Outside With a Guide

10/13/2026

10/01/2026

Spend your evening becoming a participatory scientist, engaging in scientific discovery and helping increase our knowledge about reptiles and amphibians in our region.

Join us at the Science Museum of Virginia to learn from the Virginia Herpetological Society about herpetofauna such as frogs, salamanders and snakes, and how to identify various species using iNaturalist. We will be working on computers using iNaturalist, but no previous iNaturalist experience is required! A laptop is preferred (instead of a tablet or phone). When you register for the event, you can request to borrow a computer if needed.

The Herpetofauna Identification Workshop is free and open to guests ages 18+.
Registration is now open: smv.org/explore/things-to-do/herpetofauna-id-workshop/
This event is part of a series focusing on Virginia’s flora and fauna made possible by a grant from the Seeding Action program, sponsored by the Association of Science and Technology Centers in conjunction with iNaturalist.org

09/27/2026

Monarchs are on the move! Our solar-tagged butterflies are travelling on their (mostly) southern migration. “NHA-12,” released just four days ago, has reached northwest of Richmond, pinging off cell phones in Virginia.

Follow their incredible journeys and help us collect data anywhere in the country through the Project Monarch app!

08/05/2026

WHAT!?!?? Wow

08/05/2026

Interesting data coming out of the most recent Virginia breeding bird atlas update…

The Atlas documented breeding evidence for 204 species which includes 196 species that were confirmed breeders, and eight species that were either probable or possible breeders.

07/29/2026

https://phys.org/news/2026-07-moth-wings-reveal-unexpected-ability.html

Insect wings are bristling with senses, feeling the wind blowing and even tasting potential mates, but little was known about whether moth wings are equipped with a sense of smell. Sonja Bisch-Knaden and Bill Hansson from the Max Planck Institute for Chemical Ecology, Germany, had a hunch that moth....

07/26/2026

!!!

07/02/2026

Wild rice once thrived along the District of Columbia’s Potomac and Anacostia Rivers and was a dietary staple for the Piscataway and Nacotchtank peoples living in this area. However, as development transformed the region’s watershed, its freshwater wetland habitat disappeared.

Today, wild rice is making a comeback along the Anacostia River as conservation organizations and community members re-envision what an urban river can be. Wild rice provides a habitat among its roots and shoots for fish, frogs, migratory birds, insects, and invertebrates. Its seeds are also a vital food source for migratory birds and other wildlife. In addition, these grasses filter freshwater tidal marshes, trap sediments and pollutants, help control storm surges, and store carbon.

This specimen was collected in 1958 from Theodore Roosevelt Island, District of Columbia.