Upcoming Nature Trips

Below is a list of upcoming nature trips within NYC's 5 boroughs for the weekend of November 20th - 21st, 2010:

Audubon Center in Prospect Park (Brooklyn)
Saturday, November 20, 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.


New York Botanical Garden (Bronx)
Saturday, November 20, 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


Brooklyn Bird Club
Sunday, November 21st, 2010
Rockaway Peninsula expedition
Trip Leader: Peter Dorosh
Focus: water birds and ducks (peak), dune/beach, late sparrow, early winter species, possible rarity
Car Fee: $12.00
Registrar: Peter Dorosh, Email Prosbird [AT] aol.com or TEXT Message 347-622-3559
Registration period: Nov 9th - Nov 18th


New York City Audubon Society
Saturday, November, 20, 2010, 8am – 9:30am
Van Cortlandt Bird Walks
Guide: Andrew Baksh or Urban Park Rangers. With the Van Cortlandt Park Conservancy, NYC Department of Parks and Recreation, and Urban Park Rangers. Meet at Van Cortland Nature Center. The history of birding and Van Cortlandt Park are inseparable. Influential birders such as Roger Tory Peterson and Allan D. Cruickshank got their starts on Van Cortlandt’s ecologically diverse grounds. These walks celebrate the tradition set forth by these great ornithologists. Participants will look for various species of migrants and discuss a wide range of avian topics.
For more information, please call 718-548-0912.
No registration necessary.
No limit.
Free.

Saturday, November, 20, 2010, 10am – 1pm
Winter Waterfowl Workshop
With Gateway National Recreation Area. Guide: Don Riepe. Meet at Jamaica Bay Wildlife Refuge Visitor Center for a slide ID program and walk to look for wintering waterfowl. Learn about their behavior and biology, and how to identify them in the field.
To register, contact Don Riepe at 718-318-9344 or driepe [AT] nyc.rr.com.
Limited to 25.
Free.


Protectors of Pine Oak Woods (Staten Island)
Saturday, November 20, 10:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m.
Clove Lakes Park
Meet by the Maintenance Building at the intersection of Slosson Avenue and Drake Avenue. We will spend two hours removing alien invasive plants from areas chosen by the Natural Resources Group. If you don’t have your own, Protectors will supply gloves and pruners (& refreshments). After the work session (our 173rd 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, November 21, 2:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m.
Reed’s Basket Willow
Discover this hidden natural park in Dongan Hills. We’ll visit the three bodies of water in the park and stroll through the woodlands. Although none of Reed’s basket willow still grow near the swamp from which the park gets its name, the woodlands and stream is still home to a wide variety of flora and fauna. Meet at the Spring Street entrance in Dongan Hills.
For more information call Clay Wollney at 718-869-6327.

Sunday, November 21, 6:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m.
Full Moon Owl Prowl at Mount Loretto
Join Cliff Hagen and walk the fields of Mount Loretto as the sun falls below the horizon, chased by the rising of the full moon. Local and migrating owls utilize the grasslands for food and shelter so we may see various owls silhouetted by the night sky. Meet in the parking lot along Hylan Blvd. across from the CYO Center.
For more information call Cliff Hagen at 718-313-8591.


Queens County Bird Club
Sunday, November 21, 2010, 8am – 2pm
Pelham Bay Park
Leader: Eric Miller (917-631-7530)
("Birding Site Maps" page)


Urban Park Rangers
Saturday, November 20, 2010

Early Birding
8:00 a.m.
Join the Urban Park Rangers for early morning birding at Marine Park.
Location: Salt Marsh Nature Center (in Marine Park), Brooklyn
Cost: Free

Fun with Fungus
11:00 a.m.
Learn the basics of mycology as we search for mushrooms around the park and have some fun...
Location: Wild West Playground (in Central Park), Manhattan
Cost: Free

Sunday, November 21, 2010

Orienteering
11:00 a.m.
Learn navigation with a map and compass. You’ll never get lost in the woods!...
Location: Cunningham Park Parking Lot (in Cunningham Park), Queens
Cost: Free

Post-Thanksgiving Hike
11:00 a.m.
Take an extended hike on some of the park’s longest trails to “burn off”...
Location: Alley Pond Park Adventure Center (in Alley Pond Park), Queens
Cost: Free