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N° 132 — January 11, 2023

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

Wildlife Havens

What can you do when a tree dies? Dead trees, whether they are still standing as snags or have fallen down to become logs, provide crucial habitat for a wide range of terrestrial and aquatic species. Snags provide food and shelter for cavity-dwelling critters like woodpeckers, owls, and bats. Logs on the forest floor and in water bodies provide habitat for insects and fish, and reduce erosion by slowing down the velocity of water.


While some dead trees at the National Arboretum are removed when they pose a hazard to visitors and staff, many snags and logs are left in place to create wildlife habitat. Learn what you can do in your own backyard to cultivate wildlife.


Creating a Wild Backyard >

Local Volunteering Opportunities

Many of our local environmental partners along the Anacostia River corridor are looking for volunteers for the upcoming Martin Luther King Jr. Day of Service. Get outdoors and volunteer your time in support of conservation in the Chesapeake Bay watershed:

Kingman & Heritage Islands

Saturday, January 14th: 10 AM - 12 PM


Restore Kingman Island to its natural habitat by removing invasive plants. Registration is required.


Details & Registration >

Casey Trees @ Langdon Park

Monday, January 16th: 9 AM - 12 PM


Help remove invasive species and care for trees at Langdon Park. Registration is required.


Details & Registration >

Anacostia Riverkeeper @ Pope Branch Park

Monday, January 16th: 10 AM - 1 PM


Intercept trash before it reaches the Anacostia River watershed by picking up trash at Pope Branch Park. Registration is required.


Details & Registration >

Support FONA: Give through the Combined Federal Campaign

Federal employees and retirees can support FONA through the Combined Federal Campaign. Federal civilian, postal, and military workers have until January 14, 2023 to pledge their support for the 2022 campaign. FONA's CFC number is 81610.


Support FONA through the CFC >

Garden Photo Contest

Calling all garden photographers! Washington Gardener Magazine is accepting photo entries for the 2023 Garden Photo Contest. Photos must be submitted by January 21st. Only photos taken during the 2022 calendar year in a garden setting within a 150-mile radius of Washington, DC are eligible for the contest.


Learn More About the Photo Contest >

Bonsai Lecture

Road Scholar is hosting a two-part online bonsai lecture series with Michael James, Curator of the National Bonsai & Penjing Museum, and Ann McClellan, author of Bonsai and Penjing, Ambassadors of Peace and Beauty.


The first lecture will take place on January 17th at 1 PM, and the second will take place on January 24th at 1 PM. Each lecture costs $25 to attend, registration is required.


January 17th Event Registration >

January 24th Event Registration >

Photo from Ikenobo Ikebana Society Metropolitan Washington, D.C. Chapter

From our Friends: Ikenobo Ikebana Society

Enjoy a special weekend display of Japanese flower arrangements from January 14th to 15th in the National Bonsai & Penjing Museum's Exhibits Gallery.


This exhibit is presented by the Ikenobo Ikebana Society Metropolitan Washington, D.C. Chapter. It will feature flower arrangements from one of the oldest traditional schools of ikebana. The Museum is open daily from 10 AM to 4 PM.

Upcoming Events

Save the date for these exciting events and programs happening in early 2023. More details will come in our spring event guide newsletter.


Connecting Cultures: Japanese Flowering Cherries in America

Saturday, March 18th

Cherry tree symposium hosted by the National Arboretum


Lahr Native Plant Symposium & Native Plant Sale

Saturday, March 25th

Symposium hosted by the National Arboretum, Plant Sale hosted by FONA


Garden Fair & Plant Sale

Saturday, April 29th

Annual event hosted by FONA

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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