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N° 205 — July 17, 2024

Enjoy regular updates and insights from FONA, the U.S. National Arboretum, and our award-winning Washington Youth Garden.

Educators at the Summer Institute dig in to one of the raised beds in the Washington Youth Garden.

Garden Update

Not only is July one of the hottest times of the year, but it's also one of the busiest for our education programs.


FONA's interns are about halfway through the Green Ambassadors Program. Last week, they donned bee suits and learned how to harvest honey from the Washington Youth Garden's hives. The garden requires constant watering and harvesting, keeping our Garden Team and volunteers very busy. Also, FONA's annual Summer Institute for Garden-based Teaching is happening this week at the Arboretum. Forty-two educators from across Washington, D.C. are participating in this week-long professional development.


Huge shoutout to FONA's education program teams, Green Ambassadors, and garden volunteers for working hard through this summer heat!

Fall 5K Registration Open

Registration for FONA's annual Fall 5K is now open! This race will be held on Sunday, November 10th at 8:30 AM. Enjoy stunning fall colors as you run or walk the course around the National Arboretum. All roads are closed to cars during this race so you can safely enjoy the race. Bring the whole family — strollers and dogs are welcome, and kids race for free!

Photo by Beth Haubach

Photo by Beth Haubach

New this fall, veterans race for free! Thanks to support from the National Environmental Education Foundation, we are able to offer free registrations for the first 50 veterans who sign up. Please email info@fona.org for the coupon code.


Tiered registration pricing has changed slightly. Tiered pricing is now based on the number of racers who have already signed up, rather than changing price on a specific date. So registration for the first 150 racers is $40, for the next 150 is $45, and so on until all 600 spots are sold out. Make sure to sign up early to lock in the lowest price possible!


Don't forget — FONA members receive 20% off all FONA events. Email Leandra Nichola, our Membership Manager, to receive the Fall 5K member discount code.


Register for the Fall 5K >

In Memoriam: Lawrence Ragle

Lawrence "Larry" Ragle, one of the original board members of the National Bonsai Foundation, recently passed away. Larry was an avid supporter of the early development and expansion of the National Bonsai & Penjing Museum at the National Arboretum. He was also deeply involved in the bonsai and suiseki communities, and played a key role in planning events at the Museum to honor bonsai masters.


The National Bonsai Foundation recently published an article remembering and celebrating Larry's life and legacy in the bonsai community.


Read the Article >

Photo via National Bonsai Foundation.

4th FONA Fridays

The next Summer Evening Hours at the Arboretum is coming up on Friday, July 26th! The grounds will stay open to the public until 8 PM. This is free for all, and is made possible by FONA and the Capitol Hill Community Foundation.


Stop by the Member Social from 5 PM to 8 PM, which will be located on the road between the National Herb Garden and the Visitor Center. This month's theme is all about herbs! Enjoy refreshments, a family-friendly activity, and a chance to connect with other FONA members. This social is a free, drop-in opportunity for all FONA members!

Plant Spotlight

Garden phlox is a popular native perennial, occurring naturally in the eastern United States and escaping gardens to live in the wild across the country. Phlox paniculata ‘Jeana’ has a particularly strong resistance to powdery mildew and has an exceptional ability to attract butterflies, scoring best (4.8/5 points) in a phlox plant trial conducted by the Mt. Cuba Center, a native plant garden and research facility in Delaware. It has smaller individual flowers than most garden phlox, but when they’re massed in their six-inch clusters, they make an impressive display. The flower stems can grow to five feet tall and bloom for the latter half of summer, making them wonderful vertical additions to pollinator or cottage gardens. Visit the Friendship Garden to enjoy the phlox and watch the butterflies feast.


Kamala Codrington-White, an ORISE fellow 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. Photo by U.S. National Arboretum.

From our Friends: Kenilworth Park & Aquatic Gardens

Don't miss the annual Lotus & Water Lily Festival this weekend at the Kenilworth Park & Aquatic Gardens! The festival runs from Friday, July 19th through Sunday, July 21st, and will feature cultural performances, classes, ranger programming, and more. The Kenilworth Park & Aquatic Gardens is located just across the Anacostia River from the National Arboretum in Northeast, D.C.


Learn More About the Festival >

Upcoming FONA Events

Movie in the Meadow:

The Hidden Life of Trees

July 20, 8 PM - 11 PM

Outdoor movie in the Ellipse Meadow

Movie Info & Tickets >


4th Fridays Summer Evening Hours

July 26, 5 PM - 8 PM

August 23, 5 PM - 8 PM

Arboretum grounds stay open to the public


Community Fishing

August 24, 9 AM - 12PM

Free fishing along the Anacostia

Save the date — registration coming soon!

Dinner Under the Stars

September 17, 5:30 PM - 9 PM

Cocktails & tented dinner in the Meadow

Purchase a Ticket or Table >


Fall 5K

November 10, 8:30 AM

Run or walk through stunning fall foliage

Race Registration >


Forest Bathing Walks

Various dates and times

Meditation and mindfulness

Upcoming Dates & Registration >

The Arboretum is open every day from 8 AM to 5 PM except December 25th.

Check Our Website for Full Details >

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Friends of the National Arboretum
3501 New York Ave NE
Washington, DC 20002
202.544.8733
FONA is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit membership organization with the mission to preserve and enhance a vibrant public space and support experiential programming that instills a love of plants, nature and the outdoors in all who visit, while promoting the overarching research and education mission of the U.S. National Arboretum.

Since its inception, FONA has helped support the Washington Youth Garden, Capitol Columns, Flowering Tree Walk, horticultural and research internships, restoration of Springhouse Run, and much more.

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