Gulf Branch Nature Center

08/27/2026

Monarchs have begun to appear more frequently on the milkweed plants!

It’s this time of year that monarchs prepare for their well-known migration. This is where they travel long distances to an overwintering site in Mexico, where they do not mate or reproduce.

We’ve been seeing eggs on the leaves, which can take about 30 days to full adulthood. The adult monarch that grows in this time is the “super generation,” the one that is able to survive through the winter through migration. There is another local butterfly that migrates, called the painted lady. While they are not talked about often, they are actually more widespread than monarchs!

Next time you visit the center, see if you can find all 4 life stages of a butterfly in the garden (egg, chrysalis, caterpillar, and adult)!

08/21/2026

Summer is full of memories… and here’s some of ours!
Our traveling camp visited different parks around the DMV, hiking and learning about local environmental action.

Despite many heat and weather advisories and last minute changes, our campers made the best out of every outing!

☀️🥾⛰️🐟

07/27/2026

While pulling invasive plants from our parks, we found this juvenile box turtle hanging out in the grass! 🐢

Box turtles have a strong homing instinct, which just means they are really good at finding their way back home. For this reason, you should never try to relocate a box turtle, since they know exactly where they’re going!

Because these turtles commonly call our parks home, it’s especially important to always keep your dog on a leash. Dogs are a frequent cause of injuries and fatalities to these turtles.

Want to help restore habitat and rip invasive plants? We host one here at Gulf Branch the second Friday of every month from 10am-12pm!

07/24/2026

A huge thank you to our Park Corps volunteers for helping us take care of Arlington parks! 🌳☀️🤗

We had 8 volunteers from different high schools across the county partake in a variety of service projects, while learning first-hand about different environmental careers.

They marked storm drains, built deer exclosures, planted native plants, and cleaned up streams. They also toured the George Washington Parkway’s bug lab led by the National Park Service and toured the Prince George’s County Recycling Center with Maryland Environmental Service

Volunteer work like this is truly what makes our parks shine the most.

06/05/2026

05/21/2026

Good reasons to stay on trail and keep your dogs on a leash: copperheads!!

This was yesterday’s copperhead find. They are very common in the park, usually hiding under logs or camouflaged in the leaves.

To stay safe, they are better left alone with space to escape. They are usually calm but will strike if disturbed.

05/19/2026

Thank you to everyone who came to see us celebrating Migratory Bird Day at Bluemont Park this past Saturday! The sun was out and luckily- so we were some birds, with highlights like the Baltimore oriole and white-eyed vireo on the guided walks.

It was great to see some of our usual visitors come out, as well as some new faces! We had the help of some of the wonderful Arlington Master Naturalists, as well special guests Diva Crows, Wildlife Rescue League, and Wild Birds Unlimited.

We hope to see everyone again in the future! Happy birding 🪺

05/12/2026

Learn about one of the most common trees in Arlington: the Tulip Poplar!

These are found basically everywhere as they are not favored by deer. However, they are a favorite for pollinators like bees and hummingbirds. They have a lot of nectar! We don’t often see the flowers until they fall on the ground since these trees are so tall. It can grow 70-150 feet!

They are not actually a type of poplar, but are actually more related to magnolias. The yellow-orange flower and leaves are shaped like tulips, which is where that part of its name comes from.

Next time you’re on a walk in the trails, you’ll probably fine a tulip poplar flower on the ground!

05/09/2026

Today is World Migratory Bird Day! 🪶🪺

This day is to celebrate and recognize the long (or even short) journey birds make around the world! We will celebrate migratory bird day next Saturday on May 16 at Bluemont Park from 10am-12pm. There will be educational activities, live bird presentations, and guided bird walks. The event is free!

Pictured: Golden-crowned kinglet, a winter resident that can be found in our parks. Found migrating in March-April, but you can find them year-round near the mountains.

05/07/2026

The first week of May is Amphibian Week, so we’re highlighting one of the most common amphibians in the park: wood frogs!
Amphibians are any animals like frogs, salamanders, newts, or caecilians.

Wood frogs populate our vernal pond every year with hundreds and hundreds of tadpoles in the late winter. In can take up to 4 months for them to become adults. If you visit the pond, you’ll still see lots of tadpoles in there who have yet to grow their legs!

Once they grow legs and become adults, wood frogs leave the water and live in the woods (hence the name!),returning to the water when it is time to lay eggs again the next year. This back and forth between the water and land can often make them vulnerable, as they are found crossing roads and getting ran over.

Pictured here is a wood frog we found outside by the trail, hopefully enjoying life as an adult (in the woods).

If you have a tiny one, you can meet one of our frogs up close at our Tiny Tots: Frog program Tuesday, May 12 from 10am-10:45am.