Frederick Law Olmsted, renowned for his designs with Calvert Vaux for Central Park and Prospect Park in New York, envisioned landscape as an art, a science, and a social ideal. In designing the U.S. Capitol grounds, he met a new challenge to create a landscape that was both part of the Capitol but also subsidiary to it. His son Frederick Law Olmsted Jr., as a member of the 1901-2 McMillan Commission that updated the plan for Washington, designed the formal landscape of the National Mall as well as a city-wide park system. What was the Olmsted landscape ideal and how did the father and son create unique landscape designs for their designs for the capital?

Frederick Law Olmsted, renowned for his designs with Calvert Vaux for Central Park and Prospect Park in New York, envisioned landscape as an art, a science, and a social ideal. In designing the U.S. Capitol grounds, he met a new challenge to create a landscape that was both part of the Capitol but also subsidiary to it. His son Frederick Law Olmsted Jr., as a member of the 1901-2 McMillan Commission that updated the plan for Washington, designed the formal landscape of the National Mall as well as a city-wide park system. What was the Olmsted landscape ideal and how did the father and son create unique landscape designs for their designs for the capital?

Level of Difficulty: 2/5 The Locust Grove Nature Center is at the top of a large parking lot shared with the Pauline Betz Addie Indoor Tennis Center. The trails are somewhat uneven so wear sturdy shoes and bring a hiking pole if you like. There are few hills as we will be walking along Cabin John Creek most of the time. We’ll be looking for fall blooming plants, ripening berries and nuts, migrating monarch butterflies, and signs of wildlife along the way. Bring a snack and a water bottle, and binoculars if you have them. Restrooms are available, as well as a water fountain to refill water bottles.  (See additional walks:  #528 and 558)

While less known than some of his contemporaries, songwriter Jule Styne wrote over 1500 songs in his 50-year career, spanning the history of the American songbook and beyond. Styne began his career playing in house bands in 1920’s Chicago speakeasies, then went on to write songs for classic Hollywood films, hits for Frank Sinatra and Broadway musicals for Carol Channing, Judy Holliday, Ethel Merman and Barbra Streisand. This series will explore the trajectory of Styne’s career. The first session will focus on songs written for Frank Sinatra. (See related classes, #522 and 590)

While less known than some of his contemporaries, songwriter Jule Styne wrote over 1500 songs in his 50-year career, spanning the history of the American songbook and beyond. Styne began his career playing in house bands in 1920’s Chicago speakeasies, then went on to write songs for classic Hollywood films, hits for Frank Sinatra and Broadway musicals for Carol Channing, Judy Holliday, Ethel Merman and Barbra Streisand. This series will explore the trajectory of Styne’s career. The first session will focus on songs written for Frank Sinatra. (See related classes, #522 and 590)

The United States and Israel face an evolving Middle East, with Iran continuing to advance its nuclear and related ballistic missile programs and working more closely America's biggest global adversaries; with Saudi Arabia reversing course and seeking warmer ties with Iran; and with the Arab world welcoming Syria back to its fold. Those developments present new challenges for Washington and Jerusalem, especially as they view the evolving region through different lenses.

The United States and Israel face an evolving Middle East, with Iran continuing to advance its nuclear and related ballistic missile programs and working more closely America's biggest global adversaries; with Saudi Arabia reversing course and seeking warmer ties with Iran; and with the Arab world welcoming Syria back to its fold. Those developments present new challenges for Washington and Jerusalem, especially as they view the evolving region through different lenses.

In this class we'll take a look at different medications and pearls in regards to falls. A pharmacist will provide guidance and information on how to minimize the risk of falls.

For more than 150 years, the National Museum of Health and Medicine has collected and shared information about the history of medicine and American military medicine. This docent-led tour will provide an in-depth overview of the museum's permanent exhibits, including "Military Medicine: Challenges and Innovations," "Civil War Collections," "The Human Body: Anatomy and Pathology," and others.

Home of the U.S. Naval Academy and self-proclaimed “America’s Sailing Capitol,” Annapolis is about a lot more than boats. Consider Colonial history with the home and gardens of a Declaration of Independence signatory, Black history (seen the Alex Haley Roots memorial but not the one dedicated to Marylander Thurgood Marshall?), vibrant weekly farmers’ markets and arts festivals, and a colonial tavern offering a beer garden and high tea. Travel Specialist Barbara Paulson explores less-familiar sites in this Mid-Atlantic gem. (See related classes #535, 585.)

The terracotta army near Xi’an in Shaanxi Province, China is a UNESCO World Heritage Site, with its 2,200 year old soldiers regarded as treasures of world art. This class will explain what the army consists of and what it is guarding, using facts from ancient Chinese texts and modern archaeology. It also will present the fascinating figure of the First Emperor of China, who still casts his shadow on recent Chinese history.

The terracotta army near Xi’an in Shaanxi Province, China is a UNESCO World Heritage Site, with its 2,200 year old soldiers regarded as treasures of world art. This class will explain what the army consists of and what it is guarding, using facts from ancient Chinese texts and modern archaeology. It also will present the fascinating figure of the First Emperor of China, who still casts his shadow on recent Chinese history.

The Mapping Segregation Project aims to help Montgomery Planning document and explain how the real estate industry, laws, government programs, and other institutionalized and systemic actions have led to inequitable development in Montgomery County. By examining racial restrictive covenants recorded in the land records, historians in the Planning Department have built a mapping tool that allows property owners to access these documents and see patterns of racial segregation at the neighborhood level.

The Mapping Segregation Project aims to help Montgomery Planning document and explain how the real estate industry, laws, government programs, and other institutionalized and systemic actions have led to inequitable development in Montgomery County. By examining racial restrictive covenants recorded in the land records, historians in the Planning Department have built a mapping tool that allows property owners to access these documents and see patterns of racial segregation at the neighborhood level.

Politicians use language in ways that sometimes seem rather . . . unusual. But word meaning isn’t just what you find in a dictionary. Rather, it’s created by the frameworks of background knowledge and beliefs that the audience brings to it. We’ll explore some of these frameworks and see what we can learn from how politicians use their words.

Politicians use language in ways that sometimes seem rather . . . unusual. But word meaning isn’t just what you find in a dictionary. Rather, it’s created by the frameworks of background knowledge and beliefs that the audience brings to it. We’ll explore some of these frameworks and see what we can learn from how politicians use their words.

Since 1980, hurricanes and tropical cyclones have caused the more damage and deaths in the United States than any other type of weather or climate disaster. This presentation will cover how and where these tropical systems form and why the resulting damage can be so extreme. We will review some of the most extreme U.S. events, as well as hurricanes that impacted the mid-Atlantic coast.