Potomac Overlook Regional Park

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Arlington, VA
Potomac Overlook Regional Park

A property of the Northern Virginia Regional Park Authority, Potomac Overlook Regional Park is located in Arlington, Virginia. Park staff present educational programs on a wide range of natural and human history topics.
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Operating as usual

12/26/2020

Squeaker Calling

Animal of the Week: Squeaker the Red-shouldered Hawk

People using headphones beware!!

Red-shouldered hawks are birds of prey that are often heard before they are seen. While blue jays can almost perfectly imitate their call, it is hard to miss when Squeaker is communicating with other nearby hawks in the park.

To learn more and watch Squeaker eat a mouse, check out our raptor video on youtube (skip to 7:37)!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jtHBWRiNK6M&t=458s

12/25/2020

Merry Xmas says this cute little Winter Wren!

12/24/2020

From all of your friends at Potomac Overlook - feathered, scaled, and human alike - we want to wish you a wonderful Holiday Season!

Stay safe and be well 🦉❤️

12/23/2020

Holiday Painted Rocks are out and ready to be found. Check out these photos and see if you recognize where each are planted. Please only take one so that others can have some fun! #paintedrocks #kindnessrocks #happinesshere #happyholidays #holidaycrafts

12/22/2020

Our very own NOVA Parks Roving Naturalist, Matt Felperin, was recently featured on the Virginia Outdoors Adventures Podcast!

This episode is available on:
Apple Podcasts http://ow.ly/vuCl50CSrJJ
Spotify http://ow.ly/Mduj50CSrJC
Google Podcasts http://ow.ly/Crul50CSrJM
Podcast Addict http://ow.ly/6cOf50CSrJL
Stitcher http://ow.ly/GP0b50CSrJH
TuneIn http://ow.ly/AmkN50CSruT
and wherever podcasts are available.

Please subscribe/follow and rate & review the VAOA podcast, wherever you listen to podcasts.

#AdventureOn #LetsGo #Virginia #birds #birding #CBC #christmasbirdcount #christmasbirdcount2020 #cbc2020 #vaoutdoors #virginiaoutdoors #nature #naturephotography #naturephoto #naturephotographer #wildlife #wildlifephotography #wildlifephotographer #wildlifephotos #birdphotography #birdphotos #birdnerd #ilikebirds #communityscience #communityscientist #auduboncbc #novaparks #naturalist #rovingnaturalist

12/22/2020

Swipe ➡️ @the.roving.naturalist covered Potomac Overlook on Saturday for the DC/Arlington count circle of the 2020 Christmas/winter Bird Count. One of the highlights was this cute Winter Wren! Smaller and darker than Carolina Wrens, these birds overwinter in Northern Virginia and can be found around brush piles and fallen logs.

31 species were observed, and you can check out the full list by copying the address below!

https://ebird.org/checklist/S77677126

12/21/2020

Potomac Overlook Regional Park

Santa still needs his Helpers to be found! The Search for Santa's Helpers scavenger hunt will now be available 11am-4pm on Tuesday the 22nd and Wednesday the 23rd as well! Only $5 per family, stop in the Nature Center to pick up your scavenger hunt sheet before 4 pm and join us for some holiday fun! NOVA Parks

THIS JUST IN: Santa’s sleigh crashed and now he needs your help! From December 15th to 20th, go on a scavenger hunt and find Santa’s missing Helpers! Explore our park and locate the Helpers so they can get back to the North Pole in time! Appropriate for families and children of all ages. $5 per family. Check in at the nature center anytime between 11am and 3pm to pick up your scavenger hunt. NOVA Parks

12/20/2020

Search for Santa's Helpers has been extended to be available 11am-4pm Tuesday 22nd and Wednesday the 23rd. Only $5 per family, stop in the Nature Center to pick up your scavenger hunt sheet first.

12/20/2020

Animal of the Week: Shelby the Snapping Turtle

In order to help the eat their prey (in this case, mice), snapping turtles will create a suction with water in their mouths to help swallow their prey whole. In the wild you can find snapping turtles hunting for prey like fish, small mammals, birds and even other small turtles.

To learn more about Shelby the snapping turtle, you can watch our virtual lesson, here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IUJXSyQdpLg

#novaparks #snappingturtle

12/17/2020

2020 has been a tough year. We are honored that NOVA Parks was able to give so many people in Northern Virginia a place to find solace and safe activities during the Pandemic.

