did you know there's a crypt below fort greene park?
I hope you read the above title in the breathy intonation of Lana Del Rey, because that is how I intended it. But seriously, did you know there’s a crypt below Fort Greene Park? Because I did not know that at all, despite having walked around that park a lot! I learned this fact while on a Winter Tree Walk in the park last week, which was hosted by NYC Parks. If you already knew this, as maybe many of you did, I apologize for coming late to the Ft. Greene crypt game. But I am here now, and I’m never forgetting it!
We started the tour by the visitor’s center, where the rangers explained we would be learning how to identify trees in the winter, when they are denuded of their beautiful and easily identifiable leaves. On this walk, we concentrated on things including, but not limited to: the color, texture, and patterns of bark; the angle at which branches split from each other and their general shape; and also the presence and placement of any tender leaf buds. If this sounds like a lot, it was!
The first tree we stopped by was a gingko, which had a tall, straight trunk rippling with vertical creases. Its branches erupted in bulbous little buds. To confirm the identification, we examined a smattering of crispy fallen, fan-shaped gingko leaves littered below. Even while utterly naked, the gingko seemed quite a distinct tree. At this point, I was feeling very confident in my identification abilities.
The next tree we visited was a London plane tree, which is a hybrid between the native American sycamore and non-native oriental plane tree. Even totally leafless, the London plane tree had a girthy sense of gravitas. Here was a thick boy, with intriguing bark that peeled off itself in alluring, orangey mosaics. The London plane tree we regarded grew proudly near the tall tower at the top of the park, which the rangers explained was the Prison Ship Martyrs Monument. When I heard that, I thought…that’s crazy. Prison ship? But I was still concentrating mostly on the trees, and figured the prison ship detail would not come up later in the tour. My verdict: another excellent tree!
The next tree was perhaps the most crucial to the whole tour. We arrived at a Japanese zelkova, which is, I’ll say it, another beautiful tree. The rangers explained, extremely casually, the famously hardy zelkovas were planted to mitigate storm surges, but their roots were so strong that they were now about to break into the crypt. This was the moment where my curiosity sharply pivoted from the zelkova—again, a lovely tree—and toward the crypt. My friend Michael, who’d joined the tree tour with me, quickly ran to one of the rangers and asked the crucial follow-up question on all of our minds: crypt? What?!
Again, if this is news to you, continue scrolling! But apparently Fort Greene is built on a crypt that contains the remains of thousands of prisoners of war who died aboard British prison ships during the Revolutionary War. As I pondered the powerful roots of the zelkova trees, which already had created visible ripples in the cobblestones, I realized the crypt was literally below our feet, by the steps with the grand stone doors that I’d always considered vaguely crypt-like. Wild! I remember occasionally wandering around the park and wondering, what is this large tower doing? But I never actually read the plaque, which I now realize would have answered a lot of my questions.
There’s a lesson here for all of us, I think, but I’m still not sure what it is. There are crypts everywhere for those with the eyes to see? A mysterious large and imposing statue is almost always a war memorial? Don’t plant Japanese zelkovas above crypts?
Spring is already here, and I hear tomorrow is going to be absolutely beautiful! Will this counteract any of the despair we are all feeling as ICE and other federal agents are kidnapping and detaining people? Sorry for all the exclamation marks and sharp tonal shift but everything is incredibly bad! At Defector, I’ve been finding a lot of meaning in running interviews with civil servants who were fired: I’ve spoken with a USDA specialist, a NOAA director and budget analyst, two USFWS biologists, and an EPA public affairs specialist. I’m learning so much about much work, especially science, is funded by the government, and becoming incredibly sad and scared about all that threatens their work.
Spring migration has begun and there are many birding events to delight in the weeks ahead, including a birding tour of the Met Cloisters, a woodcock walk, and several bilingual birding tours in Spanish and Mandarin. Plus there are some insect walks, a spotted lanternfly hunt, and some rabbit viewing for Easter! I hope that the city’s nature and its many creatures can be a source of rest and contemplation amid the chaos. And I hope we can all find ways, however small, to resist. Thanks for reading.
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March
🐦 Spring Migration at Marine Park: Sat March 29 @ 11am. Our Urban Park Rangers will guide you to the best viewing spots in New York City to see spring migratory birds. Binoculars and guides will be provided.
