Upcoming Nature Trips

Below is a list of upcoming nature trips within NYC's five boroughs for the weekend of May 12, 2012 - May 13, 2012:

Audubon Center in Prospect Park (Brooklyn)
Saturday, May 12, 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, May 13, 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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New York Botanical Garden (Bronx)
Saturday, May 12, 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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Brooklyn Bird Club
Saturday May 12 2012
"The Birdathon", The 20th Anniversary International Migratory Bird Day
A global event celebrating the beauty of birds and habitats. This event encourages fundraising for conservation causes. A cause will be discussed and adopted by the Birdathon team members, posted on the Prospect Sightings blog (see www.brooklynbirdclub.org ) prior to the event. This year marks the 20th anniversary of IMBD.
If you are interested in forming a team with likewise members or friends with encouragement for pledges and fundraising, or need more information, or details on the Prospect Park walk, please contact the BBC Birdathon coordinator Peter Dorosh at Prosbird [AT] aol.com.
Event profile: www.birdday.org

Sunday, May 13th, 2012
Prospect Park
Meet 7 am at Bartel Pritchard Square park entrance
Trip Leader: Ed Crowne
Focus: Spring migration peak
Note: "F" or "G" train stops southbound at Prospect Park-15th St station possibly affected by changes;
See latest http://www.mta.info/weekender/lineview.html

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Gowanus Dredgers
Saturday, May 12, 2012, 1pm – 5pm
Canoe on the Gowanus Canal
Bring a friend for a self-guided Canoe trip sponsored by the Gowanus Dredgers to raise awareness of Harbor Issues www.gowanuscana​l.org

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Linnaean Society of New York
Saturday, May 12, 2012 (Originally 4/22)
Staten Island Highlights
Leader: Richard ZainEldeen
Registrar: Joyce Hyon
Registration opens Monday 4/9.
Ride: $20.

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New York City Audubon Society
Saturday, May 12, 2012, 7:30am – 10:30am
StarrTrips
Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, and Saturday mornings in Central Park, Monday, April 2 – Wednesday, May 30 Join Starr Saphir for bird watching in Central Park. On Saturdays, meet at 7:30am sharp at 103rd and Central Park West (park-side). 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, May 12, 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.

Saturday, May 12, 2012, 10am – 1pm
Birds and Plants: NYBG in Springtime
Guides: Gabriel Willow, NYBG Docent With New York Botanical Garden Enter through the Mosholu gate and meet at the Reflecting Pool near the Visitor Center. The NY Botanical Garden is home to a large tract of East Coast old-growth forest. During peak spring migration, the beautiful gardens come alive with migrating songbirds. Limited to 15. $30. Click here to register

Saturday, May 12, 2012, 11:30am – 1:30pm
Explore the Bronx River by Rowboat
Guide: Chrissy Word With Rocking the Boat Meet at Rocking the Boat, at 812 Edgewater Road in the Bronx, and launch from the adjacent Hunts Point Riverside Park. Come explore the Bronx River aboard a hand-built wooden boat, led by experienced rowers. The Bronx River is the city’s only true river and hosts an abundance of wildlife, including herons and egrets, osprey, and belted kingfishers. Visit restoration sites and learn about the Bronx River eco-system, as well as its social and cultural history. Rowing optional! Limited to 20. $35 for adults, $25 for ages 18 and under. Click here to register

Sunday, May 13, 2012, 9:30am – 11:30am
Birding at Wave Hill
Guide: Gabriel Willow With Wave Hill Meet at the Perkins Visitor Center. Naturalist Gabriel Willow contributes his extensive knowledge of bird species and behaviors on these walks through the gardens and woodlands of Wave Hill. This garden setting along the Hudson River flyway provides the perfect habitat for native and migrating birds. Advanced registration is recommended, either online, at the Perkins Visitor Center, or by calling 718-549-3200 x305. (Walks run rain or shine; in case of severe weather call the number above at x245 for updates.) Ages 10 and up welcome with an adult. $10 NYC Audubon and Wave Hill members/$18 non-members

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NYC Wildflower Week
Saturday, May 12, 2012, 6 AM (yes, that's correct!)
Sunrise Listening Tour
Location: UPDATED INFO - Meet at Grand Army Plaza entrance to Prospect Park, Brooklyn
Guide: Matthew Wills, Naturalist and Blogger
Register for this event
Description: Prospect Park is a vital rest and refueling point for thousands of songbirds migrating north during the spring. We will shut off our cellphones, walk silently, and open our ears to listen to the sounds of "the dawn chorus" in one part walking meditation, one part sensory re-education experience.
Get directions from HopStop.
More information here.

Saturday, May 12, 2012, 5 – 6:30 pm
Birds of Central Park
Location: Meet at southeast corner of Central Park West and 81st Street
Guide: Glenn Phillips, Executive Director, NYC Audubon
Register for this event
Description: Witness the spectacle of spring migration as songbirds follow the Atlantic Flyway traveling north. Look for orioles, tanagers, warblers, vireos, and other migrants in the wilds of Central Park, and learn about the finer points of their identification and ecology. Bring binoculars.
Get directions from HopStop.

