Upcoming Nature Trips

Below is a list of upcoming nature trips by local birding/conservation groups for the weekend of April 26, 2014 to April 27, 2014:

Audubon Center in Prospect Park
Saturday, April 26, 2014
Introduction to Birdwatching
Saturdays, through June 28, 12 – 1 p.m.
Free
Explore the Park's natural areas and learn how to look for amazing birds.

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Brooklyn Bird Club
Saturday, April 26, 2014
Prospect Park
Meet: No registration necessary. Meet 7:30 am at Bartel Pritchard Square entrance
Leader: Steve Nanz
Note: In case of inclement weather, call or text leader at 1-646-522-0716

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Linnaean Society of New York
Saturday April 26, 2014
Great Swamp NWR and Scherman–Hoffman Sanctuary
Leader: Richard ZainEldeen
Registrar: Sandra Maury – sandramaury39@gmail.com or 212-874-4881
Registration opens: Monday April 14
Ride: $30

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Littoral Society
Saturday, April 26, 2014
Celebrate Earth Day in Jamaica Bay!
With the American Littoral Society, Jamaica Bay Ecowatchers and the Broad Channel Civic Association.
Join us for a fun day of educational and community service events in Broad Channel, Queens. Bring your children, friends and family to help make our community spaces greener and to help our salt marsh habitats thrive this year!

Jamaica Bay Wildlife Refuge Walk 10 AM - 12 Noon.
Explore the natural wonders of Jamaica Bay Wildlife Refuge with an ecology walk led by noted local naturalist and Chapter Director, Don Riepe of the American Littoral Society. Participants will hike around the West and East Ponds to look for spring migrating birds such as tree swallows, warblers and egrets while learning about the ecological importance of Jamaica Bay, a unique estuarine habitat that is home to 330 species of birds, 107 species of finfish and an estimated 70 butterfly species. Meet at the Jamaica Bay Wildlife Refuge Visitor Center. RSVP: NEChapter@littoralsociety.org

Sunset Cove and American Park Community Cleanup 12 PM - 3 PM.
Join us for a community cleanup of Sunset Cove and American Park. At 12 PM we will give a short talk about the Marsh Restoration Initiative , a multi-year Jamaica Bay project co-led by the American Littoral Society and the Jamaica Bay Ecowatchers, whose mission is to restore Ruler's Bar and Blackwall Marsh islands, along with news about future habitat restoration initiatives that we hope to achieve with your help and support. Meet at the American Ballfields parking lot.

Win Two Tickets to see Jack Johnson!
All cleanup volunteers are eligible to win two free concert tickets to see world famous musician, Jack Johnson, perform at Jones Beach Theatre on Saturday, June 7th, 2014, courtesy of Skraptacular and the Johnson Ohana Charitable Foundation.
To be eligible, you must register in advance for the cleanup and check in at our registration desk the day of the cleanup. click here to register.
The ticket winner will be announced on our Facebook page, so please "Like Us" on Facebook!
For sponsorship opportunities, please contact: cathy@littoralsociety.org.

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New York Botanical Garden (Bronx)
Saturday, April 26, 2014
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, April 26, 2014, 8:00am – 9:30am
Van Cortlandt Park Nature Center
Guide: NYC Audubon, Van Cortlandt Park Conservancy With the Van Cortlandt Park Conservancy 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, April 26, 2014, 8am – 11am
Beginning Birding (trip)
Classes: Wednesdays, April 9, 16, and 23, 6:30-8:30pm Trips: Saturdays, April 19 and 26, Times TBA Instructor: Tod Winston Learn the keys to identifying the spectacular variety of birds that migrate northwards through New York City every spring. Even if you've never picked up a pair of binoculars, you’ll soon be identifying warblers, thrushes, waterbirds, and more—both by sight and by ear. Three fun and educational in-class sessions and field trips to Central Park and Jamaica bay (transport to Jamaica bay included). limited to 12. $160 (112) Click here to register!

