Wonder on wheels
Anna Payne – July 7, 2025
The Wonder Wagon strives to serve the community by providing resources for environmental education to all community members, regardless of age.
Chantilly Regional Library, JULY 7 – Wonder for the Whole Family: The Wonder Wagon pop-up at the Chantilly Regional Library provides a sensory experience for the entire family. Photo credit: Anna Payne
The Wonder Wagon Mobile Nature Center – a full sensory nature experience in Fairfax County – appeared at the Chantilly Regional Library on Monday, July 7.
The hands-on experience exposes community members of all ages to the wonders of the natural world.
“Being able to kind of spread that love to kids and getting them super interested about nature and creating environmental stewardship in children so that they are not constantly on screens all day was basically a dream job for me,” said Nikki Zita, the senior naturalist at Fairfax County Park Authority.
“To do that for kids that live more in urban areas was a huge, huge bonus.”
Studies have shown that increased exposure outdoors benefits cognitive function and behavior in children, according to the Child Mind Institute. The Fairfax County Park Authority launched The Wonder Wagon in April 2024, intending to “instill a sense of environmental stewardship” and increase environmental education, according to the Fairfax County website.
Since the wagon’s beginnings a little over a year ago, Zita has seen exponential growth in the community’s interest in nature.
“We no longer have to ask people to let us come to places,” she said. “Now we’re kind of denying, you know, I’m only one person, I can’t be everywhere.”
In Zita’s role, as well as for others who volunteer or work for The Wonder Wagon, there is an expectation to have a broad knowledge of the natural world, including specific knowledge about Virginia or Fairfax. Currently, the Wonder Wagon offers ten different nature stations, from bug bingo to tiny ecology. A volunteer member takes charge of each table and guides participants as needed.
Paige Rogers, a roving naturalist for the Fairfax Park Authority, expressed her concerns with not knowing all the answers.
“It is definitely always something in the back of my mind that I am a little bit worried about, when people ask me something I don’t know,” she said. “The absolute last thing I would want to do is give information that is not true. I usually just admit, ‘I don’t know, that’s a really good question,’ and then I try to redirect it into something I do know about.”
The Wonder Wagon evokes curiosity for the Fairfax community, providing a great excuse to get outside, learn more about the natural world and strengthen the community one pop-up at a time.