Upcoming Nature Trips

Below is a list of upcoming nature trips by local birding/conservation groups for the weekend of December 7, 2013 to December 8, 2013:

Audubon Center in Prospect Park
Saturday, December 7, 2013
Introduction to Birdwatching
Saturdays, November 9 – December 28, 12 – 1 p.m.
Free

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Brooklyn Bird Club
Saturday, December 7, 2013
Jones Beach/Point Lookout, Long Beach
Leader: Steve Nanz
Focus: Winter species, sparrows, dunes species, waterbirds, shorebirds, raptors
Car fee: $25.00
Registrar: Heidi Steiner-Nanz, email (preferred) heidi.steiner@verizon.net or call 1-718-369-2116 before 8PM
Registration period: Nov 26th - Dec 5th
http://www.nysparks.com/parks/10/details.aspx

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Linnaean Society of New York
Saturday – Sunday December 7–8, 2013
Early Winter Montauk Weekend
Leaders: Diana Teta and Lenore Swenson
Registrar: Lenore Swenson – lenoreswenson@gmail.com or 212-533-9567
Registration opens: Monday, November 11
Ride: $80

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New York Botanical Garden (Bronx)
Saturday, December 7, 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, December 7, 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.

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Protectors of Pine Oak Woods (Staten Island)
Saturday, December 7, 2013, 2:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m.
Huguenot Ponds Walk
Kingdom Pond Park, Arbutus Woods, Bunker Pond and Huguenot Pond Park are small parks in the lower Huguenot area. Though the endangered flower, trailing arbutus, is long gone, the area still is home to a number of plant and animal species.
Meet along Kingdom Avenue (parallel to Huguenot Avenue above Hylan Boulevard) near the intersection of Jansen Street.
For more information call Clay Wollney at 718-869-6327

Sunday, December 8, 2013, 11 a.m. to 2 p.m.
Best of the Blue Trail to the Cropsey Overlook
Join Hillel on a late autumn walk to the Cropsey Overlook through the woods of the central Greenbelt. Pass ponds and kettle holes and marvel at how ice formed this landscape ages ago.
Meet at the High Rock Park parking lot at the top of Nevada Avenue. Rain postpones the event to the same time on Sunday, December 15.
For more information, e-mail Hillel Lofaso at hillel5757@gmail.com or call 718-477-0545.

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Queens County Bird Club
Sunday, December 8, 2013, 8:30am – 9:00pm
Montauk Point Allday Trip
Leader: Ian Resnick - 917-626-9562
Meet: Point at 8:30am
Birding Sites Map

Trip Etiquette
Please register for trips

1. Register. Let leaders know you're coming!
2. Car pooling or skipping requires planning
3. Be advised if there are last minute changes or cancellations. These cannot be communicated to unknown persons.
4. Be on time! Most trips begin birding by 8am!
5. Please arrive before the starting time so we do not waste precious early morning bird activity.
6. Plan your travel time.

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Urban Park Rangers
Saturday, December 7, 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!

Introduction to Birdwatching at Audubon Center at the Boathouse (in Prospect Park), Brooklyn
12:00 p.m.–1:00 p.m.
Look, up in the sky, it’s a bird! But what kind? Take a tour and learn about the 250 species of birds that call Prospect Park home.
Free!

Urban Raptor and Wildlife Exploration at 5th Avenue and Washington Square North (in Washington Square Park), Manhattan
1:00 p.m.
The Urban Park Rangers will guide you to the best wildlife viewing spots in New York City.
Free!

Winter Hike at Freshkills Park at Eltingville Transit Center (in Freshkills Park), Staten Island
1:00 p.m.–3:00 p.m.
Feeling cooped up? Come stretch your legs as we explore the winter wonders of Freshkills Park. Learn about how what was once the world’s largest landfill is becoming a park.
Free!