Note: This event is weather dependent. If you are sick or exhibiting symptoms associated with COVID-19 (such as fever, chills, cough, sore throat, difficulty breathing, loss of taste or smell, etc.), please do not come to the event and consider joining us another time.
Note: A permit has been obtained for this specific event. No one is allowed in the area without a permit.
Date: Friday, April 25, 2025
Time: 10:00 am - 3:00 pm
Location Details: Building 426 at BARC on Powder Mill Rd. Address: 426 Powder Mill Rd, Beltsville, MD 20705.
Please park at the bigger parking lot parallel to Powder Mill Rd.
Carpooling is recommended! Parking can be limited.
Description: AWS is excited to participate in the City Nature Challenge 2025 - an international effort to identify and document plant and animal species in our cities.
Join us for a fun day of biodiversity exploration in the Upper Beaverdam subwatershed at the Beltsville Agricultural Research Center (BARC), a property owned by the U.S. Department of Agriculture for more than a century! It protects some of the most unique ecosystems in the watershed and the region. Bring a lunch for the field and be prepared for an off-trail hike 1.5 - 2 miles long on mostly flat terrain but with some wet-mucky spots and stream crossings.
Be prepared for mud and some bramble - and dress for ticks as always.
Participants document their findings with the free iNaturalist application, however, you don't need to have the app to join the event.
Physical Level of Difficulty: Moderate to Difficult
This event will involve lifting, bending, and walking. Participants will be expected to wear closed-toed shoes for the duration of the event. If you think any of the physical requirements will be problematic, please let us know.
Registration is required. Please register prior to the event date to receive additional information about the event.
For more information, contact Jorge Bogantes Montero at jmontero@anacostiaws.org
Sign up here: 4.25.25 City Nature Challenge @ BARC