Happy holidays and happy new year from everyone at Friends of the National Arboretum!

Thank you for being a part of our community. Whether you live nearby and attended a FONA event or program this year, or live further away and stay connected to the Arboretum through this newsletter, you make the National Arboretum such a special place to be a part of.

Thank you especially to FONA's members and donors — your support makes all our work possible! Remember to join/renew your membership or donate by December 31st to help us finish the year strong!

We look forward to seeing you in the new year.

The National Arboretum is open on New Year's Eve and New Year's Day (and every day of the year except December 25th) from 8 AM to 5 PM.

Get outdoors this holiday season and discover the Arboretum's beautiful winter splendor. Walk evergreen trails of the Gotelli Conifer Collection, smell winter-blooming camellias in the Asian Collections, or see the Washington Monument from the top of the Azalea Collections. Use the Arboretum's mobile app for timely inspiration on what to see, to look up trees, or to view a map of the grounds. Download the app for iOS or Android platforms.

In addition to becoming a FONA member, there are many ways to support FONA financially. We welcome gifts of checks, credit card donations, stock and securities, IRA distributions, Donor-Advised Funds, planned legacy gifts, and more.

Check to see if your company offers a corporate matching program. Federal employees and retirees can contribute directly through the Combined Federal Campaign (#81610).

See All the Ways to Support FONA >

Camellia ‘Frost Princess’ blooms in late autumn, with flowers that can last until early December. This variety comes from a USNA breeding program to produce cold-hardy camellias that can withstand colder DC winters while also retaining the flowers and form of the less cold-hardy Camellia hiemalis. ‘Frost Princess’ has pale pink semi-double blooms with bright yellow stamens in their centers. This shrubby camellia grows in an open, pendulous shape that can be encouraged into cascades of dark green, serrated leaves. Search for ‘Frost Princess’ and her siblings in the Camellia Collection in the Asian Collections.

Kamala Codrington-White, an ORISE fellow at the National Arboretum, shares plants of note at the Arboretum in this new recurring segment. Find these plants on your next trip to the Arboretum this fall. Photo by the U.S. National Arboretum.

FONA is honored to receive four top ratings this year from Charity Navigator, Spur Local, Great Nonprofits, and Candid. These organizations evaluate nonprofits based on a wide range of standards, including accountability, finance, impact, results, leadership, adaptability, culture, and community.

FONA is committed to being transparent with our supporters so we can continue making meaningful change in our community together. Click on each badge to learn more.

Forest Bathing Walk

Sunday, December 31, various times

Meditation and mindfulness

Sign Up for the Waitlist >

Native Plant Sale

Saturday, March 23, 2024

Local native plant vendors

Save the date — details to come

Spring into School Gardening

Saturday, March 23, 2024

Free resources for educators, in WYG

Save the date — details to come

Flowering 5K

Sunday, March 24, 2023

Run or walk through collections in bloom

(Members use your discount code)

Details & Registration >

Garden Fair & Plant Sale

Saturday, April 27, 2024

Plants, vendors, and activities

Save the date — details to come