Daily Nature Walks

A Guide and member of our Grounds maintenance team lead a guided Nature Walk through the landscape to discuss the grounds, flora and fauna, and sustainability at Glenstone.

This guided walk meets at 1 p.m. daily outside the Gallery building. The walk is about one hour and includes about a half mile of walking in sunshine and light rain – in the event of more inclement weather or lightning the walk is cancelled. Comfortable walking shoes are recommended.

Based in San Francisco, PWP Landscape Architecture, or Peter Walker and Partners, have worked in close collaboration with artists and architects to define Glenstone’s landscape design since the museum’s inception almost two decades ago. Internationally renowned for their thoughtful approach to public spaces—past projects include the Nasher Sculpture Center in Dallas and the plaza for the National September 11 Memorial in New York—PWP’s work is often characterized by a modernist approach, refined simplicity, and close attention to material selection and craft. Their overall site plan at Glenstone is an ongoing, long-term project that aims to integrate all aspects of the site’s diverse landscape into a cohesive whole, enriching the relationship between Glenstone’s natural environment, its architecture, and outdoor works of art. –Emily Wei Rales, from the Glenstone Field Guide

We planted trees, understory vegetation and groundcover flora as part of our reforestation efforts. From 2013−2018, we planted more than 13,000 trees, in addition to thousands of shrubs, annual and perennial grasses, and flowers.

We plant only native, regionally appropriate species, which require the fewest resources to maintain and provide appropriate food and habitat for local fauna.

Glenstone is home to several distinct aquatic ecosystems including the Greenbriar Branch stream, the Pavilions Water Court, a large pond by the Gallery, and a smaller lily pond situated along the Woodland Trail. We use these ponds as well as three underground cisterns to manage rainfall flow throughout the property and recycle the water for landscaping purposes. When combined, our cisterns have the capacity to hold nearly one million gallons of water. We constantly monitor the moisture of all soils to conserve as much water as possible and only supply additional irrigation when and where it is needed. In addition to its water recycling program, Glenstone has committed to restoring the two depleted tributaries of the Potomac River located on the property. In close coordination with Montgomery County, in 2015 we implemented a plan designed to improve water quality, reduce sediment reaching the Potomac, and renew the wildlife habitat for aquatic organisms.

The meadow unifies the landscape and emphasizes the contours of the restored terrain. In cultivating nearly forty acres of meadow spread throughout the grounds, we chose specific grasses and wildflowers that will nurture a balanced ecosystem. Over time, the grasses will grow to about three feet in height.