Upcoming Nature Trips

Below is a list of upcoming nature trips within NYC's five boroughs for the weekend of April 9th - 10th, 2011:

Audubon Center in Prospect Park (Brooklyn)
Saturday, April 9, 2011

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 Tour
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, April 10, 2011

Discover Tour
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, April 9, 2011
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


New York City Audubon Society
Saturday, April 9, 2001, 7:30am – 10:30am
StarrTrips in Central Park
Join Starr Saphir for bird watching in Central Park. On Mondays and Wednesdays, meet at 7:30am sharp at 81st and Central Park West (SE corner). On Tuesdays, meet at 9am sharp at 103rd and Central Park West (parkside). On Saturdays, meet at 7:30am sharp at 103rd and Central Park West (parkside). All Starr Trips are non-smoking. No registration necessary. For more information, call Starr at 917-306-3808. $8 ($4 for full time students)

Saturday, April 9, 2011, 8:00am – 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 Cortlandt 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.

Sunday, April 10, 2011, 8:00am – 9:30am
Birds of Woodlawn Cemetery
Guides: Peter Joost and Joseph McManus With Friends of Woodlawn Cemetery Part of the Bronx Birds and Trees Tour Series. Meet at the Jerome Avenue Entrance, and join us for a morning birdwalk on the lovely wooded grounds of Woodlawn Cemetery, with two expert birding guides: NYC Audubon's Peter Joost and Friends of Woodlawn's Joseph McManus. Attendees will learn about the birds of Woodlawn and look for early spring migrants and year-round residents on the cemetery grounds -- which are home to one of the largest collection of trees in an urban setting in the U.S. Meet at the Jerome Avenue Entrance of Woodlawn Cemetery. To register, call Friends of Woodlawn at 718-920-1470. Adult admission $15; Seniors and students $10 (payment at time of walk; no member discount). Free admission for children under 6.

Sunday, April 10, 2011, 9:30am – 11:30am
Wave Hill: Birding Along the Hudson
Guide: Gabriel Willow With Wave Hill Explore the Hudson River’s avian ecology starting at the tip of Manhattan and migrating north. Walks are every 2nd and 4th Sunday, and alternate between Wave Hill and other Hudson River sites. Wave Hill: Meet at the Perkins Visitor Center and Explore Wave Hill's woodlands and gardens on nature discovery walks. Ideal for ages 10 and up. Registration recommended: online, by calling 718.549.3200 x305 or at the Perkins Visitor Center. Severe weather cancels (For weather-related updates, call 718.549.3200 x245 by 8am the day of the walk). $10 for Wave Hill or NYC Audubon members/$18 non-members.


Protectors of Pine Oak Woods (Staten Island)
Sunday, April 10, 12:00 p.m. to 2:00 p.m.
Willowbrook Park: Gateway to the Greenbelt
We'll take an easy walk on the white trail to Forest Hill Road and back. Learn why this is a wet woods! See early spring flowers. Please wear waterproof shoes. Meet at the parking lot by the archery range, accessed by car via Eton Place off Richmond Avenue. Look for the sign for the carousel.
For more information, contact Hillel Lofaso at (781) 751-6629


Urban Park Rangers
Saturday, April 9, 2011

Early Birding Walk at Van Cortlandt Park
8:00 a.m.
Spring is back and so are our fine-feathered friends!  Let's search for birds on a...
Location: Van Cortlandt Nature Center (in Van Cortlandt Park), Bronx
Cost: Free

Early Birding at Marine Park
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

Vigorous Hike
11:00 a.m.
A fast-paced hike across Central Park – starting from Grand Army Plaza and ending at...
Location: Doris Freedman Plaza (in Central Park), Manhattan
Cost: Free

Vigorous Hike: The Midwood
1:00 p.m.
Discover Brooklyn's last forest. The Midwood is home to some of the largest trees in...
Location: Audubon Center at the Boathouse (in Prospect Park), Brooklyn
Cost: Free

Pond Ecology
2:00 p.m.
Freshwater ponds are a delight to our eyes, and many creatures make their homes in these...
Location: Blue Heron Nature Center, Staten Island
Cost: Free

Denizens of the Dark
6:00 p.m.
Search for owls, skunks, raccoons, bats, and other nocturnal creatures that inhabit...
Location: Forest Park Visitor Center (in Forest Park), Queens
Cost: Free

Sunday, April 10, 2011

Bird Watching
10:00 a.m.
Spring is back and so are our fine-feathered friends! We’ll search for birds on a...
Location: Fort Totten Visitor's Center (in Fort Totten Park), Queens
Cost: Free

Magnificent Maples
11:00 a.m.
Early spring is the time for tapping maple trees. Learn about one of nature's sweetest...
Location: Crotona Nature Center (in Crotona Park), Bronx
Cost: Free

Finer Points of Warbler Identification
11:00 a.m.
Begin with a presentation of migrating warbler identification, then participate in a bird...
Location: Dana Discovery Center (in Central Park), Manhattan
Cost: Free

Rock Safari
2:00 p.m.
Rocks are everywhere, but do you know how to distinguish quartz from serpentinite? Explore...
Location: High Rock Ranger Station (in High Rock Park), Staten Island
Cost: Free