America’s Green City: 9 Sustainable Spots You Should Visit in Washington, DC

If Kermit the Frog were to visit DC,关键字3 we think he’d find that it iseasy being green.

With over 140 miles of bike paths and the country’s #1 ranking in access to farmer’s markets, the nation’s capital is a verdant haven for bees, birds, and a 400-year-old bonsai.

In addition to the native pollinators across the city—including beardtongue, coneflower, and spiderworts—some 300,000 bees enjoy access to two handsome hives on the NPR rooftop. (Beehives are also found at the Fairmont Hotel rooftop and the Swiss Embassy.) 

Airborne insects and the Kermits who snack on them will also appreciate Kenilworth Aquatic Gardens, home to 8.5 acres of lily ponds. This lily extravaganza evolved into a booming export business before being acquired by the National Park Service.

As for the birds—well, we’ve been eyeing a few places that we’d like to nest. First on the list: the National Capitol Columns, which once witnessed the inauguration of Abe Lincoln and now stand in a glorious field within the National Arboretum. Show us a better perch than that.

There’s also eggcellent real estate among the ruins of the Columbian Cannon Foundry, once a hubbub of 19th-century industrial activity. And for our favorite quacks—the Southwest Duck Pond is like your own expansive green living room, complete with a bubbling fountain.

As for the bonsai? We’ll leave you to explore that story—and the rest of DC’s greenery—on your own.