We are very excited to welcome three new full-time members to FONA's program team!

Mariyah Whitley returns to FONA’s team as a Program Manager, where she will oversee the Green Ambassador Program and SPROUT field trip program. Mariyah was born and raised in the DMV, specifically in Prince George’s County, MD, and is an alumna of Delaware State University. Over the years, she has held different part-time roles at FONA, but was introduced to the organization through the Green Ambassador Program.

Mykaela Brevard joins FONA as a School Garden Support Educator, where she will support youth education program work in DC partner schools. Mykaela was born in DC and grew up in Prince George’s County, MD. This is her first time working at FONA in any capacity, and she has been enjoying soaking up all the knowledge she can. When she’s not working, she enjoys new finding something new to experience, scouring the internet, hanging at Hains Point, playing in clay, or collaging.

Max Skoglund returns to FONA as a Volunteer Coordinator & Garden Educator. He grew up in Rockville, MD and studied environmental science at the University of Maryland, College Park. Max worked at FONA last year as a seasonal Youth Programs Educator. When he’s not at the Arboretum, you can catch him biking, running, or skating in Rock Creek Park, tending his garden at home, or spending time with people in his community.

Gardening in early spring can be fraught with anxiety as temperatures fluctuate and threats of frost still loom. The U.S. Department of Agriculture has created some tools to help gardeners and growers.

The Plant Hardiness Zone Map helps growers determine which perennial plants are most likely to thrive at a given area. This map was recently updated in 2023 with new temperature data, and is very user-friendly — just enter your zip code to find your zone.

Explore the Plant Hardiness Zone Map >

The Freeze Date Tool provides information about freezing temperature dates across the mid-west and northeastern United States. While this tool can offer a lot of data, hover your cursor over a county on the map to find the average last frost date for that area.

Explore the Freeze Date Tool >

Just over one month ago, FONA’s School Garden Support (SGS) program team presented at the Growing School Gardens Summit in San Diego, CA. This summit gathered over 600 educators and leaders from school garden programs across the nation and created a collaborative space to learn from each other, share resources and ideas, and make connections. Ashley Rattanawan and Allie Arnold, School Garden Program Managers, and Emilia Kawashima, Garden Co-Manager, represented FONA at the event. They were excited to meet others doing similar work across the country and learn about different program models and ways of teaching in the garden. 

During the summit, Ashley and Allie led a session on workshopping professional development opportunities for educators. They emphasized making these opportunities meaningful and connected to participants. They used FONA’s Summer Institute for Garden-based Teaching as a lens for participants to learn about responsive training strategies and get peer-to-peer coaching and feedback.

Our SGS program team is excited to be back in DC and implement what they learned at the summit in FONA’s education programming. There's still time to apply for the 2024 Summer Institute and see these principles in action.

Apply to the Summer Institute >

Use our new Spring Scavenger Hunt to discover some of the Arboretum's flowering introductions during your spring visits. This scavenger hunt features introductions we expect to bloom in March, April, and May, but may vary based on that particular season. Visit the Arboretum multiple times throughout the spring to find all the introductions in bloom.

Download the Spring Scavenger Hunt >

FONA's annual Garden Fair & Plant Sale is coming up on Saturday, April 27th! In addition to having thousands of plants for sale and 30+ local vendors in attendance (plant and vendor lists coming soon), there will also be activities for all ages. Here's what activities to expect at this year's Garden Fair.

ARTboretum

10 AM - 2 PM

ARTboretum is a free, family-friendly event celebrating the intersection between art and nature. This child-centered, family-focused event for children ages 2 to 12 will include face painting, arts, crafts, and games. These activities are offered by DC Child Care Connections. Please pre-register for these free activities.

ARTboretum Registration >

Raised Beds: How to Build & Use Them in an Urban Garden

11 AM - 12:30 PM | 1 PM - 2:30 PM

Learn about different raised bed construction methods and get advice on how conditions such as where you construct your bed, how you feed and water your plants, and soil conditions can impact your chances of success. This workshop is hosted by W.S. Jenks & Son, and is geared towards both urban and suburban gardeners.

Our suggested ticket price is $30 ($24 for FONA members), but please pay what you can to attend.

Garden Workshop Registration >

Stop by our Volunteer Open House this Saturday, April 6th from 10 AM to 12 PM in the Washington Youth Garden and learn about FONA's volunteer opportunities throughout the year. There's something for everyone, whether it's getting your hands dirty in the Washington Youth Garden, or supporting community events like the seasonal festivals and 5Ks.

Register for the Open House >

We are looking for volunteers to help with our Garden Fair & Plant Sale on Saturday, April 27th. We need volunteers to price and move plants during the week before the event. We also need volunteers to help at the event as greeters, cashiers, plant experts, shopping cart wranglers, and more. We greatly appreciate all our volunteers who make this event possible! Fill out our event volunteer interest form and we'll get back to you soon with more information.



Event Volunteer Interest Form >

Volunteer Open House

April 6, 10 AM - 12 PM

Learn about FONA's volunteer opportunities

Details & Registration >

Youth Poetry Slam in the Garden

April 6, 2 PM - 4 PM

Youth poetry competition in WYG

Details & Registration >

Garden Fair & Plant Sale

April 27, 9 AM - 4 PM

Plants, vendors, workshop, free activities

Details & Registration >

Music in the Meadow: Cumbia Heights

May 17, 7 PM - 8:30 PM

Evening concert with alt-tropical vibes

Save the date — details to come

Grow the Garden Party

June 8, 11 AM - 1 PM

Celebrating the expansion of WYG

Save the date — details to come

Music in the Meadow: Wylder

June 8, 7 PM - 8:30 PM

Evening concert with modern folk vibes

Save the date — details to come

Fishing Nights & Extended Hours

Various dates and times

Fishing along the Anacostia River, Arboretum stays open until 8 PM instead of 5 PM

Forest Bathing Walks

Various dates and times

Meditation and mindfulness

Upcoming Dates & Registration >