🪲 Insect Exploration Hunt in Riverside Park: Sat March 29 @ 1pm. Join the Urban Park Rangers as we explore the park’s looking for insects such as ants, wasps, beetles, butterflies, mantids and many more. Learn more about how insects are great for the environment.
🏖️ Jamaica Bay Wildlife Refuge Sunset Wellness Walk: Sat March 29 @ 6:30pm. Feeling stressed, overwhelmed, or just looking for an excuse to get outside? Join a park ranger for a walk around the West Pond Trail as you take in a beautiful Jamaica Bay sunset.
🐦 American Woodcocks in Pelham Bay Park: Sat March 29 @ 7pm. Join the Urban Park Rangers on an evening nature walk at Pelham Bay Park to learn all about the wacky world of woodcocks Also known as the Timberdoodle; Woodcocks take the skies at night with dazzling corkscrew flight patterns and charming vocalizations.
🌈🐦 Birding in Central Park with Queer Birders: Sun March 20 @ 9am. Join Queer Birders for a birding walk led by Han. Meet at the Loch - Huddlestone Arch. Terrain will be paved and some dirt paths through the park. Mixed levels of slope
✍️ Nature Journaling Workshop with NYC Plover Project & Sam Sam Graves: Sun March 30 @ 10:30am. Nature journaling is a practice is known to deepen one's relationship to nature and builds a level of understanding of the environment. Art Educator and Naturalist Sam Sam Graves will lead this workshop. No prior experience in nature journaling or drawing is needed!
🐦 Spring Migration in Highland Park: Sun March 30 @ 11am. Our Urban Park Rangers will guide you to the best viewing spots in New York City to see spring migratory birds. Birding programs are appropriate for all skill levels and beginners are welcome.
🍀 Disturbed Habitat and Invasive Plant Ecologies: Sun March 30 @ 11am. Come to Kissena Park, Queens to learn about non-native species and the effects they have on our natural environment. Join Urban Park Rangers for useful tips on non-native plant ID and non-native plant removal activities.
🌳 Early Spring Tree ID Hike in Crotona Park: Sun March 30 @ 2pm. Trees have a special place in our environment. Join us for a hike of Crotona Park in search of different tree species and learn some ways to identify these trees during the changing season.
🐦 Jamaica Bay Junior Ranger Birding Walk: Sun March 30 @ 11am. Calling all Junior Rangers! Explore the trails of Jamaica Bay Wildlife Refuge and learn about birds with a park ranger. The program will be followed by a special Junior Ranger “swearing-in” ceremony. This program is recommended for ages 6-10 but Junior Rangers of all ages and their families are welcome to join.
April
🐦 Bryant Park Woodcock Walk: Tues April 1 @ 5pm. The American woodcock is a regular visitor to Bryant Park in March and early April. Join us for an after-work walk with guide Gabriel Willow, and learn about the wonderful worm-eaters who make Bryant Park their springtime home-away-from-home.
🐦 Bryant Park Woodcock Walk: Thurs April 3 @ 12pm. The American woodcock is a regular visitor to Bryant Park in March and early April. Join us for an after-work walk with guide Gabriel Willow, and learn about the wonderful worm-eaters who make Bryant Park their springtime home-away-from-home.
🐦 Bilingual Birding at Sunset Park: Sat April 5 @ 9:30am. Join bird guide Xinyi Zhang for a Mandarin-English bilingual bird outing in the small but beautiful Sunset Park. This green space is known to provide breathtaking views of Manhattan, especially at sunset. Registration encouraged.
🦆 Bilingual Family-Friendly Bird Walk at Brooklyn Bridge Park: Sat April 5 @ 10am. Join Brooklyn Bridge Park Conservancy for a free, English/Spanish bilingual family bird walk for all ages! Together we’ll explore the woodland habitat at Pier 1, search the salt marsh for waterbirds, and keep an eye out for feathered friends flying overhead. Registration required.
🐦 Accessible Birding in Carl Schurz Park with Alex Wang: Sat April 5 @ 11am.Located right on the coast of the East River on the UES, this park offers beautiful sights and sounds of waterbirds. Warblers, sparrows, raptors, and more also use this park as a stopover during migration. Accessibility is enhanced by birding guide and educator Alexandra Wang (Avian Alex), M.S. Ed.
