Upcoming Nature Trips

Below is a list of upcoming nature trips by local birding/conservation groups for the weekend of Saturday, July 25, 2015 to Sunday, July 26, 2015:

Audubon Center in Prospect Park
Saturday, July 25, 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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Gateway National Recreation Area
Saturday, July 25, 2015
Birds of Summer
Location: Jamaica Bay Wildlife Refuge
Fee Information: Free
Slide show and hike with NYC Audubon naturalist Don Riepe

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Littoral Society
Saturday, July 25, 2015, 10:00am - 01:00pm
Breeding and Migratory Birds of Summer
Meet at the Jamaica Bay Wildlife Refuge for a slide presentation and hike around the ponds and gardens with American Littoral Society naturalist, Don Riepe. About 70 species of songbirds, shorebirds, wading birds and waterfowl breed in Jamaica Bay. Learn about their history and migration.
Registration required.
Location: Jamaica Bay Wildlife Refuge
Contact: NE Chapter, (718) 474-0896

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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 25, 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.

Saturday, July 25, 2015, 8:20am – 3:00pm
Croton Point Park
Guide: Gabriel Willow
Travel in comfort aboard Metro North to visit Croton Point Park, a beautiful 500-acre park on a peninsula on the Hudson River, about one hour north of the city. The park is rich in natural and human history - it has the oldest native american oyster shell middens in the northeast, revealing that it was inhabited as long as 7,000 years ago; today, the park has a wonderful mix of forest, wetlands, and grassland. The grasslands are atop a hill formed by a former landfill, and are home to hard-to-find breeding bird species such as indigo bunting, grasshopper sparrow, bobolink, and eastern meadowlark. The woodlands nearby are home to breeding great horned owl, willow flycatcher, and orchard oriole, as well as the more expected common breeders. Bring lunch for a picnic in one of the river-side pavilions. Round-trip Metro North fare ($19.50) not included in trip price. $53 (37)
Click here to register

Sunday, July 26, 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)
July 25, 2015, 9:15 am – 4:00 pm
The Summer 2015 – 10 mile Walk
Ten moderate miles at a comfortable pace. Enjoy wonderful vistas, beautiful woodlands and the sounds of summer throughout our Greenbelt. Meet at our new meeting place where the parking is easier: the beginning of the white line trail, in the Eaton Place parking lot in Willowbrook Park. Bring lunch, beverage and sturdy walking shoes as well as camera, binoculars and field guides. We go in any weather but our walk is shortened if high pollution levels occur.
For more information call Dominick Durso at 917-478-7607 or Don Recklies at 718-768-9036.
Free

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Staten Island Museum
Saturday, July 25, 2015, 8:30pm - 10:30pm
Moth Night: Return to the Woods!
Location: Greenbelt Nature Center, 700 Rockland Avenue
$10 for Adults/ FREE for kids under 12
Stay up late and celebrate National Moth Week! Join the Staten Island Museum at the Greenbelt Nature Center for a fluttery affair and hike through the dark beauty of the Greenbelt. Observe moths at the glowing moth attractor and through our microscope. Dance performance by Deep Tanks Butoh! All ages welcome. Bring your flashlight, camera, "moth" container and science notebook.

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Urban Park Rangers
Saturday, July 25, 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.
The history of birding and Van Cortlandt Park are inseparable. Influential birders such as Roger Tory Peterson got their starts on Van Cortlandt’s ecologically diverse grounds.
Free!

Wildlife Viewing: Raptor Watch at Wilde and Melvin Avenues (in Schmul Park), Staten Island
11:00 a.m.–1:00 p.m.
New York City is home to an amazing abundance of wildlife. Birding programs are appropriate for all skill levels and beginners are welcome.
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!

Sunday, July 26, 2015
Orchard Beach Lagoon Birding Excursion (Intermediate) at Pelham Bay Park, Bronx
10:00 a.m.–12:00 p.m.
Explore the Orchard Beach Lagoon, including Bartow Creek as we look for birds that live in this estuarine habitat of the Long Island Sound.
Free!