Program areas at ANS
Environmental Education Nature Forwards educational mission is to nurture a lifetime of outdoor discovery, exploration and stewardship of nature for people in the Washington, DC metro region. The Organization connects with individuals and groups of all ages to create a community of people who actively care for the natural world. Through our children and youth programs we reach more than 14,000 children each year with classroom visits, school field trips, afterschool programs, a licensed preschool, and summer camps. Our GreenKids program partners with public schools in Montgomery and Prince Georges counties in Maryland, Loudon County in Virginia and the District of Columbia to foster a culture of environmental stewardship in schools and provide professional development to teachers. Our continuing education programs educate and train more than 2,000 adults annually in natural history and conservation topics. Our outreach programs work to reach families in their communitiesnear where people live, work, and go to schooland connect them to nearby nature through engaging, hands-on activities and trainings. We work with community leaders, partner organizations, and empowered community members.
The Organization has the annual support of more than 1,884 active member households representing approximately 5,000 individuals in the DC metro region. Members participate in environmental education programs, support conservation programs through grassroots advocacy and environmental stewardship, restore habitats, and provide volunteer support in many capacities. Annually, more than 330 people volunteer for the Organization by serving on the Board of Directors and its committees, monitoring the water quality of local streams, maintaining and restoring Nature Forward sanctuaries, leading nature education programs, representing Nature Forward at community events, supporting office functions, and testifying at public hearings.
Sanctuaries Nature Forward maintains two nature sanctuaries: our headquarters 40-acre Woodend Sanctuary in Chevy Chase, MD and our 68-acre Rust Sanctuary in Leesburg, VA. The Organization provides free public access to our sanctuaries and invites people to enjoy our trails, including a new wheelchair accessible trail at Woodend. The sanctuaries protect critical wildlife habitats in the DC metro region and provide opportunities for people to discover and appreciate the natural world through self-guided and naturalist-led experiences. The sanctuaries educate people of all ages and abilities about environmental stewardship, serve as gathering places for environmental classes and provide a hub for organizations working to preserve the quality of the environment in the Washington, DC area. The Organization actively works to restore the habitats at its nature sanctuaries.
The Nature Forward conservation program works to promote healthy communities for people and wildlife through advocacy and policy across four priority areas in the DC Metro Region: human health & access to nature; biodiversity & habitats; the climate crisis; and sustainable land use. The Organizations conservation outreach brings community members together to collect data on local flora, fauna and stream health and then uses that data to advocate for preservation of our regions special natural places. Each year we train and mobilize thousands of people to take action as monitors, stewards and advocates of our precious environment. Through our advocacy Action Network, more than 6,000 people learn about and take grassroots action with the Organization annually to protect nature in the DC region.