🪷 Nature Meditation Hike in Maria Hernandez Park: Sat April 5 @ 11am. Take a stroll through Maria Hernandez Park and immerse yourself in tranquility. Join the Urban Park Rangers in a guided nature meditation while learning how the four classical elements of air, water, earth, and fire exist in harmony inside all of us.
🐦 Intro to Birding in Prospect Park with Tod Winston: Sun April 6 @ 8:30am. Are you curious about birding but don’t have much (or any) experience? Join NYC Bird Allliance's Tod Winston in Prospect Park, Brooklyn's backyard! This is the perfect time to learn the basics with spring migration just around the corner. Registration required, capped at 15.
🐦 Spring Birding with Richard Aracil in Crotona Park: Sun April 6 @ 9am. Join NYC Bird Alliance this spring to explore beautiful Crotona Park. Its meadows, flowering trees, and sizable pool provide excellent habitats for a variety of birds, including woodpeckers, warblers, and wading birds.
🐦 Bilingual Birding at Alley Pond Park: Sun April 6 @ 9am. Alley Pond Park is an ecological treasure. Containing both fresh and saltwater wetlands, forests, tidal flats, meadows, and glacier-formed landscape, this park supports a vast array of birds. Join NYC Bird Alliance for a stroll through this green space in English and Spanish, led by naturalist Oliver Lopez.
🌾 Volunteer Landscaping and Cleanup at the Ridgewood Reservoir: Sun April 6 @ 10am. Join NYC H2O and the NYC Parks Department as we remove invasive plants and plant native plants at Ridgewood Reservoir! Registration required.
🐦🏰 Birding Tour of The Met Cloisters and Fort Tryon Park: Sun April 6 @ 11am. Inspired by the birds depicted in the margins of The Prayer Book of Bonne of Luxembourg, Duchess of Normandy, one of the prized manuscripts at The Met Cloisters, join naturalist Gabriel Willow on a birding tour through scenic viewpoints within The Met Cloisters grounds and through Fort Tryon Park. $40, advance registration required.
🐝 Bug Buddies at the Queens County Farm Museum: Sun April 6 @ 11am. Calling all bug enthusiasts for a monthly Bug Buddies program with our STEM Coordinator and resident bug expert, Keith McManus! All classes are hands-on, exploratory, and include a related activity. This months’ theme is honeybees and includes a visit to the apiary.
🐦 Beginner Birding at Brookville Park, Queens: Sun April 6 @ 2pm. Join the Urban Park Rangers on a birding adventure around Brookville Park to learn the basics of birding how to identify common species in our parks.
🐦 Queens Botanical Garden Birding: Sat April 12 @ 9:30am. Explore Queens Botanical Garden in search of migrant songbirds and learn about the resources the Garden offers to birds and other wildlife. These outings are held in partnership with the Queens Botanical Garden. Registration required, capped at 20. $10, $4 for QBG members.
🍄🟫 How to Grow Edible Mushrooms on Logs: Sat April 12 @ 10am. Join Cornell’s network of Community Mushroom Educators and the NYRP Urban Ag team to learn how to grow Shiitake mushrooms on logs. This hands-on workshop will include plenty of opportunity to practice drilling and filling logs with shiitake mushroom spawn. Registration required, capped at 25.
🐢 Park Pals! Signs of Spring at Jamaica Bay: Sat April 12 @ 10:30am. Park Pals is an early childhood family program for children ages 0-6. The April session will focus on the special signs of spring at Jamaica Bay, such as blooming flowers, the return of migrating birds, and the re-emergence of hibernating animals such as terrapin turtles. We’ll enjoy themed sensory activities, a read-aloud, and a spring scavenger hunt. Registration required.
🦅 Accessible Birding in Fort Tryon Park with Alex Wang: Sat April 12 @ 11am. Fort Tryon Park offers stunning views of the Palisades and Hudson River from its soaring cliffs of bedrock. The park features many well-paved walkways designed to accommodate a wide range of mobility needs for birders with stroller, wheelchair, walker, cane, and other mobility aids. Birding guide and educator Alexandra Wang (Avian Alex), M.S. Ed., leads an inclusive tour.