Please help support the parks you've experienced during 2020 with a donation to our NOVA Parks Fund!

http://ow.ly/CqpH50COhgR

#happinesshere #getoutside #novaparks

12/16/2020

Hello friends! Due to inclement weather, we have unfortunately had to cancel today’s Search for Santa’s Helpers scavenger hunt. But good news! The scavenger hunt will be offered again on the 16th-20th, and now will be offered on the 22nd and 23rd as well! You can pick up your scavenger hunt sheet at the nature center starting at 11am each day. The end time has been extended by an hour as well, with 4pm now being the final call for starting your scavenger hunt. Thank you everyone and we hope to see you all soon! NOVA Parks

12/15/2020

Our reindeer is looking forward to the snow! Gather some supplies and make one of your own, and be sure to share a picture of your completed reindeer with us on Facebook or Instagram!

#WinterCraft #reindeer #novaparks

12/15/2020

Fun gift ideas for your little historians!

Looking for some educational and FUN activities to give as gifts? We have two education kits now available for ordering!

In addition to our popular Women's Suffrage Kit we are happy to introduce our new Historical Spies kit! Kits are $20 each. We offer pick up or we can ship for an extra $8 per order.

Fill out the Google form below, email us at [email protected], or call us at 703-549-2997 to order your kits!

https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSfIBzwpG32rBLV_R8r3lBFJQPpZkNxRtoJX-rSjaDaYznuhBQ/viewform?usp=sf_link

12/14/2020

Tomorrow is the start to Search for Santa's Helpers! Stop out any time between 11am-3pm to pick up your scavenger hunt sheet, only $5.00 per family! There are prizes for those who finish.

12/12/2020

Dude the Chameleon

Animal of the Week: Dude the Veiled Chameleon

Veiled chameleons have extremely elastic and powerful tongues that make them excellent predators. This combined with their prehensile tails (able to grasp and assist with climbing) and zygodactylous feet (two groupings of toes pointing in different directions) make them perfectly suited for their environment.

Learn about why chameleons actually change color by reading this article from National Geographic:

https://www.nationalgeographic.com/animals/2018/08/chameleon-camouflage-color-change-myth-news/

#VeiledChameleon #novaparks

12/12/2020

Here's a sneak peak of our Animal of the Week!

Can you guess to which of our critters this prehensile tail and zygodactylous foot belong to?

Stay tuned for the full reveal of this animal later today!

#AnimalOfTheWeek #PotomacOverlook #novaparks #prehensile

Even though it's cold outside, there are plenty of fun and safe activities to do at NOVA Parks this winter. If you have ...

12/11/2020

Things To Do At NOVA Parks This Winter

Even though it's cold outside, there are plenty of fun and safe activities to do at NOVA Parks this winter.

If you have been enjoying your time at our parks please consider donating to NOVA Parks at:

https://www.cfnova.org/donate/nova-parks-fund

We appreciate your continued support of NOVA Parks! ♥️

http://ow.ly/1StJ50CJ6KS

Even though it's cold outside, there are plenty of fun and safe activities to do at NOVA Parks this winter.If you enjoy our parks please consider donating to...

12/10/2020

Frank the Foodie Fox Squirrel back again and, brrrrr, winter is here and I have found that one of the best ways to celebrate the season is with hot mug of hazelnut java while surrounded by thousands of beautiful twinkling lights at the 3 NOVA Parks light shows:

Ice and Lights at Cameron Run: https://www.novaparks.com/events/ice-lights

Winter Walk of Lights at Meadowlark Gardens: https://www.novaparks.com/events/winter-walk-of-lights

Festival of Lights at Bull Run: https://www.novaparks.com/events/bull-run-festival-of-lights

Check out all three!

12/10/2020

A big THANKS goes out to Potomac Overlook Naturalist Sarah for designing and painting the new garden sign. It looks awesome! #arlingtonmastergardens #organicgardening #eggplant

It may be cold outside but there is still plenty of safe, outdoor fun to be had at NOVA Parks this winter!http://ow.ly/V...

12/09/2020

How to enjoy NoVa's local parks this winter

It may be cold outside but there is still plenty of safe, outdoor fun to be had at NOVA Parks this winter!

http://ow.ly/VVN050CGMDg

#happinesshere #winterintheparks #novaparks

Don’t let the cold weather stop you from taking a hike, playing a round of golf or even camping in one of the region’s gorgeous public parks.

