Weekly Planner: Build a Time Machine, Meet Potomac Phil, and More

Monday, Feb. 1

• Birth of a Wetland (10 a.m.) – If the cold has you stuck inside, take a walk in nature to learn how wetlands are born. A naturalist will lead a social distant walk through the wetlands at Huntley Meadows Park.

Tuesday, Feb. 2

• Groundhog Day (8 a.m.) – COVID-19 isn’t going to stop Potomac Phil from making his seasonal prediction. The normally annual event at Dupont Circle where a taxidermied groundhog makes its prediction about spring’s arrival will be happening online this year. If you still want to meet this furry dead rodent in person, organizers say they will be in Dupont Circle in D.C. from 8 a.m. to 11 a.m. for a socially distant meet and greet.

Wednesday, Feb. 3

• Star Cluster and Galaxies (7:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m.) – Join the Analemma Society of Great Falls in partnership with the Fairfax County Park Authority for a (virtual) look into the deep sky. This interactive presentation is for those eight years old and up. It will provide an introduction to all the nebulas, star clusters, and galaxies that we can see in our sky.

Thursday, Feb. 4

• How To Build a Time Machine (7 p.m. to 8 p.m.) – Yes, time travel may be possible according to Einstein’s Theory of Relativity. Hear from Dr. Robert Elrich, physics professor at George Mason University, about why this is the case and how one could actually build a time machine. Hill Valley 1955, here we come!

Friday, Feb. 5

• Stuffed Animal Sleepover (5 p.m.) – While human children may not be able to have sleepovers these days, stuffed animals still can. Scrawl Books, along with author Sue Fliess, is hosting a sleepover for all those stuffed best friends. Simply drop off a beloved stuffed animal at the Reston bookstore, then log-onto Zoom for a bedtime story from Fliess where she’ll be joined by all of those friends at the store.

Saturday, Feb. 6 

• Valentine’s In a Bag (2 p.m. to 3:30 p.m.) – Pick up a bag of instructions and materials from the newly-named Tephra Institute of Contemporary Art to make a unique Valentine’s Day card at home.

• Hidden Pond Winter Exploration (10 a.m. to 1 p.m.) – Take a walk on the winter side. Explore with the family the wildlife and landscape at Hidden Pond Nature Center.

Sunday, Feb. 7 

• Love Lessons from Jane Austen (2 p.m. to 3 p.m.) – Learn lessons of love from Jane Austen’s novels – and her own personal life. This virtual lecture includes an optional afternoon tea-to-go with finger sandwiches and cakes, available for pick-up at Green Street Gardens.

Photo via Wikimedia Creative Commons