🐦 Spring Migration at Crotona Park, Bronx: Sat April 12 @ 1pm. Join the Urban Park Rangers on a birding adventure around Crotona Park to look for spring migrants that include warblers, raptors and more!
🌸 Signs of Spring Hike at Alley Pond Park, Queens: Sat April 12 @ 1pm. Join the Urban Park Rangers in appreciating the early flowers of spring! Hike through a restored natural area to observe emerging buds, arriving birds, and blooming flowers.
🐞🏮🪰 Spotted Lanternfly Egg Hunt at Randall’s Island Park: Sat April 12 @ 1pm. It’s almost Spotted Lanternfly season at Randall’s Island Park which means that it’s time to learn about these insects and how to manage their populations at this free program! Learn how to identify and remove egg masses and help us squash as many eggs as possible both in the park and beyond. In between squash sessions, participants can keep warm with hot beverages and a bonfire, roast marshmallows, and explore Spotted Lanternfly fun facts with our Educators.
🦆 Birding at Mount Loretto Unique Area with Anthony Ciancimino: Sun April 13 @ 8am. Join Staten Island resident and longtime birder, Anthony Ciancimino, as we explore the diverse habitats found at Mount Loretto Unique Area.
🐦 Spring Birding at Wave Hill with Gabriel Willow: Sun April 13 @ 9:30am. Explore the gardens and woodlands with birder Gabriel Willow to look for resident and rare birds as they pass through on their northern journey or settle down for the season. Advance registration encouraged.
🌸 Spring Cherry Blossoms Walk at Flushing Meadows: Sun April 13 @ 11am. Spring has sprung. Enjoy the scenic views and learn more about the variety of iconic flowering cherry trees of Queens’ flagship park.
🦆 Kids Week! Spring Nature Scavenger Hunt in Marine Park: Mon April 14 @ 11am. Search for signs of spring on this nature scavenger hunt. Follow the trail of urban wildlife and unique plants and trees, discover something new while having a blast! For kids.
🍄 Kids Week! All About Fungus in Staten Island: Mon April 14 @ 1pm. Walk with the Urban Park Rangers through the woods to look for spring fungus waking up from their winter slumber. After the hike, make your own mushroom out of recycled material to keep at home. For kids.
🎣 Kids Week! Freshwater Fishing in Prospect Park: Tues April 15 @ 10:30am. Want to go fishing but don’t know how or where to start? Join our Urban Park Rangers for free lessons! Learn how to properly use a fishing rod or cast a net. Ages 8 and up. For kids.
🐢 Kids Week! All About Turtles in Staten Island: Tues April 15 @ 11am. We will answer all of your questions about turtles: What do they eat? Do all turtles swim? Who’s fastest? You’ll even get to meet our very own terrestrial and aquatic turtles that we care for in our nature center!For kids.
🐍 Kids Week! Meet the Critters in Inwood Hill Park: Weds April 16 @ 1pm. Kids will get to experience nature in a hands-on and fun way. From stick bugs to snakes, meet the animals that call the center their home. For kids.
📖 Nature Storytime at Brooklyn Bridge Park: Thurs April 17 @ 3pm. Librarians from Brooklyn Public Library Adams Street location lead for an exciting and engaging storytime session, along with singing and rhymes. Walk-ups only. For kids.
🦇 Kids Week! All About Bats in Forest Park: Thurs April 17 @ 6pm. Join the Urban Park Rangers for National Bat Appreciation Day as we hike Forest Park in a search for our nocturnal friends. For kids.
🌞 Solar Observing for Earth Day at Jamaica Bay: Fri April 18 @ 1pm. To celebrate Earth Day, join us at Arverne East Nature Preserve for free solar observing with NYC's Amateur Astronomers Association (AAA)! AAA will have telescopes set up with safe solar filters to view Sunspots, Flares and Prominences on our own star, the Sun.
🐦⬛ Highland Park and Reservoir Birding with Woo Sung Park: Sat April 19 @ 8:30am. Highland park is nestled in between both Queens and Brooklyn! Join Woo Sung Park as you discover the Ridgewood Reservoir, which has been transformed into a wild, thriving young forest since it was last used in 1989. Registration encouraged.
