Upcoming Nature Trips

Below is a list of upcoming, local trips for the weekend of August 21st - 22nd, 2010:

Audubon Center in Prospect Park (Brooklyn)
Saturday, August 21, 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, August 22, 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, August 21, 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.


Protectors of Pine Oak Woods (Staten Island)
Saturday, August 14, 1 p.m. to 3 p.m.
Mt. Loretto Butterfly Walk
Join naturalist/photographer Sandra Mechanic for an exciting day searching for Spicebush and Eastern Tiger Swallowtails, Pearl Crescent and Monarch Butterflies and the many wildflowers they feed upon. Bring binoculars, field guides and camera if you wish. Meet at the Mt. Loretto Unique Area parking lot south of Sharrott Avenue off Hylan Blvd. We hope to see many children for this exciting pleasant rural scenic stroll. We will walk along the beach to the stone art statues created by Doug Schwartz.
For more information contact Sandra at (718) 967-1037.

Saturday, August 21, 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.
Forest Restoration at Egbertville Ravine
Meet at the entry road to the Eger Nursing Home close to the intersection of Manor Road and Rockland Avenue and walk to the entrance of the White Trail off London Road at its intersection with Meisner. We will attempt to finish removing the English Ivy groundcover between the trail and Meisner that we began 4 years ago. If you don't have your own, Protectors will supply gloves and pruners (& refreshments). After a two hour work session (our 170th consecutive monthly workshop), we will take a short walk over nearby trails.
For more information call Don Recklies at (718) 768-9036 or Chuck Perry at (718) 667-1393.

Sunday, August 22, 1 p.m. to 3:30 p.m.
Clay Pit State Park Preserve: Pine Barren Trees and Wildlife
Find out why Protectors urged the preservation of this parkland and how we got our name in 1975. It has rare Southern pine and oak trees, nothing like our Greenbelt forest. With a park permit, Sandra will lead the group into the restricted area where few have trod. We will check in the sand or mud for deer prints throughout the park. We'll find the diseased clones of the American Chestnut that has produced flowers and fruit the past few years and the unhealthy 7 to 8 inch diameter chestnut trees, now 20+ feet tall and 9 to 10 inches in diameter and diseased. The trunk-splitting at the base is indicative of chestnut blight. Meet at the old park office building at the end of Carlin Avenue, off Sharrotts Road in Rossville. Wear waterproof shoes.
Call Sandra Mechanic at (718) 967-1037.


Urban Park Rangers
Saturday, August 21, 2010

Bird Club: Avian Photography
9:00 a.m.
Capture the moments that fly by. It ain’t easy. Bring a camera.
Location: Van Cortlandt Nature Center (in Van Cortlandt Park), Bronx
Cost: Free

Freshkills Tours
10:00 a.m.
Come witness the dramatic transformation, as well as the turkey vultures, red-tailed hawks,...
Location: Freshkills Park/William T. Davis Wildlife Refuge (in Fresh Kills Park), Staten Island
Cost: Free

Aliens Among Us
11:00 a.m.
Find out which plants came from other lands and now call Fort Greene Park home.
Location: Fort Greene Park Visitor Center (in Fort Greene Park), Brooklyn
Cost: Free

Turtle Walk and Talk
11:00 a.m.
Venture out into this shelled reptile’s domain and learn about New York’s...
Location: Audubon Center at the Boathouse (in Prospect Park), Brooklyn
Cost: Free

Insect Insanity
11:00 a.m.
Insects are the most numerous and most misunderstood residents of city parks. Explore the...
Location: Fort Totten Visitor's Center (in Fort Totten Park), Queens
Cost: Free

Freshkills Tours
1:00 p.m.
Come witness the dramatic transformation, as well as the turkey vultures, red-tailed hawks,...
Location: Freshkills Park/William T. Davis Wildlife Refuge (in Fresh Kills Park), Staten Island
Cost: Free

Turtle Talk
1:00 p.m.
Snapping, slider, and painted turtles all live in Van Cortlandt Lake. Learn about their...
Location: Van Cortlandt Nature Center (in Van Cortlandt Park), Bronx
Cost: Free

Sunday, August 22, 2010

Berries, Birds and Black Locusts!
11:00 a.m.
Find out what happens when the gardeners step back, and we let nature run its course in the...
Location: Charles A. Dana Discovery Center (in Central Park), Manhattan
Cost: Free

Canoe the Creek
11:00 a.m.
Enjoy a day on Gerritsen Creek as we canoe its sheltered waters in search of wading...
Location: Salt Marsh Nature Center (in Marine Park), Brooklyn
Cost: Free

Canoeing the Lagoon
11:00 a.m.
Paddle through the sparkling blue waters and green marsh grasses of the Orchard Beach...
Location: Orchard Beach Parking Lot (in Pelham Bay Park), Bronx
Cost: Free

The Good, the Bad and the Beautiful Native and Exotic Plants
1:00 p.m.
Learn about our diverse community of green residents, and how they get or don't get along...
Location: Fort Totten Visitor's Center (in Fort Totten Park), Queens
Cost: Free