Upcoming Nature Trips

Below is a list of upcoming nature trips within NYC's five boroughs for the weekend of February 18, 2012 - February 19, 2012:

Audubon Center in Prospect Park (Brooklyn)
Saturday, February 25, 2012
Introduction to Birdwatching
Every Saturday, 12 – 1:30 p.m.
Explore the Park's natural areas and learn how to look for amazing birds.

Sunday, February 26, 2012
Discover Tour
Every Sunday, 3 p.m.
Discover the Prospect Park you never knew! Meet birds and other wildlife on this walk, guided by a naturalist.

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Brooklyn Bird Club
Saturday, February 25, 2012
Gravesend Bay Shore walk
Meet 8 am at 4th Ave and Bay Ridge Avenue west corner (Rite Aid Store) by "R" train exit (Bay Ridge Ave Station)
Trip Leader: Peter Dorosh, Prosbird [AT] aol.com or 347-622-3559 (text message)
Focus: winter waterfowl, ducks, gulls species, Purple Sandpiper
NOTE: This approximately 11- mile walk is a challenging walk, not for the foot weary or timid of harsh winter elements. From the first birding location, Owl's Head Park, ending at Coney Island Pier, the casual pace will focus on water birds, gulls, and occasionally for passerines along Shore Road Park. Some birders may drop out near the Verrazano Bridge for the R train at its last stop at 95th Street and 4th Avenue, the half way point on this winter hike. Dress warmly in layers. Blizzard or dangerous ice conditions cancels. Contact the leader via text message for information regarding weather conditions, otherwise email earlier if other questions.

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Littoral Society
Saturday, February 25, 2012. 9am – 11am
The Winter Woods in the North Forty Natural Area, Floyd Bennett Field
Meet at the main Entrance Ranger Station. The North Forty Natural Area, one of New York’s best kept secrets, can become a Winter Wonderland. The leaves will have fallen, exposing little known World War II military bunkers and lairs of urban wildlife. Search for wintering birds on the freshwater pond and along the shore of Mill Basin. Meet American Littoral Society naturalist, Mickey Maxwell Cohen and carpool to the site. Call (718)-471-2166 for info & reservation. FREE. (with Gateway NRA)

Saturday, February 26, 2012. 10am - 1pm
Late Winter Wildlife walk at Jamaica Bay Refuge
Hike around the pond and wooded areas to look for winter birds and very early signs of spring. Leader: Don Riepe. To reserve call (718) 318-9344; e-mail: donriepe [AT] gmail.com Free. (in partnership with NYC Audubon)

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New York Botanical Garden (Bronx)
Saturday, February 25, 2012
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

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New York City Audubon Society
Saturday, February 25, 2012, 8:00am – 9:30am
Van Cortlandt Bird Walk
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 residents and migrants and discuss a wide range of avian topics. For more information, please call 718-548-0912. No registration necessary. No limit. Free.

Sunday, February 26, 2012, 10am – 1pm
Jamaica Bay Late Winter Birdwalk
Guide: Don Riepe With Gateway National Recreation Area Meet at the Jamaica Bay Wildlife Refuge Visitor Center. Hike around the East and West Ponds and to look for rafts of wintering ducks in breeding plumage, raptors such as northern harrier, sharp-shinned hawk, and long-eared owl, and possible early spring migrants. To register, contact Don Riepe at 718-318-9344 or donriepe [AT] gmail.com. Limited to 25. Free

Sunday, February 26, 2012 11am – 1pm and 2pm – 4pm
Winter Seals and Waterbirds Eco-Cruise
Meet at South Street Seaport’s Pier 17 and come aboard NY Water Taxi’s eco-friendly vessel for a winter adventure in New York Harbor! Look for harbor seals on the rocky shores of Governor’s Island and the more remote Hoffman and Swinburne Islands. Learn about the surprisingly diverse winter birds of New York City, including ducks, geese, loons, and sandpipers, many of which migrate south from the Arctic. See the Statue of Liberty and pass under the Verrazano Bridge. Dress warmly and bring your binoculars. Limited to 60. To register, contact New York Water Taxi at 212-742-1969 or visit their website. $35 for adults; $25 for children 3-12 (no member discount)

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Protectors of Pine Oak Woods (Staten Island)
Saturday, February 25, 2012, 9:00 a.m. to 11:00 a.m.
Great Kills Park
Meet in the parking lot at the corner of Hylan Boulevard and Buffalo Street. Participants will proceed to the tidal mud flats and other sites within the park. The focus will be on identifying wintering waterfowl in the bay and in the sheltered boat basin. We will also look for snow bunting and horned lark in open areas. Raptors can often be found later in the winter. Bring binoculars and dress for the winter weather.
For more information call Howie Fisher at 718-981-4002.

Saturday, February 25, 2012, 12 noon to 2:00 p.m.
Conference House Park Beach and Woods
Past and present blend in the Conference House Park where history stretches back thousands of years with the seasonal occupation of the Lenape people and hundreds of years of the Dutch and English habitation. We’ll observe evidence of the human occupation of the area, observe local geology and discover what the natural and unnatural debris at the high tide line reveals. Meet at the parking lot at the end of Hylan Blvd.
For more details call Clay Wollney at 718-869-6327.

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Urban Park Rangers
Saturday, February 25, 2012
Bird Walks
8:00 a.m.
Focus on wildlife happenings in the park with NYC Audubon experts and the Urban Park...
Location: Van Cortlandt Nature Center (in Van Cortlandt Park), Bronx
Free!

Caribbean Garden at The New York Botanical Garden
10:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m.
Discover the Haupt Conservatory’s permanent collection, including orange-yellow...
Location: New York Botanical Garden (in Bronx Park), Bronx

Birding: Winter Birds
11:00 a.m.
New York City is home to an amazing abundance of wildlife. From falcons and salamanders, to...
Location: Martling Pond (in Clove Lakes Park), Staten Island
Free!

Nature Exploration: Siwanoy Trail (Moderate)
11:00 a.m.
Hiking is the ultimate way to enjoy the outdoors and reduce stress. Regardless of the...
Location: Bartow-Pell Mansion Museum (in Pelham Bay Park), Bronx
Free!

Nature Photography: Winter Landscapes
1:00 p.m.
It has been said that art takes nature as its model. The beauty of nature has inspired many...
Location: Prospect Park Picnic House (in Prospect Park), Brooklyn
Free!

Sunday, February 26, 2012

Caribbean Garden at The New York Botanical Garden
10:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m.
Discover the Haupt Conservatory’s permanent collection, including orange-yellow...
Location: New York Botanical Garden (in Bronx Park), Bronx

Wilderness Survival
11:00 a.m.
What would you do if you found yourself lost in the woods? Do you know how to build your...
Location: Van Cortlandt Nature Center (in Van Cortlandt Park), Bronx
Free!

Nature Exploration (Moderate)
11:00 a.m.
Hiking is the ultimate way to enjoy the outdoors and reduce stress. Regardless of the...
Location: Inwood Hill Nature Center (in Inwood Hill Park), Manhattan
Free!

Winter Evergreen Tree Walk
1:00 p.m. - 4:00 p.m.
Please join Snug Harbor Botanical Garden Horticultural Director Greg Lord and NYC Parks...
Location: Snug Harbor, Staten Island
Free!

Garden and Conservatory Walk at Wave Hill
2:00 p.m.
Join us for an hour-long tour of seasonal garden highlights. Free with admission to the...
Location: Perkins Visitors Center (in Wave Hill), Bronx