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DC-area students help design ornaments for President’s Park trees

Students from 58 schools in the D.C. area — including Friendship Public Charter School, Blow-Pierce Academy, Calvert High School and Falmouth Elementary School — designed one-of-a-kind ornaments that will go on dozens of smaller trees that surround the National Christmas Tree in President’s Park this year.

This year’s ornaments were created by more than 2,600 students.



The America Celebrates ornament program represent states, territories and schools managed by the Bureau of Indian Education and the Department of Defense Education Activity. The program each year involves the National Park Service, the U.S. Department of Education and the National Park Foundation.

The Park Service said the ornaments will feature state flowers, landmarks, historical sites and ecological wonders.

The public will have a chance to see the National Christmas Tree and the students’ decorated trees featuring those student’s ornaments from Dec. 2 through Jan. 1.

The 100th National Christmas Tree Lighting Ceremony will take place on Wednesday, Nov. 30 at the President’s Park on the National Mall in D.C. The ceremony will be broadcast on CBS on Dec. 11 at 8 p.m.

Maryland Zoo’s lone female elephant moving as facility transitions to all-male herd

The Maryland Zoo is preparing to say goodbye to its only female African elephant as it changes to an all-male herd. Felix, a 43-year-old elephant who has lived at the Baltimore zoo for 19 years, will move to another facility later this week. Zoo officials said the move is in Felix’s best interest because it will give her opportunities to socialize with other female elephants. Her interaction with other females have been limited since the zoo’s other female elephant died in 2024. “We will all miss her but having social companionship in a female herd is the best thing for Felix’s overall well-being,” Mammal Curator Erin Cantwell Grimm said.
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