pipes of ancient China, Victorian tea court waltzes, and the more modern music crazes of the tea dance era. The cost is $27 per person. To register, call the park at 703-941-7987. Countryside Wagon Ride Enjoy a tractor-drawn wagon ride at Sully Historic Site from 1 to 1:45 p.m. to learn about 19th century farm life and agriculture. Wear walking shoes. The cost is $6 per person. Register online, or call the park at 703-437-1794.