12/08/2020

Happy holidays from your friends at Potomac Overlook! Don’t miss out on all of the fun offerings we have for the whole family in December and find the perfect gifts for your loved ones! NOVA Parks

12/07/2020

VIRTUAL NATURE PHOTOGRAPHY WORKSHOP SERIES: BIRDS
DEC 12 2:00pm to 4:00pm
via Zoom

Looking to capture that perfect shot, but coming up short? Join nature photographer and roving naturalist Matt Felperin for a virtual nature photography workshop series intended to improve your own photography skills! The workshop will take place from the comfort of your home on Zoom.

For more information: http://ow.ly/iKoG50CEK4t

#naturephotography #novaparksrovingnaturalist #novaparks

12/04/2020

Santa’s sleigh broke down and now his Helpers are lost and need rescuing! From December 15th to December 20th, go on a scavenger hunt at Potomac Overlook Regional Park to locate and record where all of his Helpers are so they can get back to the North Pole in time for the holidays! Appropriate for families and children of all ages. $5 per family. Check in at the nature center anytime between 11am-3pm to pick up your scavenger hunt sheet. No reservations required. NOVA Parks

12/03/2020

Meet “Dude” the Veiled Chameleon and “Sweetie” the Bearded Dragon! These cool lizards are on loan from our friends at @meadowlarkbotanicalgardens for the next month so be sure you come see them while they’re here! Also, don’t forget to check for @winterwalkoflights ticket availability!

12/03/2020

Meadowlark Botanical Gardens

Grab your scarf and mittens, it's the perfect time for the Winter Walk of Light. Check out this awesome video for a sneak peak!
#lightshow #holidayseason #familytimetogether #datenight

Make your Tuesday twinkle at Meadowlark's Winter Walk of Lights!

Tickets must be purchased online, in advance.
Tickets: http://ow.ly/uBe550Cv0CV

#happinesshere #holidaylights #winterwalkoflights #meadowlarkbotanicalgardens #novaparks

12/02/2020

Garden Rocks

"Planted" two more painted rocks today! #PORPROCKS! #kindnessrocks #carrot #strawberry #arlingtonmastergardeners

12/01/2020

King Louis the Eastern Kingsnake

Animal of the Week: King Louis the Eastern Kingsnake

Eastern Kingsnakes are not only named for the yellow crown-shaped marking on the top of their heads - they are known for killing and eating other snakes, even venomous ones such as copperheads!

See if you can spot him in the video - or come meet him at the Nature Center!

#novaparks #PotomacOverlook #EasternKingsnake

11/29/2020

Blue Bird Rock out in the park

The next painted rock has been hidden. Check out the clip to see if you know where it is hiding and then come on out and try to find it. #PORPROCKS! #kindnessrocks #bluebirdnest #paintedrocks

11/27/2020

Bull Run Regional Park

Want to celebrate the holidays safely? Bull Run Festival of Lights lets you enjoy 2.5 miles of holiday lights from the safety and comfort of your own car!

Buy tickets online and save $5!
Tickets: http://ow.ly/d8IV50CuO5m

#happinesshere #holidaylights #festivaloflights #bullrunregionalpark #novaparks

11/25/2020

Frank the "Foodie" Fox Squirrel here to wish you and your family a very splendid Thanksgiving. I'm thankful for this nice big drumstick and of course the pecan pie! #thanksgivingtaxidermy #foodie #drumsticks🍗

11/24/2020

Stumpy on a Stump

Stumpy is counting the tree rings to see how old it is!

#novaparks #PotomacOverlook #BoxTurtle #Stumpy-on-a-Stump

11/24/2020

Animal of the Week: Stumpy the box turtle!
Stumpy is a very well behaved turtle, and an essential member of the nature center family. Similar to trees, the age of Eastern box turtles can be determined by counting the rings on the scales (also known as scutes) of their shells.

Can anyone guess how old Stumpy is?

#novaparks #PotomacOverlook #BoxTurtle

11/24/2020

Parks are a great place for learning while our school buildings remain closed.

Read this Connection Newspaper article written by NOVA Parks Executive Director, Paul Gilbert, about all of NOVA Parks educational enrichment programs at Potomac Overlook, Carlyle House and Aldie Mill.

http://ow.ly/jNY550Ctv32

#happinesshere #outdoorclassroom #potomacoverlook #carlylehousehistoricpark #novaparks

11/22/2020

Frog Rock

Painted Rock #2 is out for finding, check out this video for a hint to his location! #PORPROCKS! #kindnessrocks

Address

2845 Marcey Rd
Arlington, VA
22207

Visit www.wmata.com for bus access to the park. The park is roughly 2 miles north of the Ballston metro station on the Orange Line.

