Upcoming Nature Trips

Below is a list of upcoming nature trips by local birding/conservation groups for the weekend of May 31, 2014 to June 1, 2014:

Audubon Center in Prospect Park
Saturday, May 31, 2014
Introduction to Birdwatching
Saturdays, 12 – 1 p.m.
Free
Explore the Park's natural areas and learn how to look for amazing birds.

Pop-Up Audubon
Saturdays and Sundays, April 5 – October 19, 12 – 5 p.m. / November – December, 12 – 4 p.m.
Free
The Prospect Park Alliance presents Pop-Up Audubon, now in its second season, which invites families to directly engage with nature through outdoor learning in locations around the Park.

Sunday, June 1, 2014
Morning Bird Walk: Local Nesters
Sunday, June 1, 8 a.m.
Free
Meet the amazing local birds raising families in Prospect Park on this expert-guided walk. Start your Sunday morning surrounded by nature!

Pop-Up Audubon
Saturdays and Sundays, April 5 – October 19, 12 – 5 p.m. / November – December, 12 – 4 p.m.
Free
The Prospect Park Alliance presents Pop-Up Audubon, now in its second season, which invites families to directly engage with nature through outdoor learning in locations around the Park.

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Brooklyn Bird Club
Sunday, June 1, 2014
Jamaica Bay and the Rockaways
Leader: Mike Yuan
Focus: coastal breeding birds, late migrants, shorebirds
Car fee: $12.00
Registrar: Dennis Hrehowsik, email deepseagangster@gmail.com
Registration Period: May 20th - May 29th Mar 4 - Mar 13

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Linnaean Society of New York
Saturday, May 31, 2014
Wallkill River NWR and Environs
Leader: Diana Teta
Registrar: Karen Asakawa – avocet501@gmail.com or 347-306-0690
Registration opens: Monday May 19
Ride: $40

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Littoral Society
Saturday, May 31, 2014
10 AM – 1 PM
Horseshoe Crabs and Shorebirds
Guide: Don Riepe, American Littoral Society
Meet at the Jamaica Bay Wildlife Refuge Visitor Center and carpool to the Broad Channel beach site to see the annual mating ritual of the horseshoe crab and the shorebirds that feed on eggs of the crabs. This program is free and in partnership with NYC Audubon and Gateway National Recreation Area. For questions and rsvp, email: NEChapter@littoralsociety.org or call (718)474-0896.

Sunday, June 1, 2014
Time: 1 PM - 5 PM
Community Marsh Planting Day in Jamaica Bay!
Open Call for Volunteers! Please join us for a community-led planting and restoration day on Ruler's Bar and Blackwall marsh islands in Jamaica Bay. For the second year, we are teaming up with the Jamaica Bay Ecowatchers to organize a day of planting plugs of spartina alterniflora (marsh grass), repairing fencing and clearing debris as part of our Marsh Restoration Initiative, the first-ever community led marsh restoration project in a National Park.

Limited number of spots available. Advance registration required, along with completion of waiver forms. Click here to register.

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New York Botanical Garden (Bronx)
Saturday, May 31, 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, May 31, 2014, 7:00am – 8:30am
The Birds of Woodlawn Cemetery
Guides: Tod Winston, Joseph McManus, Woodlawn Conservancy Docent With the Woodlawn Conservancy Meet at the Jerome Avenue entrance of Woodlawn Cemetery. Join us for a morning bird walk and tour of beautiful Woodlawn Cemetery: Tod Winston and Joseph Mcmanus will look for spring migrants and year-round residents on the expansive, wooded cemetery grounds, while a Woodlawn Conservancy docent shares fascinating stories about Woodlawn’s history and the interesting mixture of individuals interred there. Limited to 15. To register, call the Woodlawn Conservancy at 718-920-1469. Adult admission $15; Seniors, students, and NYC Audubon members $10 (payment at time of walk).
Free admission for children under 6.

Saturday, May 31, 2014, 8:00am – 9:30am
Van Cortlandt Bird Walk (spring)
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 212-691-7483. No registration necessary. No limit. Free.

Saturday, May 31, 2014, 10am – 1pm
NYC Audubon Horsehoe Crabs and Shorebirds
Guide: Don Riepe with Gateway National Recreation Area Meet at the the Jamaica Bay NWR Visitor Center to see the annual mating ritual of the prehistoric horseshoe crab, along with red knots, sanderlings, and ruddy turnstones. Hike along the beach and marshland edges to see fiddler crabs, egrets, and othe wildlife. Bring lunch and binoculars.
To register, contact Don Riepe at 718-474-0896 or donriepe@gmail.com. Limited to 25. Free

Sunday, June 1, 2014, 1pm – 5pm
Community Saltmarsh Grass Planting
With American Littoral Society, Jamaica Bay Ecowatchers Join us for a community-led planting and restoration day on Ruler’s Bar and Blackwall marsh islands in Jamaica Bay. For the second year, we are teaming up with the Jamaica Bay Ecowatchers to organize a day of planting plugs of Spartina alterniflora (saltmarsh grass), repairing fencing, and clearing debris as part of our Marsh Restoration Initiative, the first-ever community led marsh restoration project in a National Park.
Please contact the American Littoral Society at 718-474-0896 to register for the event. NYC Audubon is providing transportation from Manhattan; to reserve a seat please RSVP to volunteer@nycaudubon.org. Limited to 40

Sunday, June 1, 2014, 6pm – 9pm
Sunset EcoCruise to the Harbor Heron Islands: Jamaica Bay
Guide: Gabriel Willow With New York Water Taxi Meet at South Street Seaport's Pier 16. We're excited about this summer's ecocruises; we’ve expanded our explorations of the City's island rookeries to three different locations! Depending on which weekend you choose, cruises may visit the fascinating Brother Islands, the large egret and cormorant colonies on Hoffman and Swinburne Islands, or the great expanses of Jamaica Bay. Whichever your destination, you'll experience the wonders of New York's famous harbor at sunset and see some of the three thousand herons, egrets, and ibis nesting on these urban island treasures.
To learn about specific cruise dates and register, visit New York Water Taxi online or by phone at 212-742-1969. Limited to 140. Pricing varies by destination.

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Protectors of Pine Oak Woods (Staten Island)
Sunday, June 1, 2014, 2:00 P.M. to 4:00 P.M.
Old Mill Road
Meet behind St Andrew’s Church, at the end of Old Mill Road. Participants will be enveloped in scenic old woodlands as we visit the historic remains of Ketchum’s Mill. We will continue onto the red trail where will visit a swamp forest dominated by iconic tree species like red maple, sweetgum, and pin oak.
For more information e-mail Will Lenihan at wleni5584@gmail.com or call 518-645-0220.

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Urban Park Rangers
Saturday, May 31, 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: Hawk Watch at Parking Lot, Queens
11:00 a.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!

Pop-Up Audubon: Wonderful Warblers at Binnen Bridge (in Prospect Park), Brooklyn
12:00 p.m.–5:00 p.m.
The Prospect Park Alliance presents Pop-Up Audubon, now in its second season, which invites families to directly engage with nature through outdoor learning in locations around the Park.
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, June 1, 2014
Pop-Up Audubon: Incredible Invertebrates at Entrance to the Ravine, downhill from the Picnic House (in Prospect Park), Brooklyn
12:00 p.m.–5:00 p.m.
The Prospect Park Alliance presents Pop-Up Audubon, now in its second season, which invites families to directly engage with nature through outdoor learning in locations around the Park.
Free!