Nature Center Programs in March Will Include St. Patrick’s Day Leprechaun Hunt and ‘Etch and Sip’ Wine Night

The nature centers of Montgomery Parks will have a lion-sized calendar of special events throughout March, including wildflower hikes, leprechaun hunts and even wine on a raptor deck from your own hand-etched wine glass.

The March nature center programs will include:

• Upcycled Art: Paper. Saturday, March 16. 10 a.m.–12:30 p.m. Brookside Nature Center, 1400 Glenallan Avenue, Wheaton. Help the environment through art. Recycle and repurpose old newspapers, magazines and other paper into a piece of beautiful art. Materials will be provided. Registration required. Ages 18 and older. $25 per person.
• Fairy House Walk. Sunday, March 17. 1–3:45 p.m. Locust Grove Nature Center, 7777 Democracy Boulevard, Bethesda. Visit the enchanted forest of Cabin John Kingdom. The fairies have agreed to make their village visible to humans. Walk along the trail to see their magical homes and build your own fairy habitat in the woods. Registration required. All ages (ages 2 and older must register). $3 per person. (Ticket times start every 15 minutes in 30-minute increments.)
• Spring Equinox Guided Labyrinth Walk and Campfire. March 17. 6–8 p.m. Locust Grove Nature Center, 7777 Democracy Boulevard, Bethesda. Celebrate the start of spring by taking time in nature to restore and recharge. Choose a guided activity in the mediation labyrinth, then warm up by the fire and roast a marshmallow. Registration required. All ages (ages 5 and older must register). $6 per person.
• Etch and Sip Wine Night. Saturday, March 23. 4–6 p.m. Meadowside Nature Center, 5100 Meadowside Lane, Rockville. Create a personalized wine glass and then use it to enjoy a glass of wine afterward. Materials and stencils for chemical glass etching will be provided. Ages 21 and older. Registration required. $20 per person.
• Spring Wildflower Walk. Sunday, March 24. 10–11:30 a.m. Locust Grove Nature Center, 7777 Democracy Boulevard, Bethesda. For a few short weeks in spring, the forest floor is blanketed in beautiful woodland wildflowers. Take a stroll through the park guided by a master naturalist to enjoy this spectacular short-lived seasonal display. Registration required. Ages 16 and older. $7 per person.
• Nature Center Pop-up. Sunday, March 24. 11 a.m.–2 p.m. Martin Luther King Recreational Park, 1100 Jackson Road, White Oak. Visit the Nature on Wheels vehicle and meet a naturalist to learn about the park, explore some natural objects, ask questions and do biology-themed activities. Registration optional. All ages. Free.
• Hike at Middle Patuxent Environmental Area. Tuesday, March 26. 11 a.m.–3 p.m. Black Hill Discovery Center, 20926 Lake Ridge Drive, Boyds. Travel by van to the Middle Patuxent Environmental Area in Howard County and hike the South Wind Trail through upland and hardwood forest, fields, wetlands and riparian habitats. Ages 18 and older. Registration required. $35 ($33 for members of Friends of Black Hill).
• Herp Hunt at Rachel Carson. Friday, March 29. 3–5 p.m. Rachel Carson Conservation Park, 22201 Zion Road, Olney. Search for herps (reptiles and amphibians) in vernal pools at Rachel Carson Conservation Park. Find tadpoles, frogs, salamanders and maybe a snake or two. Ages 6-12. Registration required. $7 per person ($6-Friends of Black Hill).

Go to Montgomery Parks event calendar for a complete list of special events and programming and to learn how to sign up using ActiveMontgomery. Visit the Spring 2024 Montgomery Parks Program Guide.