General information

Park features include 2+ miles of hiking trails, a picnic area, covered shelter space (for rent), playground, a nature center, live animal exhibits, gardens, and more!

Telephone

(703) 528-5406

Website

https://www.novaparks.com/parks/potomac-overlook-regional-park

Alerts

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Contact The Business

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Videos

Squeaker Calling

Animal of the Week: Squeaker the Red-shouldered Hawk People using headphones beware!! Red-shouldered hawks are birds of prey that are often heard before they are seen. While blue jays can almost perfectly imitate their call, it is hard to miss when Squeaker is communicating with other nearby hawks in the park. To learn more and watch Squeaker eat a mouse, check out our raptor video on youtube (skip to 7:37)! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jtHBWRiNK6M&t=458s

Our very own NOVA Parks Roving Naturalist, Matt Felperin, was recently featured on the Virginia Outdoors Adventures Podcast! This episode is available on: Apple Podcasts http://ow.ly/vuCl50CSrJJ Spotify http://ow.ly/Mduj50CSrJC Google Podcasts http://ow.ly/Crul50CSrJM Podcast Addict http://ow.ly/6cOf50CSrJL Stitcher http://ow.ly/GP0b50CSrJH TuneIn http://ow.ly/AmkN50CSruT and wherever podcasts are available. Please subscribe/follow and rate & review the VAOA podcast, wherever you listen to podcasts. #AdventureOn #LetsGo #Virginia #birds #birding #CBC #christmasbirdcount #christmasbirdcount2020 #cbc2020 #vaoutdoors #virginiaoutdoors #nature #naturephotography #naturephoto #naturephotographer #wildlife #wildlifephotography #wildlifephotographer #wildlifephotos #birdphotography #birdphotos #birdnerd #ilikebirds #communityscience #communityscientist #auduboncbc #novaparks #naturalist #rovingnaturalist

Animal of the Week: Shelby the Snapping Turtle In order to help the eat their prey (in this case, mice), snapping turtles will create a suction with water in their mouths to help swallow their prey whole. In the wild you can find snapping turtles hunting for prey like fish, small mammals, birds and even other small turtles. To learn more about Shelby the snapping turtle, you can watch our virtual lesson, here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IUJXSyQdpLg #novaparks #snappingturtle

Dude the Chameleon

Animal of the Week: Dude the Veiled Chameleon Veiled chameleons have extremely elastic and powerful tongues that make them excellent predators. This combined with their prehensile tails (able to grasp and assist with climbing) and zygodactylous feet (two groupings of toes pointing in different directions) make them perfectly suited for their environment. Learn about why chameleons actually change color by reading this article from National Geographic: https://www.nationalgeographic.com/animals/2018/08/chameleon-camouflage-color-change-myth-news/ #VeiledChameleon #novaparks

Garden Rocks

"Planted" two more painted rocks today! #PORPROCKS! #kindnessrocks #carrot #strawberry #arlingtonmastergardeners

King Louis the Eastern Kingsnake

Animal of the Week: King Louis the Eastern Kingsnake Eastern Kingsnakes are not only named for the yellow crown-shaped marking on the top of their heads - they are known for killing and eating other snakes, even venomous ones such as copperheads! See if you can spot him in the video - or come meet him at the Nature Center! #novaparks #PotomacOverlook #EasternKingsnake

Blue Bird Rock out in the park

The next painted rock has been hidden. Check out the clip to see if you know where it is hiding and then come on out and try to find it. #PORPROCKS! #kindnessrocks #bluebirdnest #paintedrocks

Stumpy on a Stump

Stumpy is counting the tree rings to see how old it is! #novaparks #PotomacOverlook #BoxTurtle #Stumpy-on-a-Stump

Frog Rock

Painted Rock #2 is out for finding, check out this video for a hint to his location! #PORPROCKS! #kindnessrocks

Animal of the Week: Twiggy the Barred Owl The diet of barred owls is primarily small mammals like squirrels, chipmunks, voles and mice, but they will also prey on birds, amphibians, reptiles and fish.

Does your child LOVE nature? Check out all of our nature based programs scheduled for the rest of October and November: https://www.novaparks.com/parks/potomac-overlook-regional-park/events Sign-up soon, space is limited.

Learning about watersheds the fun way!

