Washington DC Area

Washington DC

The National Academy of Engineering (NAE), www.NAE.edu “provides engineering leadership in service to the nation.” Members are elected by their peers and span the entire range of engineering disciplines. NAE carries out studies for the US Government, but is not an arm of the US Government, preserving its independence to avoid political issues. NAE is headquartered in Washington, DC. Foundation Director Steve Trimberger has been a member of NAE since 2016 and participates in a variety of capacities.	Catholic University of America (www.catholic.edu) in Washington DC provides education across a broad range of disciplines. The Nursing School is notable. We are working with the Engineering School.
50th Year Anniversary of Moon Landing on Washington Monument. There was a special night exhibit of the moon launch projected onto the Washington monument. I visited on the night of the still projection, but there was an animated version the nights following.	Smithsonian Museum of Natural History. The natural history museum opened a new wing dedicated to the progression of life on this planet through the years from early sea life, through dinosaurs, and finally up to humans. There is additional focus on the natural disasters that caused mass extinction through the ages and how life persisted though it all.
Foundation Director Steve Trimberger has been a member of the National Space Society (NSS) Board of Governors since 2019. NSS promotes human presence in space.The Board of Governors provides oversight to the Society.	Daughters of the American Revolution (DAR) is a service organization run by descendants of those who fought in the American Revolution. DAR supports veterans, education and patriotism.
Artechhouse. This is an interesting museum focused on the integrating of technology with art. There are rotating exhibits, with the one I attended focused on the spring-time. AR is a large centerpiece of the experience, integrating it into all the exhibits, such as controlling a wall of flower petals by waving your arms. There is also a bar for the adults, featuring AF drinks that come to life when you view them through your phone.

Northern, VA

NAS Oceana, Virginia Beach VA NAS Oceana Air Show. Pretty large air show at the Naval Air Station Oceana. Small number of planes to walk through as well as booths open to learn about the planes at the show, as well as NASA. Small focus on STEM areas also in some of the other booths. 2020	Children’s Science Center, Northern Virginia In Q1 and Q2 of 2020 we continued the exploration of the Children’s Science Center as a prospective donation target. We exchanged several emails back and forth, and met up for in person discussions and fundraising events to evaluate if this was a good decision for the TFF to make. Ultimately, our goals were not sufficiently aligned at the time to make a donation as they were seeking a larger donation than the foundation could muster, and the at the amount we could it would not make a significantly large impact. We could also not come to an agreement on the application of a potential donation to the areas that the TFF determined would be most impactful and we did not offer funding. We have maintained contact with the organization however in the event that this were to change, and continued monitoring throughout the year. We look forward to exciting announcements from this group.
1/17-1/19/20 Titanic: The Artifact Exhibition This is a traveling exhibit. We saw it in Washington DC. This location has a wide range of artifacts including a 2-ton piece of the Titanic’s exterior. Each patron to the exhibition receives an information card about a person who was onboard the ship the night is went down. At the end of the exhibition, you discover if your person survived the wreckage, or if they were one of the many who did not. Tours are not always provided, but if you have a chance to join one, the curators are very knowledgeable, and do a good job of inserting everyone as their character thought out the “trip”. A dinner theatre is offered to re-enact the night of the crash, which if it is anything like what was seen at the exhibition is sure to be a good time too. 2020	Shocktober (Haunted House), Leesburg, VA. Shocktober haunted house is a night of thrills that does not disappoint. If you are a fan of being scared, or just want to torment someone who is scared just a little more easily than yourself, this is a wonderful exhibit to attend. All the actors and actresses put in a lot of effort into their costumes, and are simultaneously respectful if you are having too hard of a time. There are some rooms that are excellently done that completely transform where you are standing in a memorable way (no spoilers). The actors were all volunteers raising money for a local charity.
Sully Historic Site Chantilly, VA 2023-06 I loved the house tour. Our tour guide was amazing with lots of knowledge of the house, history and stories of the family. I think a virtual tour of the house would be a wonderful addition. This would allow visitors who have mobility issues to “tour” the house since right now, the house is only accessible through steep stairs.
NOVA Wild Reston, VA Www.novawild.com 2023-11-25T00:00:00.000Z The drive through safari was exceptional. We greatly enjoyed feeding the cows, deer, llamas, ostriches, and alpacas! Some signage around the safari drive that gives information about the animals that are being fed similar to the ones for the rest of the zoo.
Meadowlark Botanical Garden 9750 Meadowlark Gardens Ct, VA 2023-08 The gardens are quite large and have a lot to see and explore. There were also larger grass areas which allowed for better views than if the whole area was crowded with plants. There were also parallel trails where one was through the trees on dirt and the other was paved for wheelchair/ stroller access. Add a butterfly house!	Banshee Reeks Nature Preserve Leesburg, VA 2023-03 There were a variety of trails both long and short. We went for bird watching which did require a reservation, but was just being held on the property. We even saw a bald eagle on the hike! Some additional kestrel or owl houses would be good. There were also a few paths that could be added to reach the river or a pond that currently were not cleared of brush.
Meadowlark Botanical Gardens Winter Walk of Lights Vienna, VA https://www.novaparks.com/events/winter-walk-of-lights 2023-11 Brilliant lights through the more accessible part of the garden. The light up pavers was a lot of fun for the children. Additionally the options for fun light glasses that would add shapes to all the lights were pretty unique for us. We got the snowmen design but they also had other options. The route got pretty crowded so a bit more control to the flow of people would be good.

Richmond, VA

Virginia. Richmond Science Museum. This science center is much larger than first meets the eye. The whole museum focusses on interactive exhibits, hosing 3 floors of exhibits covering a wide range of disciplines. Add in rats playing basketball and it is hard to pass up this stop if you are going through Richmond. Pompeii Exhibition. Similar to other science and art museums, this one has a rotating exhibit. This time it was a focus on Pompeii, and the denizens who lived there before and during the disaster. There is a nice selection of artifacts on loan from Naples and the Pompeii Museum there, and is a wonderful stop to get a taste of Pompeii without having to go all the way to Italy for it.