Its first president was George M. Sternberg; the Executive Committee of fifteen members included Florence Augusta Merriam, Leland Ossian Howard, and Theodore Sherman Palmer.

[8] In the years following World War II, Irston Barnes (president 1946–1962), Roger Tory Peterson, and Louis Halle rejuvenated the organization and strengthened its voice on regional conservation issues.

[10] Rachel Carson served on the board from 1948 to 1950, and from 1955; she chaired the publications committee and wrote book reviews and other pieces for the society's Wood Thrush (later, Atlantic Naturalist).

[2][12] In 1969, the society moved to its present headquarters at Woodend Sanctuary, a bequest of Mrs. Chester Wells; the property comprises 40 acres in Chevy Chase, Maryland and a 30-room mansion.

[2] In 2007, the Society opposed construction of Maryland Route 200 (often known as the Intercounty Connector), bringing an unsuccessful suit in federal court against the project.

[23][24] In addition to trails and classrooms, the Woodend facility provides a shop offering books, sport optics, birdfeeding supplies, gifts, and items for children.

[25] Nature Forward offers a range of summer camps and other activities for children and families, as well as outreach programs to local schools and training for teachers.

[33] With the Spring 2011 issue (volume 37, number 2), it was renamed Naturalist Quarterly, incorporating the Society's catalog of environmental educational programs into its coverage of Nature Forward people and events and local conservation activities.

The award honors mid-Atlantic resident Bartsch, curator for the Smithsonian Institution, society board member, and frequent contributor to Atlantic Naturalist.

[35] Past recipients include Carson (1963),[36] Peterson, Robbins, Briggs (1972),[32] Alexander Wetmore (1964),[2] David Brower (1967),[37] Claudia Wilds, Clarence Cottam, Donald Messersmith (2002), and Lawrence Zeleny.