🐦⬛ Spring Birding in Pelham Bay Park with Rich Aracil: Sat April 19 @ 9am. Join NYC Bird Alliance to explore New York City's largest park this spring. Pelham Bay Park's forested areas, salt marshes, and grassy meadows offer rich habitat for a variety of migrating birds. Registration encouraged.
🐦 Bilingual Birding at Kissena Park: Sat April 19 @ 9:30am. Join Xinyi Zhang as we explore the beautiful Kissena Park in Queens. This green space contains a wide variety of trees as well as a lake that make great habitat for migrating and resident birds alike. This outing will be held in both Mandarin-English.
🌳 Hike in the Central Woodslands of Pelham Bay Park: Sat April 19 @ 10am. Join the Urban Park Rangers on a 3-hour trek through the 4-mile Pelham Bay Park’s Siwanoy Trail in the Central Woodlands. Known for moist woods and swampy tracts, the Central Woodlands is home to a wide array of flora and fauna.
🐰 Rabbit Viewing in Staten Island: Sun April 20 @ 10am. Join the Urban Park Rangers as they look for signs of rabbits and experience the joy of spotting these adorable creatures in the wild! Bunnies bring a sense of calm and wonder wherever they hop, so hop along with them as we play bunny games in the park.
🐦 Spring Migration in Powell’s Cove Park, Queens: Sun April 20 @ 1pm. Join the Urban Park Rangers on a birding adventure around Powell's Cove Park to look for spring migrants that include warblers, raptors and more!
🐦 Central Park Evening Birding with Gabriel Willow: Mon April 21 @ 5pm. Witness the beauty of spring migration with Gabriel Willow as birds follow the Atlantic Flyway. Look for warblers, thrushes, and other migrants in the landscape of Central Park, and learn about the finer points of their identification and ecology. Registration required, capped at 30.
🐦 Evening Birding at Alley Pond Park with Woo Sung Park: Wed April 23 @ 5:30pm. Join Woo Sung Park for a evening walk through Alley Pond Park. Containing both fresh and saltwater wetlands, forests, tidal flats, meadows, and glacier-formed landscape, this park supports a vast array of birds. Registration encouraged.
🐝 City Nature Challenge Bioblit at Brooklyn Bridge Park: April 25-28. Join Brooklyn Bridge Park Conservancy in the Park for the City Nature Challenge winner in this year’s international competition by using the iNaturalist app to document wildlife in the park and throughout NYC.
🌱 Spring Ephemerals Walk at Alley Pond Park: Fri April 25 @ 5pm. Join NYC Parks staff on a hike around Alley Pond Park to explore the diversity of spring wildflowers. Volunteers will learn how to identify these plants and learn how to make iNaturalist observations.
🐦 Spring Birding at Conference House Park with Anthony Ciancimino: Sat April 26 @ 8am. Discover a diversity of early spring migrants with longtime birder and Staten Island resident, Anthony Ciancimino. Expect to see a variety of species of songbirds and even some lingering waterfowl.
🐦 Birding on the QueensWay with Woo Sung Park: Sat April 26 @ 9:30am. Join NYC Bird Alliance's Woo Sung Park and The Trust for Public Land and explore the QueensWay! The QueensWay is an intiative to transform the LIRR Rockaway Beach Branch that cuts through Forest Park into a new green space. This blossoming new park is sure to attract many bird species this fall.
🏖️ Plumb Beach Cleanup: Sat April 26 @ 10am. Plumb Beach is located to the east of Sheepshead Bay just off the Belt Parkway. Gloves, garbage bags and pickers will be provided. Please also make sure to wear sunscreen and bring plenty of water to hydrate. Registration required.
🦅 Accessible Birding in Fort Tryon Park with Alex Wang: Sat April 26 @ 11am. Fort Tryon Park offers stunning views of the Palisades and Hudson River from its soaring cliffs of bedrock. The park features many well-paved walkways designed to accommodate a wide range of mobility needs for birders with stroller, wheelchair, walker, cane, and other mobility aids. Birding guide and educator Alexandra Wang (Avian Alex), M.S. Ed., leads an inclusive tour.
🐦 City Nature Challenge Bird Blitz in Inwood Hill Park: Sat April 26 @ 11am. Join the Rangers as we walk the park to observe and collect data for the City Nature Challenge, a friendly competition taking place April 25-28 between cities around the world to see which is most biodiverse.
