Bob Friedman and Mike Whalen will be conducting a summer field trip to Kenilworth Aquatic Gardens (KAG) on Saturday, July 5. Plan to meet at KAG parking lot near the garden entrance at 6:30 AM or inside the park if you come later. This garden offers one of the largest display of lotus flowers and water-lilies in the Washington DC area. It is run by the National Park Service, is free to the public and bathrooms are available. Directions and other information can be found on the KAG website: http://www.nps.gov/keaq/planyourvisit/directions.htm

It seems that telephoto and macro lenses are most popular in the park to capture close-ups of the plants, bugs, birds, amphibians and other park inhabitants. A tripod and a circular polarizer may also be helpful. Also, the grounds could be muddy so wear appropriate footwear. In the event of rain, the field trip will be postponed by one day to Sunday, July 6 at the same time. We hope you can make it, but if not, the lotus flowers should be in bloom through July. This is a great opportunity for some unique nature photography close to home.

Note: Remember to lock your car and remove all valuables from plain sight.

Images courtesy of Mike Whalen, taken 6/28/2014