Spaces are still avilable in this week's Schoolyard Explorers Series: Water, Weather and Forces classes. Sign the family up at: https://www.novaparks.com/parks/potomac-overlook-regional-park/events

@potomacoverlook naturalist Sarah took this awesome video today of a daddy-long-legs (harvestman) attempting to feast on a dead wasp. Unlike most arachnids, which are strictly predatory, daddy-long-legs are omnivorous and even scavenge for food. Watch as this clumsy animal loses track of its prize and chases away a rival!

Box Turtle Racing!

On your mark, get set, go!! Today’s Talkin Bout Turtles program saw our 3 eastern box turtles race each other for some tasty earthworms! Crunchy won this race here and Sunny made an epic comeback for the championship in the last race of the day, but Stumpy the seasoned veteran won 2 races and took home the title! Who says Box Turtles can’t move? 🐢

Talkin' bout Turtles

Dive on into some terrapin adventures at our Talkin' bout Turtles program this Wednesday. For more information and to register please visit: https://www.novaparks.com/parks/potomac-overlook-regional-park/events/talkin-bout-turtles

What’s the newest buzz on the nature center? We’re excited to announce that our bees have returned!! Come on out and see our observation hive, and learn about what makes our pollinating friends so important!

Come out and build your own water bug at the "Bugs' Life" program this Wednesday and learn about all the benefits of insects that surround us! Programs start at 10:00am, 12:30pm and 3:00pm. Space is limited so be sure to sign up today: https://www.novaparks.com/parks/potomac-overlook-regional-park/events/a-bugs-life

Check out the finale of our video series, "Explore Local", as we show you and your family fun ways to get out and experience what's around you! This week we are learning how to make and hide paper towel owls, with the help of a special feathered friend! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5cQzo4SOcrs&feature=youtu.be

Spring has sprung and our pond is hopping mad with frogs and tadpoles! Join our Park Naturalist as we see what amphibians are active and breeding this time of year. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sCB4urKEblc&feature=youtu.be

Check out this entry in our newest video series, "Explore Local", as we show you and your family fun ways to get out and experience what's around you! This week we are introducing letterboxing, where we'll learn how to make our very own letterboxing stamp! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FWyAku-WygU&feature=youtu.be

Check out this entry in our newest video series, "Explore Local", as we show you and your family fun ways to get out and experience what's around you! This week we'll learn about painted rocks and how to create and hide your own! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fXbZzxbJayA&feature=youtu.be

It's Meet the Critters Sunday and that means a chance to catch up with some of your favorite animals at Potomac Overlook! Each Sunday we'll post one of our hit videos from the “Meet the Critters series” for anyone who missed them the first time or wants to see them again! This week, soar on down and meet some of the resident raptors at Potomac Overlook! Watch them be fed, see how the staff care for them and learn why we have raptors in the first place in part 1 of our videos on birds of prey. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jtHBWRiNK6M&t=46s

It's Meet the Critters Sunday and that means a chance to catch up with some of your favorite animals at Potomac Overlook! Each Sunday we'll post one of our hit videos from the “Meet the Critters series” for anyone who missed them the first time or wants to see them again! This week, soar on down and meet some of the resident raptors at Potomac Overlook! Learn what features birds of prey all share and see two of the resident raptors up close in part 2 of our videos on birds of prey. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GmhdU0sYxh4

It's Meet the Critters Sunday and that means a chance to catch up with some of your favorite animals at Potomac Overlook! Each Sunday we'll post one of our hit videos from the “Meet the Critters series” for anyone who missed them the first time or wants to see them again! For this week, get an up close look at our amazing snakes as we feed them mice! Learn about what makes snakes such amazing creatures and why they are so important to the ecosystem. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I4cGJL5P4SI

It's Meet the Critters Sunday and that means a chance to catch up with some of your favorite animals at Potomac Overlook! Each Sunday we'll post one of the hit videos from our “Meet the Critters series” for anyone who missed them the first time or wants to see them again! This week's video features our common snapping turtle! Learn what makes these turtles such incredibly tough animals and watch our resident snapper, Shelby, eat! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IUJXSyQdpLg&feature=youtu.be&fbclid=IwAR1okzguwb4sCS2SjlAsDtkgEDWK2deUCLnQgC0G_Ztef0Jy6lpvHjr9Yig

Check out the first entry in our newest video series, "Explore Local", as we show you and your family fun ways to get out and experience what's around you! This week we'll learn about how to grow seeds and what species you can find locally. https://youtu.be/LVAnOf6qCkg