Sunday, May 13, 2012, 1:00 – 2:30 pm
Walking Tour of Mannahatta’s Wildflower Fields
Location: Meet at the northern edge of Bowling Green Park on Broadway just north of Beaver Street
Guide: Eric Sanderson, Senior Conservation Ecologist at the Wildlife Conservation Society and author of Mannahatta: A Natural History of New York City
Register for this event
Description: Join ecologist and author Eric Sanderson for a tour of Mannahatta's nature including a walk along the tidal marshes of Broad Street, over the stream at Maiden Lane, up the Golden Hill (site of a pre-Revolutionary War tussle and a patch of Celadine), and then to the South Street Seaport Museum, where a reprise of the Mannahatta / Manhattan exhibition, originally shown at the Museum of the City of New York in 2009, is on display.
Get directions from HopStop.

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Protectors of Pine Oak Woods (Staten Island)
Saturday, May 12, 2012, 10:00 a.m. to 12 noon
Reed’s Basket Willow
Discover this hidden natural park in Dongan Hills. We’ll visit the three bodies of water in the park and hike through the woodlands. Although none of the willows grown by the Reed family still exist, the woodlands and stream are 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, May 13, 2012, 12 noon to 2 p.m.
Willowbrook Park: Gateway to the Greenbelt
Enjoy a mid spring break with a walk on the white trail in Willowbrook Park. Come see what's blooming. Use the entrance off Richmond Avenue and Eton Place and follow the road to the parking lot at the archery range. We go in all weather. Please bring snacks and beverage and wear comfortable clothes and shoes.
For more information, contact Hillel Lofaso at 718-477-0545.

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Queens County Bird Club
Saturday, May 12, 2012, 12am – Sun, May 13, 12am
All Day Event - BIG DAY
Leader: Ian Resnick 917-626-9562
Contact the leader for coordination and meeting locations
Birding Site Maps page https://sites.google.com/site/qcbirdclub/birding-site-maps

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Staten Island Museum
Saturday, May 12, 2012, ALL DAY, round up at 7:30pm
Big Day Bird Count
Location: Staten Island!
Round up at the Staten Island Museum, 75 Stuyvesant Place, SI, NY 10301
Free
Get out and get birding! Teams of 2-4 birders are encouraged to search their favorite hotspots and tally all species encountered. Join the round-up at the Museum to share your sightings.
For more information, call Seth Wollney at 718.483.7105.

Sunday, May 13, 2012, 9:00am - 11:00am
Ecology Walk (FREE)
Location: Conference House Park
Free
Spring Migration at Conference House Park! Enjoy the feathered jewels of Spring Migration with your guide, Seth Wollney. Bring binoculars and field guides. Meet in the Visitor Center Parking lot at the western end of Hylan Blvd.
Questions? Call Seth Wollney at 718.483.7105.

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Urban Park Rangers
Saturday, May 12, 2012

Birding
8:00 a.m.
New York City is home to an amazing abundance of wildlife. From falcons and salamanders, to...
Location: Van Cortlandt Nature Center (in Van Cortlandt Park), Bronx
Free!

Brooklyn-Queens Birding Van Trip/ TBA
8:00 a.m.
New York City is home to an amazing abundance of wildlife. From falcons and salamanders, to...
Location: Marine Park, Brooklyn
Free!

Birding
9:00 a.m.
New York City is home to an amazing abundance of wildlife. From falcons and salamanders, to...
Location: Bloomingdale Park Playground (in Bloomingdale Park), Staten Island
Free!

On A Wing: Migratory Birds
12:00 p.m. - 1:30 p.m.
Welcome the migratory birds back to Central Park and learn why they spend the summer in the...
Location: Belvedere Castle (in Central Park), Manhattan
Free!

Introduction to Birdwatching
12:00 p.m. - 1:30 p.m.
Look, up in the sky, it’s a bird! But what kind? Take a tour and learn about the...
Location: Audubon Center at the Boathouse (in Prospect Park), Brooklyn
Free!

Sunday, May 13, 2012

Spring Migration at Conference House Park
9:00 a.m.
Enjoy the feathered-jewels of Spring Migration at this south shore hot-spot during the...
Location: Conference House Park Visitors Center (in Conference House Park), Staten Island
Free!

Birding: Spring Migrants
10:00 a.m.
New York City is home to an amazing abundance of wildlife. From falcons and salamanders, to...
Location: Inwood Hill Nature Center (in Inwood Hill Park), Manhattan
Free!

Birding
10:00 a.m.
New York City is home to an amazing abundance of wildlife. From falcons and salamanders, to...
Location: Albert H. Mauro Playground (in Flushing Meadows Corona Park), Queens
Free!