Saturday, April 26, 2014, 10am – 1pm
Spring Migration Workshop at Jamaica Bay
Instructor: Don Riepe With Gateway National Recreation Area Meet at the Jamaica Bay Wildlife Refuge Visitor Center for a slide presentation on spring migration followed by a hike around the ponds and uplands to look for spring migrants. To register, contact Don Riepe at 718-474-0896 or donriepe@gmail.com. Limited to 25. Free

Sunday, April 27, 2014, 8am – 11am
Introduction to Birdsong (field trip)
Class: Thursday, April 24, 6:30-8:30pm Trip: Sunday, April 27, 8am-noon Instructor: Joe Giunta, Happy Warblers LLC Do you ever wonder who is singing? Learn to identify the large variety of migrant and resident birds in New York City. Expert birder Joe Giunta will first introduce you to the subtleties of bird-song identification in the classroom, followed by a field trip in Central Park to bird by eye and ear, and reinforce your learning. Limited to 12. $65 (45) Click here to register

Sunday, April 27, 2014, 10am – 11am
Birding for Families
Sundays, March 2 - May 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 to register

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Protectors of Pine Oak Woods (Staten Island)
Saturday, April 26, 2014, Noon to 2:00 P.M.
Great Kills Park
Meet at the first parking lot about a quarter mile from the entrance to Great Kills Park. From the starting point near where the bath house once stood we will explore the shoreline and peat flats to discover which species of intertidal life are active in the spring. Please dress appropriately for walking in this environment.
For more information phone Clay Wollney at 718-869-6327.

Sunday, April 27, 2014, 1:00 P. M. to 3:00 P.M.
Conference House Park
Past and present blend in the Conference House Park where history stretches back thousands of years with the seasonal occupation of the Lenape and hundreds of years with the habitation of the Dutch and English. In addition to the local history we’ll observe the geology, as well as the plants and animals found in the park. Meet at the parking lot at the end of Hylan Boulevard on the left.
For more information phone Clay Wollney at 718-869-6327.

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Queens County Bird Club
Saturday, April 26, 2014
Lord Stirling and Great Swamp
All DayTrip
Leader: John Collins (908 581 4976)
Meet at 8am

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Urban Park Rangers
Saturday, April 26, 2014
Bird Walk at Van Cortlandt Nature Center (in Van Cortlandt Park), Bronx
8:00 a.m.
NYC Audubon experts lead the way as we marvel at quirky but logical bird behavior and delicate feathers in exquisite patterns. Bring binoculars if you have them and wear sturdy…
Free!

Birding Bonanza at Icahn Stadium (in Randall's Island Park), Manhattan
10:00 a.m.–1:00 p.m.
We'll explore our wetlands and woodlands in search of resident and migratory birds.
Free!

Birding: Willow Lake at Albert H. Mauro Playground (in Flushing Meadows Corona Park), Queens
10:00 a.m.
Birding programs are appropriate for all skill levels and beginners are welcome.
Free!

Bird Walk at Sherman Creek Park (in Sherman Creek), Manhattan
10:00 a.m.–11:30 a.m.
Come check out some of the best birding spots in Manhattan and learn how New York Restoration Project’s approach to landscape management supports these populations.
Free!

Introduction to Bird Watching at Audubon Center at the Boathouse (in Prospect Park), Brooklyn
12:00 p.m.–1:00 p.m.
Join the Alliance to learn about the 250 species of birds that call Prospect Park home.
Free!

Sunday, April 27, 2014
Birding: Hawk Watch at Freshkills Park, Staten Island
11:00 a.m.–4:00 p.m.
New York City is home to an amazing abundance of wildlife. Our Rangers will guide you to the best wildlife viewing spots in New York City. We offer birding programs…
Free!

Hawk Watch at Freshkills Park at Freshkills Park Parking Lot, Staten Island
11:00 a.m.–4:00 p.m.
Spring migration is here! Join the Staten Island Museum, Urban Park Rangers and Freshkills Park team for a day of spotting and learning about hawks returning from their winter migration
Free!