Upcoming Trips

Below is a list of upcoming, local trips for the weekend of June 26th - 27th, 2010:

Audubon Center in Prospect Park (Brooklyn)
Saturday, June 26, 2010
Introduction to Birdwatching
Every Saturday, 12 - 1:30 p.m.
Explore the Park's natural areas and learn how to look for amazing birds.

Discover Tours
Every Saturday and Sunday, 3 p.m.
Discover the Prospect Park you never knew! Meet birds and other wildlife on this walk, guided by a naturalist.

Sunday, June 27, 2010
Discover Tours
Every Saturday and Sunday, 3 p.m.
Discover the Prospect Park you never knew! Meet birds and other wildlife on this walk, guided by a naturalist.


New York Botanical Garden (Bronx)
Saturday, June 26, 2010
Debbie Becker leads a free bird walk at the Garden every Saturday from 11 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. beginning at the Reflecting Pool in the Leon Levy Visitor Center.


Littoral Society
June 27, 2010 5:00PM -– 8:00PM
Jamaica Bay Sunset Cruise
Join us a for a 3-hour narrated cruise along the backwater marshes of Jamaica Bay aboard the 2-deck boat the Golden Sunshine out of Pier 2, Sheepshead Bay.
Cost: $45 includes guides, wine & cheese, fruit, drink, snacks.
Leaders: Mickey Cohen, Don Riepe.
To reserve send check to American Littoral Society, 28 West 9th Road, Broad Channel, NY 11693
For more information, call (718) 318-9344
E-mail: driepe@nyc.rr.com


New York City Audubon Society
Saturday, June 26, 10am-1pm
The Parrots of Green-Wood Cemetery
Guide: Gabriel Willow
Meet at the cemetery entrance at 5th Ave and 25th St., Park Slope, Brooklyn.
While a cemetery might seem to be an odd place to go birding, Brooklyn's Green-Wood Cemetery is a beautiful locale, rich in both history and wildlife. It is also the highest point in Brooklyn, affording marvelous views. We will explore its environs in search of Spring migrants and its most unique avian residents: the huge flocks of brilliant green Monk Parakeets that nest around its entrance. Native to South America, these charming immigrants are surprisingly hardy and flourish even in Brooklyn's harsh winters. Limited to 15.
Cost: Free


Protectors of Pine Oak Woods (Staten Island)
Saturday, June 26, 8:15 p.m. to 9:45 p.m.
Rose or Strawberry Full Moon: Sunset- Moonrise Walk at Mt Moses
Sunset is at 8:32 p.m. and Moonrise occurs at 8:27 p.m., five minutes before the sunset. It takes the moon another 20 minutes to rise above the High Rock Hill, so we should observe the moon rise at about 8:47 p.m., about 15 minutes after the sun sets. But if we have a beautiful, prolonged sunset, we won't mind the wait at all. Meet at 8:15 p.m. at the intersection of Rockland and Meisner Avenues. Flashlight is required for each person in your group. The walk is only 20 minutes each way. On our way up, observe the one thousand daffodils planted as bulbs in fall 2008 that bloomed April 2009 for the first time and last April for the second time in memory of those lost at 9/11 at the World Trade Center. Observe how each bulb planted is now beginning to multiply and where there was one in a few years each one will be as many as a dozen offspring. Children have always enjoyed Protectors Sunset/Moonrise walks and the refreshments people share with them up top of Mt Moses. Wear waterproof footgear for possibly muddy trail.
Registration is required. Phone Sandra Mechanic at (718) 967-1037.

Sunday, June 27, 11:00 a.m. to 1 p.m.
Mt. Loretto Rare Orchid Walk
Join Sandra Mechanic, naturalist and photographer, in a search for rare orchids at Mt. Loretto Unique Area. In July 2005, the Ragged - fringed Orchid was rediscovered during a Protectors’ hike. We will revisit to see if the orchids are blooming and propagating again this sixth year. We can also check the success of the DEPS’ native tree plantings near the bluff. Meet at the Mt. Loretto Unique Area in the fenced-in parking lot on Hylan Blvd. opposite the CYO Center. Bring cameras and a wildflower guide.
Registration is required. Phone Sandra Mechanic at (718) 967-1037.


Urban Park Rangers
Saturday, June 26, 2010

Early Morning Birding
8:00 a.m.
A weekly Ranger-led birding walk of the Salt Marsh Nature Trail.
Location: Salt Marsh Nature Center (in Marine Park), Brooklyn
Cost: Free

Van Cortlandt Bird Club: Plumage
9:00 a.m.
Fearthers are an engineering feat that serve a multitude of purposes from temperature...
Location: Van Cortlandt Nature Center (in Van Cortlandt Park), Bronx
Cost: Free

Birding along the Hudson
1:00 p.m.
Riverdale Park has the perfect blend of waterfront and greenery, which looks appealing to a...
Location: 232 Street and Henry Hudson Service Road Southbound (in Riverdale Park), Bronx
Cost: Free

Pond Ecology
2:00 p.m.
What animals can you find living in Spring Pond? Fish, frogs, turtles, oh my! ...
Location: Blue Heron Nature Center (in Blue Heron Park Preserve), Staten Island
Cost: Free

Astronomy: Moon Lighting
8:00 p.m.
There is always something in the sky no matter what time of day. Come get a glimpse...
Location: Fort Totten Visitor's Center (in Fort Totten Park), Queens
Cost: Free

Sunday, June 27, 2010

In-Seining!
10:00 a.m.
Use a seining net to learn about the sea creatures of Gerritsen Creek. Please wear...
Location: Burnett Street and Avenue U (in Marine Park), Brooklyn
Cost: Free

Bug and Insect Hunt
11:00 a.m.
Ants, beetle, butterflies and more. Look under rocks, logs and trees to learn about...
Location: Fort Totten Visitor's Center (in Fort Totten Park), Queens
Cost: Free

Island Hopping
11:00 a.m.
Orchard Beach is surrounded by islands--some big, some small, and some only show at...
Location: Orchard Beach Nature Center (in Orchard Beach), Bronx
Cost: Free

Senses Alive
1:00 p.m.
There's more to perseption than eyesight--but how much of the other four senses do you...
Location: Van Cortlandt Nature Center (in Van Cortlandt Park), Bronx
Cost: Free

Beautiful Buzzing Bees
2:00 p.m.
Learn about the importance of bees in the natural environment and how they help humans.
Location: Blue Heron Nature Center (in Blue Heron Park Preserve), Staten Island
Cost: Free