(3-Adult) It's dinner time at the nature center and worms and insects are on the menu. Help our naturalist care for and feed the nature center's animals.

(6-Adult) Create a welcoming space for birds and watch who shows up! Learn how feeders, food, and native plants can support local wildlife, then take part in making native seed balls to grow plants that birds love.

This program satisfies most of the requirements to earn the badge. Scouts must complete all prework before the start of class. Pre-work and program details available at www.fairfaxcounty.gov/parks/scouts. Scouts unable to complete all requirements may receive partial credit from their merit badge counselor.

(12-Adult) Learn about the park's birds and some basic identification skills. This program for beginners starts with a bird identification discussion. Children age 12 to 16 must be accompanied by a registered adult.

(3-Adult) Beavers are some of the busiest animals in the natural world. In this family-friendly program, participants will learn how beavers build, eat and shape their habitats.

(5-Adult) Join us for an evening campfire the whole family can enjoy. Explore the wonders of our natural world through nature walks, interactive activities and animal presentations. Includes s’mores. Topics vary by date. Children must be accompanied by a registered adult.

(13-Adult) Smartphones have tremendous power to take great photos if you know what you are doing. In this class, we will explore the wonders and push the limits of cell phone photography. We will cover how to create photos with depth, stop and capture motion, editing and how to take good photos in low light.

This program satisfies most of the requirements to earn the badge. Scouts must complete all prework before the start of class. Pre-work and program details available at www.fairfaxcounty.gov/parks/scouts. Scouts unable to complete all requirements may receive partial credit from their merit badge counselor.

This program satisfies most of the requirements to earn the badge. Scouts must complete all prework before the start of class. Pre-work and program details available at www.fairfaxcounty.gov/parks/scouts. Scouts unable to complete all requirements may receive partial credit from their merit badge counselor.

(8-Adult) Participants in this introductory session will practice John Muir Law's "I notice, I wonder, it reminds me of" nature journaling strategy to hone their observational skills and then learn different approaches to recording their observations on the page using images, words, and numbers. The objective is to connect to the natural world without an expectation of making great "art" or collecting/learning facts. Basic drawing supplies will be available or bring your own supplies if you'd prefer.

This program satisfies most of the requirements to earn the badge. Scouts must complete all prework before the start of class. Pre-work and program details available at www.fairfaxcounty.gov/parks/scouts. Scouts unable to complete all requirements may receive partial credit from their merit badge counselor.

(3-Adult) November is National Gratitude Month. Learn why we appreciate trees, forests, streams and the wildlife they contain. Join us for a hike to enjoy the fall foliage and observe our waterways. Make a craft to take home to remember to be thankful for nature.

(All Ages) Make your own seasonal wreath out of vines decorated with greens, cones, dried flowers and ribbons. Register one adult to reserve the supplies for yourself and/or your family. One wreath per registrant. Please register another adult per additional wreath. All ages welcome.

(8-12 yrs.) This hands-on program will cover the rock types and allow the participants to become familiar with our local geology. Program includes fossils and their formation, uses of rocks and minerals and science experiments.

(6-12 yrs.) This nocturnal wildlife and local lore program features a craft, a twilight walk into the forest, trick or treating, animal activity stations and campfire with scary stories and s'mores. Campfire takes place during the last half hour of the program. Costumes are encouraged.

(3-6 yrs.) This nocturnal wildlife and local lore program features a craft, a twilight walk into the forest, trick or treating, animal activity stations and a campfire with spell-binding stories and s'mores. The stories are ‘not so scary’ as we don’t want to frighten you and will take place during the last half hour of the program. Costumes are encouraged.

(13-Adult) Step back in time and uncover the stories that shaped Hidden Pond. As part of Fairfax 250, this program explores the rich natural and human history of the park, from its early landscapes to the people who helped preserve it. Drawing from the work of local author Jack Hiller, participants will discover how Hidden Pond has changed over time and why it remains an important community space today. Through guided exploration and storytelling, you’ll gain a deeper connection to the land right in your backyard.

(All Ages) Come explore the many wonders Hidden Pond has to offer. Each family-friendly session features a different theme—ranging from animal talks to hands-on pond netting and other interactive activities. Join us to discover something new about nature every time you visit.

(7-10 yrs.) Hidden Pond and the adjacent Pohick Stream Valley Park offer a natural classroom that is an action-packed learning experience. Young naturalists will learn about nature through stream and pond studies, bug hunts, reptile surveys and amphibian habitat exploration. No camp July 3.

(7-11 yrs.) This program is based on the popular Pohick Rangers series geared to meet some homeschool science requirements. Topics vary. Meets every week.

Satisfies most of the requirements to earn the badge. See site’s website for details. This title allows online group registration.

(16–Adult) Turn nature into your canvas. In this hands-on workshop, participants will experiment with printmaking techniques inspired by the natural world, including cyanotype sun prints (using sunlight to create blue images) and gyotaku fish impressions (ink prints made from a fish’s shape and details). Use plants, textures and natural forms to create one-of-a-kind pieces while exploring how art and ecology connect.

(3-6 yrs.) Be a part of the long-running naturalist program designed for preschool-age explorer. From field to stream and everything in between, children learn about many of our local animal species hands-on and in the field. Program topics vary each week.

(3-Adult) Step into the park after dark and discover what comes alive when the lights go out. As the sun sets, participants will explore a nighttime world of nocturnal wildlife, uncovering the adaptations that help animals navigate, hunt, and survive in the dark while observing how the park transforms after hours.

(8-12 yrs.) Inspired by Pohick Rangers, this series takes you on an adventure to the lesser-known areas of the park. Learn how we care for our natural resources and explore a wide range of topics such as wetland diversity, forest habitats, or pond wildlife. Hypothesize, investigate, survey, observe and discover all things flora and fauna.

This program satisfies most of the requirements to earn the badge. Scouts must complete all prework before the start of class. Pre-work and program details available at www.fairfaxcounty.gov/parks/scouts. Scouts unable to complete all requirements may receive partial credit from their merit badge counselor.

(5-7 yrs.) Supplement your child’s science education. Students will participate in science experiments and activities exploring the Virginia science standard of learning, as they relate to nature and the outdoors. This program focuses on grades K to 1 and meets every other week.

(14-Adult) Celebrate the winter solstice by stepping into the role of a community scientist and exploring the park through bird observation and identification. Participants will learn to recognize common winter species by sight and sound while contributing to ongoing efforts to document bird populations. Modeled after the "Christmas Bird Count", this program focuses on developing field skills and appreciating the diversity of birds that remain active during the colder months.