🌱 Spring Ephemerals Walk at Alley Pond Park: Sat April 26 @ 11am. Join NYC Parks staff on a hike around Alley Pond Park to explore the diversity of spring wildflowers. Volunteers will learn how to identify these plants and learn how to make iNaturalist observations.
🌳🌰 Earth Day at Highbridge Park - Tour our American Chestnut Grove: Join NYRP & NYC Parks on Saturday, April 26th for a day of nature and community! Enjoy a guided tour of the American Chestnut Grove (1:00–1:30 PM) and/or help restore the park with a stewardship project (1:30–3:00 PM). Volunteer release form required.
🦆 City Nature Challenge Biodiversity Hike in Queens: Sat April 26 @ 1pm. Join the Rangers as we walk Baisley Pond Park to observe and collect data for the City Nature Challenge, a friendly competition taking place April 25- April 28 between cities around the world to see which is most biodiverse.
🐦 Birding in Sherman Creek with Russell Jacobs: Sun April 27 @ 8am. Found at the northern tip of Manhattan along the Harlem River waterfront, Sherman Creek is a small street-end park with lots to uncover. Its proximity to Highbridge Park, Fort Tyron Park, and Inwood Hill Park make it a prime destination for migratory birds during the spring season. Registration encouraged.
🦅 Spring Birding in Van Cortlandt Park with Jack Rothman: Sun April 27 @ 9am. Join NYC Bird Alliance on a bird tour in one of the Bronx's largest green spaces. Participants will look for various species of resident and migrant birds and discuss a wide range of avian topics. Registration required, capped at 20.
🌻 Botanical Plant Walk at the Ridgewood Reservoir: Sun April 27 @ 10am. Join us for a spring plant walk at Ridgewood Reservoir, where the landscape comes alive with early blooms and budding trees. We’ll explore the medicinal, edible, and ecological significance of the plants emerging in late April. Registration required.
🐦 City Nature Challenge Bird Blitz in Prospect Park: Sun April 27 @ 10am. Join the Rangers as we walk the park to observe and collect data for the City Nature Challenge, a friendly competition taking place April 25-28 between cities around the world to see which is most biodiverse.
🍄 Mushroom ID Hike in Cunningham Park, Queens: Sun April 27 @ 10am. Prepare to be amazed by the wonders of the forest and the incredible diversity of mushrooms waiting to be discovered.
🌱 Spring Ephemerals Walk at Forest Park: Sun April 27 @ 11am. Join NYC Parks staff on a hike around Forest Park to explore the diversity of spring wildflowers. Volunteers will learn how to identify these plants and learn how to make iNaturalist observations.
🌳 Great Trees of Madison Square Park: Sun April 27 @ 1pm. Officially recognized as a Level 2 arboretum by the Arboretum Accreditation Program, this small park is home to over 300 trees! Learn more about these species and fun facts in this tree trivia filled tour.
🐦 Central Park Evening Birding with Gabriel Willow: Mon April 28 @ 5pm. Witness the beauty of spring migration with Gabriel Willow as birds follow the Atlantic Flyway. Look for warblers, thrushes, and other migrants in the landscape of Central Park, and learn about the finer points of their identification and ecology. Registration required, capped at 30.
Ongoing:
🪼 Open Hours at the Environmental Education Center at Brooklyn Bridge Park: Get to know Brooklyn Bridge Park with monthly educational themes, a 250 gallon aquarium filled with critters from the East River, a 10’ scale model of Brooklyn Bridge Park, crafts, a reading corner, and much more. Open weekly on Thursdays 3-5 PM, Fridays 3-5 PM, and Saturdays 1-5 PM.
🦪 Shoreline Cleanup with the Billion Oyster Project: On Thursdays at 2pm, loin us in collecting debris from New York City's shorelines to prevent it from re-entering the waterways when the tide returns. This is important in achieving our goal of protecting the biodiversity that lives near our reef sites.
🌹 New York Restoration Project: Everyone deserves access to high-quality public green space. If you’re interested in forest stewardship, volunteer with the NYRP in the parks of northern Manhattan clearing invasive plants, mulching, and clearing litter. Volunteer dates listed in the link above. Registration required.