Upcoming Nature Trips

Below is a list of upcoming nature trips by local birding/conservation groups for the weekend of September 28, 2013 to September 29, 2013:

Audubon Center in Prospect Park
Saturday, September 28, 2013
Introduction to Birdwatching
Free
Explore the Park's natural areas and learn how to look for amazing birds.

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Brooklyn Bird Club
Saturday, September 28, 2013
Northern Meadowlands Watershed Nature Centers
Trip Leader: Peter Dorosh
Focus: autumn migrating songbirds, raptors
Car Fee: $24.00
Registrar: Peter Dorosh, Email Prosbird@aol.com or TEXT Message 347-622-3559
Registration period: Sept 17th-Sept 26th
http://demarestnaturecenter.org/
http://www.closternaturecenter.org/
Note: Depending on winds, there may be a visit to the Palisades Stateline Overlook for raptors (http://www.njpalisades.org/overlooks.htm#State)

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Gowanus Dredgers
Saturday, September 28, 2013, 1pm – 5pm
Canoe 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 September 28, 2013
Clove Lakes Park and Other Staten Island Sites
Leader: Howard Fischer
Registrar: Lenore Swenson – lenoreswenson@gmail.com or 212-533-9567
Registration opens: Monday September 16
Ride: $20

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Littoral Society
Saturday, September 28, 2013, 03:30pm - 06:30pm
Ecology Cruise in Jamaica Bay
Enjoy a three-hour narrated cruise aboard the 100-foot boat “Golden Sunshine.” Visit backwater marshes near JFK Airport, and learn about the 13,000-acre Jamaica Bay Wildlife Refuge. See nesting peregrine falcons, ospreys, egrets, shorebirds, and waterfowl. Meet one half-hour early at Pier 4 in Sheepshead Bay, Brooklyn.
With American Littoral Society and NYC Audubon.
Price includes narrated tour, as well as fruit, cheese, wine, and other snacks and refreshments. For more information, contact donriepe@gmail.com or buy tickets at http://cruiseseptember28th.eventbrite.com/.
Location : Pier 4, Sheepshead Bay (Emmons Ave and Bedford Ave) Brooklyn , NY
Price: $55

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New York Botanical Garden (Bronx)
Saturday, September 28, 2013
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, September 28, 2013, 8:00am – 9:30am
Van Cortlandt Bird Walk
Guides: NYC Audubon Naturalists 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, September 28, 2013, 8:30am – 3:30pm
Explore the Birding Gems of Staten Island
Guides: Cliff Hagen, Tod Winston Come visit some of the beautiful, bird-rich spots on Staten Island--which can be hard for car-less New Yorkers to get to. We'll start in the pristine marsh and beach habitat of Great Kills Park, looking for shorebirds and wading birds, and then move on to Mount Loretto Unique Area to look for migrant flycatchers, warblers, and more. Bring lunch, water, and binoculars.
Transport by passenger van included. Limited to 12.
$65 Click here to register!

Saturday, September 28, 2013, 11am – 3pm
Little Neck Bay Festival
With NYC Audubon, Bayside Historical Society, NYC Department of Parks & Recreation, Queens Botanical Garden Meet at Alley Pond Environmental Center, 228-06 Northern Boulevard, Douglaston, NY. Come celebrate National Estuaries Day at Little Neck Bay. Festival activities will include canoeing, boat rides, NYC Audubon-led nature walks, games, music, and more. For more information, please call 718-229-4000. No limit. Free

Saturday, September 28, 2013, 3:30pm – 6:30pm
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 917-371-8577 or donriepe@gmail.com. Limited to 140. $55

Sunday, September 29, 2013, 10am – 11am
Birding for Families
Dana Discovery Center, Central Park, New York, NY
Sundays, September 1 - November 24, 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 to register

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Protectors of Pine Oak Woods
Saturday, September 28, 2013, noon to 2:00 p.m.
Reed’s Basket Willow Swamp
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.

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Queens County Bird Club
Saturday, September 28, 2013
Welwyn Preserve MiniTrip
Leader: Mary Normandia 516-965-2282

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South Shore Audubon Society
Sunday, September 29, 2013
Alley Pond Park
All walks start at 9:30 A.M.
There is no walk if it rains or snows or temperature is below 25°F.
Any questions please Call Steve at (516) 987-8103.
For directions to our bird-watching locations, click here.

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Urban Park Rangers
Saturday, September 28, 2013
Bird Walks at Van Cortlandt Nature Center (in Van Cortlandt Park), Bronx
8:00 a.m.–9:30 a.m.
Bird Walks focus on wildlife happenings in the park and are led by NYC Audubon experts or the Urban Park Rangers.
Free!

Birding: Raptor Migrants at Gateway Drive and Erskine Street (in Spring Creek Park), Brooklyn
11:00 a.m.
Birding programs are appropriate for all skill levels and beginners are welcome. To enhance your experience we encourage you to bring binoculars and field guides, or ask a…
Free!

Sunday, September 29, 2013
Birding for Families at Charles A. Dana Discovery Center (in Central Park), Manhattan
10:00 a.m.–11:00 a.m.
Take the kids on a walk through one of New York City’s richest bird habitats — the North Woods. Learn how to spot and identify our feathered neighbors in their natural surroundings...
Free!

Sneak Peak at Freshkills Park at Freshkills Park Parking Lot, Staten Island
11:00 a.m.–4:00 p.m.
The Sneak Peak festival in Freshkills Park on Staten Island is back for 2013 and better than ever.
Free!

Jamaica Bay By Land, Sea and Air: A Family Fun day Presented by NYC Parks and the National Park Service at Ryan Visitor Center (in Marine Park), Brooklyn
12:00 p.m.–4:00 p.m.
Come learn how to explore Jamaica Bay by land, sea and air! Activities and demonstrations include camping, kayaking, fishing, live birds of prey, viewing historic aircraft,…
Free!