by Marlene Berlin I wrote in January about a driver’s close call with a falling tree in Rock Creek Park. By the next day, the tree was no longer blocking […]
Backyard Nature: The reasons woodpeckers peck at trees – and your home
by Marlene Berlin Woodpeckers are a-wooing. If you are hiking in Rock Creek Park this time of year, and are hearing the drumming of woodpeckers, there’s a good chance those […]
April in the Neighborhood: A huge spring cleanup, a pop-up market, a Peirce Mill project, and a Big Band jazz fest
As spring cleaning goes, it’s a massive project. Volunteers are fanning out throughout the Rock Creek watershed this month to pick up litter. Rock Creek Conservancy’s annual Extreme Cleanup started […]
Photos: The shape of water
by Marlene Berlin We started this week with a story of water’s power. It can fell a tree, and turn a gentle stream into a torrent. We end the week […]
Photos: Rock Creek after the rain, and a driver’s close call with a falling tree
by Marlene Berlin I hiked Rock Creek Park on Sunday to see the creek swollen by rain, but my first encounter was with a driver on Ridge Road who had […]
Photos: A long-awaited snowy day
by Marlene Berlin We just got our most substantial snowfall in two years. I wouldn’t have missed walking in it for anything. I set out for Van Ness via Rock […]
Backyard Nature: A turkey making house calls
by Marlene Berlin Sometimes we have unexpected wildlife encounters – without leaving the house. We received this dispatch from neighbor Dzenita Mehic Saracevic: It was just an ordinary Friday. I […]
December in the Neighborhood: Holiday pop-up shopping and concerts, and a journey to the center of the Earth
A shopping roundup: Here’s another shop-small-and-local plug for the Van Ness Main Street Holiday Pop-Up on Saturday, December 2nd from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Thirty DC-area creatives are stocking […]
Backyard Nature: A showstopping autumn
by Marlene Berlin Fall has wowed us this year, with colors that stand out both in their brilliance and their longevity. The yellows, oranges and reds emerged with a vengeance […]
Backyard Nature: What causes trees to change their colors and shed their leaves in the fall
by Marlene Berlin Almost as soon as trees start to wear their fall colors, they begin to slough them off. Around the neighborhood and on Rock Creek Park trails, flashes […]