Friends of Wolf Trap - FOWT

06/08/2026

Happy ! If you didn't already know, we have nearly 3 miles of trails at Wolf Trap, 1.5 miles of which are classified as a TRACK Trail (geared specifically for kids!) Here are some of our fan favorite Wolf Trap Trail activities:

🏃‍♀️ - Walk/hike/run for exercise (or away from those people getting way too close)
😇 - Practice mindfulness. Trails can be incredible places for reflection and healing.
🕵️‍♀️ - Play detective and find some cool flora and/or fauna. While wildlife is pretty neat, remember to respect their distance.
🎤- Sing/hum your favorite song. It is a performing arts park, after all. Maybe just loud enough for yourself to enjoy though.. not everyone is at the park for a performance.
🐶 - Dogs love trails, and we love dogs! But please keep your furry friend on a leash at all times and remember to bag their waste.
📸 - Bust out that camera, the park's lookin' mighty fine these days.
👂 - Listen to the sweet, sweet sounds of the forest. Can you identify the birds by their chirps? Can you hear the leaves swaying in the trees?
💃 - Dance! Again, it's a performing arts park for a reason..
And of course a quick plug to - try to stay 6 feet away from others, wear a face mask when you can, and please Leave No Trace!

06/07/2026

Thank you Ranger Turk for a truly educational morning sharing knowledge about local reptiles -and for us to meet your reptile Ambassadors! On our walk to and around the pond Wolf Trap National Park for the Performing Arts we saw purple martins, bluebirds, tiny turtles, baby toads, plenty of fish, salamanders and even a snake! It was a beautiful day to enjoy and learn about nature. Thank you to the volunteers from the Friends of Wolf Trap and Virginia Master Naturalist Program
Fairfax Chapter of Virginia Master Naturalists

, Virginia Herpetological Society Northern Virginia Purple Martin InitiativeVirginia Bluebird Society

06/07/2026

06/03/2026

JUST ANNOUNCED: John Stamos is joining The Beach Boys on June 7—and it's going to be so much "Fun, Fun, Fun!" Grab your tickets today.

05/31/2026

The forest is waiting. And your next adventure is closer than you think.

Join our friends at the National Forest Foundation in celebrating from May 31 - June 6! Kick off summer by making memories, forging connections, and discovering all that our nation's backyards have to offer.

Learn more—and find a National Forest near you!—at nationalforestweek.org.

05/30/2026

05/30/2026

59 Purple Martin eggs and counting! Woo-hoo! Hello Mama Bird! Happy Saturday!

Gourd 1: 5 eggs
Gourd 2: start of a nest
Gourd 3: 7 eggs
Gourd 4: 7 eggs
Gourd 5: 7 eggs
Gourd 6: 7 eggs
Gourd 7: 1 adult and 3 eggs
Gourd 8: full nest; no eggs
Gourd 9: 6 eggs
Gourd 10: 5 eggs
Gourd 11: 6 eggs
Gourd 12: 6 eggs

Photo credit: AR.
Volunteer Friends of Wolf Trap National Park Wolf Trap National Park for the Performing Arts

05/30/2026

Seeing a show from the lawn this summer? Rent a lawn cushion at the Gift Shop and lounge in style! 😊

05/30/2026

Come learn more about NOVA reptiles at Wolf Trap National Park for the Performing Arts on Sunday, June 7 at 10am. Free.

I WASN’T A ROCK IN YOUR TALL GRASS.
MY SHELL WAS MY BODY.

You heard the mower change sound for one second.

A small bump.
A crack.
Then silence under the blades.

Maybe you thought it was a stone.

Maybe you thought it was a branch.
Maybe you kept mowing because the yard was long and the day was busy.

But I was not a rock.

I am a box turtle.

I do not run from machines.
I do not leap away like a rabbit.
I do not fly like the birds that scatter before you reach them.

When danger comes, I do the only thing my body knows.

I close myself inside my shell.

But my shell is not a helmet I wear.

It is me.

My ribs.
My back.
My life wrapped around my lungs and heart.

So when the mower found me, it did not break “armor.”

It broke part of my body.

Please, if you find a turtle after mowing, do not put me back and hope nature will handle it.

Do not glue my shell.
Do not tape me shut.
Do not place me in water.

Put me in a ventilated box with a towel.
Keep me dark, quiet, and safe.
Note exactly where you found me.
Call a licensed wildlife rehabilitator or reptile veterinarian.

And before the next mow, walk the tall grass slowly.

Look near fence lines.
Under leaves.
Beside garden beds.
Around brush piles.

Because some of us do not run from the sound.

Some of us disappear into ourselves
and hope the world notices before it is too late.

Turtles are injured by lawn mowers and w**d whackers during yard work, and Wildlife Center of Virginia advises checking the yard before mowing or using heavy landscaping equipment. Major turtle injuries such as a cracked shell or large open wound need care from a wildlife rehabilitator or veterinarian, not a “wait and see” approach.