Tents Intensive

Camping

An overnight in the wild can seem intimidating, but REI holds hands-on camping courses to help you feel more confident there. Head to a store location for an indoor “Beginner’s Camping Workshop” ($45), in which you learn how to build the perfect campsite, from pitching a tent to firing up a camping stove.

Flyover State

Birdwatching

For those ready to let a birdwatching passion take flight, Nature Forward (formerly the Audubon Naturalist Society) leads educational bird walks through Woodend Nature Sanctuary in Chevy Chase. Seasoned hobbyists teach proper binocular techniques to spot migratory songbirds, pointing out fowl and how to identify them. The active lesson happens the second Saturday of every month and is $16 a person, with the option to bring a free plus-one.

I Spy

Foraging

Searching for snacks in the wild? The Fairfax County Park Authority hosts periodic foraging sessions ($10) guided by a naturalist. Per county rules, you can’t take plants home, but you will leave with a sense of which mushrooms, roots, and leaves you can harvest elsewhere and eat. Another class covers items in nature that can be used in crafting projects ($12).

This article appears in the December 2024 issue of Washingtonian.