Upcoming Nature Trips

Below is a list of upcoming nature trips within NYC's five boroughs for the weekend of October 13, 2012 - October 14, 2012:

Audubon Center in Prospect Park (Brooklyn)
Saturday, October 13, 2012
Introduction to Birdwatching
Saturdays, 12 – 1:30 p.m.
Explore the Park's natural areas and learn how to look for amazing birds.

Sunday, October 14, 2012, 3 p.m.
Discover Tour
Free
Discover the Prospect Park you never knew! Meet birds and other wildlife on this walk, guided by a naturalist.

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Gowanus Dredgers
Saturday, October 13, 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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New York Botanical Garden (Bronx)
Saturday, October 13, 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, October 13, 2012, 7:30am – 10:30am
StarrTrips in Central Park
Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, and Saturday mornings in Central Park, Saturday, August 20 – Saturday, October 29 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, October 13, 2012, 8am – 9:30pm
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, October 13, 2012, 9am – 12pm
Randall's Island Fall Migration Walk
Guides: Gabriel Willow, Victoria Ruzicka With Randall's Island Park Alliance, Inc. Meet on the N.W. corner of 102nd Street and the FDR Drive. We'll walk across the foot bridge to Randall's Island, an under-explored location in the East River that hosts restored freshwater wetlands and salt marsh. We'll look for fall migrants (both waterbirds and land birds) as we explore the results of recent restoration efforts. Two miles of walking and some modest climbs.
Limited to 20. $25
Click here to register!

Saturday, October 13, 2012, 3pm – 6pm
Jamaica Bay Sunset Cruise
Guides: Don Riepe, Mickey Cohen With American Littoral Society Meet at Pier 2 in Sheepshead Bay, Brooklyn. Enjoy a 3-hour cruise aboard the 100-foot boat "Golden Sunshine." Visit backwater marshes near JFK Airport and learn about the history and wildlife of the bay. See nesting peregrine falcons, osprey, egrets, shorebirds, and more. Includes refreshments. To register, contact Don Riepe at (718) 318-9344 or donriepe@gmail.com.
Limited to 140. $45

Sunday, October 14, 2012, 10am – 11am
Birding for Families
Sundays, September 2-November 25, 10-11am Guides: NYC Audubon Offered by the Central Park Conservancy Meet at the Dana Discovery Center (inside the Park at 110th Street between Lenox and Fifth Avenues). Bring the kids and visit one of New York City’s richest bird habitats. Learn as a family how to spot and identify our feathered neighbors in their natural surroundings. Binoculars can be borrowed from the Visitor Center. For weather cancellation information, call 212-860-1370.
Limited to 20. Age 5 and up.
Free. Click here to learn more and register

Sunday, October 14,2012, 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 their behaviors on these captivating walks. Wave Hill’s garden setting overlooking the Hudson River flyway provides the perfect habitat for resident and migrating birds. Ages 10 and up welcome with an adult. Reservations recommended; register online at www.wavehill.org, by calling 718-549-3200 x305, or at the Perkins Visitor Center. Severe weather cancels; for updates call 718-549-3200 x245 by 8am the day of the walk. NYC Audubon members enjoy two-for-one admission.

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Protectors of Pine Oak Woods
Saturday, October 13, 2012, 12 noon to 2:00 p.m.
Long Pond Park
Evidence of animal life as well as geologic history and human influence will be observed as we take an unhurried stroll on a one-and-a-half-mile walk through Long Pond Park. Meet at PS 6, on Page Avenue and Academy Avenue, about 3 blocks northwest of Hylan Blvd.
For more information call Clay Wollney at 718-869-6327.

Sunday, October 14, 2012, 10:00 a.m. to 12 noon
Harvesting Local Weeds and Herbs
Join herbalist Gert Coleman for a walk at Conference House Park to learn which weeds and herbs are ready to harvest and how to use them. Focus will be on such plants as evening primrose, artemesia, mugwort, elder, and the herbs in the Colonial Herb Garden. Meet in the parking lot at the end of Hylan Blvd.
For more information call Gert Coleman at 718-356-9235.

Sunday, October 14, 2012, 11:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m.
Mt. Loretto Sparrow Workshop
Join naturalist Mike Shanley and learn all about sparrows. This beginners workshop will cover the different species of sparrow on Staten Island, how to identify these “little brown jobs”, and where to find them. We will also learn how important grassland habitat like Mt. Loretto is for sparrows and other field birds. Meet at the Mt. Loretto, DEC parking lot on Hylan Blvd.
For more information call Mike Shanley at 917-753-7155.

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Staten Island Museum
Saturday, October 13, All Day
The Big Sit: A 24-hour Birding Event!
Location: Wolfe's Pond Park
Free
Join the hotshot birders and naturalists, and learn more at the Bird Watcher’s Digest annual event on William T. Davis’ Birthday! For More information call Ed Johnson at 718.483.7110.

Sunday, October 14, 2012, 9:00am - 11:00am
Ecology Walk: Moses Mountain
Location: Moses Mountain
Free
Witness hawk migration in Staten Island skies! Join Nature Section hawk watchers to help count raptors including red-tailed hawk, cooper’s hawks, eagles and more! Meet at Meisner Ave and Rockland Ave.

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Urban Park Rangers
Saturday, October 13, 2012
Big Sit
6:00 a.m.–6:00 p.m.
Join Staten Island Museum's birders and naturalists as we tally all birds seen or heard…
Location: Wolfe's Pond Park at Norman Place (in Wolfes Pond Park), Staten Island
Free!

Bird Walks
8:00 a.m.
Bird Walks focus on wildlife happenings in the park and are led by NYC Audubon experts or…
Location: Van Cortlandt Nature Center (in Van Cortlandt Park), Bronx
Free!

Bird Walks at The New York Botanical Garden
11:00 a.m.
The diverse habitats of the Botanical Garden offer visitors a chance to see dozens of…
Location: New York Botanical Garden (in Bronx Park), Bronx

Raptor Migration
11:00 a.m.
We offer birding programs throughout the year and our Exploration series focuses on unique…
Location: High Rock Ranger Station (in High Rock Park), Staten Island
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, October 14, 2012

Birds of Van Cortlandt - Today and Yesterday
9:00 a.m.
Check for migrant and talk birding with John Young. Bring your own binoculars, If you have them.
Location: Van Cortlandt Nature Center (in Van Cortlandt Park), Bronx
Free!

Hawk Watch at Moses Mountain
9:00 a.m.–11:00 a.m.
Witness hawk migration in Staten Island skies! Join Nature Section hawk watchers to help…
Location: Egbertville Ravine, Staten Island
Free!

Birding at Wave Hill
9:30 a.m.
Naturalist Gabriel Willow contributes his extensive knowledge of bird species and…
Location: Perkins Visitors Center (in Wave Hill), Bronx