Upcoming Nature Trips

Below is a list of upcoming nature trips by local birding/conservation groups for the weekend of Saturday, July 18, 2015 to Sunday, July 19, 2015:

Audubon Center in Prospect Park
Saturday, July 18, 2015, 12–1 pm
Introduction to Bird Watching
Look! Up in the sky, it’s a bird! But what kind of bird is it? Join the Prospect Park Alliance to learn about the magnificent array of birds that call Prospect Park home. Led by the Brooklyn Bird Club

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Fresh Kills Park Alliance
Saturday, July 18, 2015 10:00am
Freshkills Park Site Tour
Site tours are approximately an hour and a half long and tell the story of the past, present and future of Freshkills Park development via a guided bus ride through the site. Stops at the top of the park’s hills offer beautiful panoramic views of Staten Island. Space is limited, all ages welcome. Free. Meet at the St. George Ferry Terminal Information Booth (across from Au Bon Pain).
Sign Up at EventBrite

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Gateway National Recreation Area
Saturday, July 18, 2015
North Shore Paddle
Location: Canarsie Pier
Time: 1:00 PM to 3:30 PM
Fee Information: Free
Beginners paddle along the north shore of Jamaica Bay. Reservations required. Call 718-338-3799.

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New York Botanical Garden (Bronx)
Saturday, July 11, 2015
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
Trips return on September 5, 2015

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New York City Audubon Society
Saturday, July 18, 2015, 8:00am – 9:30am
Van Cortlandt Bird Walks, The Bronx
Guides: 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.

Sunday, July 19, 2015, 12pm – 4pm
It's Your Tern Festival 2015
Click here for details on the 2015 Tern Festival on Governors Island!

Sunday, July 19, 2015, 7pm – 9pm
Sunset EcoCruise to the Harbor Heron Islands: Hoffman and Swinburne Islands
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)
Saturday, July 18, 2015, 7 p.m. to 9 p.m.
Long Pond Park on a Summer Evening
Long Pond Park offers many opportunities to observe wildlife activities on a summer evening. During a one-and-a-half mile hike through the woodlands of Long Pond Park we will look and listen for wildlife from owls to frogs and insects. Meet by PS 6, on Page Avenue and Academy Avenue about 3 blocks northwest of Hylan Boulevard.
For more information call Clay Wollney at 718-869-6327.

Sunday, July 19, 2015, 1 p.m. to 3 p.m.
Discover Dragonflies with Paul T. Lederer
Dragonflies have been a part of the fauna of this planet long before dinosaurs roamed the earth. Learn about the identification, behavior and ecology of these fascinating insects. Bring binoculars if you have them. Participants will gather at the Blue Heron Park Nature Center located at 222 Poillon Avenue.
For more information call Cliff Hagen at 718-313-8591.

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Urban Park Rangers
Saturday, July 18, 2015
Bird Walks at Van Cortlandt Park at Van Cortlandt Nature Center (in Van Cortlandt Park), Bronx
8:00 a.m.–9:30 a.m.
Participants will look for various species of residents and migrants and discuss a wide range of avian topics.
Free!

Introduction to Bird Watching 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 of bird is it? Join the Prospect Park Alliance to learn about the magnificent array of birds that call Prospect Park home.
Free!

White Island Birding Excursion by Canoe (Advanced) at Burnett Street and Avenue U (in Marine Park), Brooklyn
10:00 a.m.–1:00 p.m.
Explore the water of Gerritsen Creek and paddle by this special island where only wildflowers and wild birds reside.
Free!

Sunday, July 19, 2015
Birding: Ridgewood Reservoir at Ridgewood Reservoir, Queens
10:00 a.m.–12:00 p.m.
Our Rangers will guide you to the best wildlife viewing spots in New York City.
Free!