happy belated earth day!
It’s really, truly spring in New York City, which means the weather is suddenly beautiful and I am a congested, blotchy mess. This is always a bittersweet time, because I would love to be outside, and yet my body believes that outside wants to kill me? So I have not spent much time in nature because it makes me feel physically miserable, if somewhat psychically uplifted.
I have no real creature report this month, partly because of my freaking allergies and partly because I wanted to send the newsletter out early because there’s so much happening in the city this weekend in honor of Earth Day, which was this week. Ordinarily this would be a cause for celebration, but the people in power are currently waging an obscene and ruthless war against Earth and all its living beings, including us.
For one, DOGE fired the entire staff overseeing the Low-Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP), which which helps 1.2 million New Yorkers pay their heat and cooling bills.And the Trump administration has proposed a rule change to the Endangered Species Act that would only prohibit actions that directly hurt or kill actual animals, not the habitats they rely on, essentially gutting the act, per NPR. This would devastate the status of countless species, endangered or not, because habitat loss is the biggest driver of extinction.
One concrete thing you can do to resist this devaluing of the natural world is to write a public comment protesting this proposed change to the Endangered Species Act. You can comment here, and the comment period ends in 24 days, so feel free to send it to friends and family. It takes just a few minutes to write a comment, and the NPR article offers a nice blueprint for some possible talking points.
Another way to resist is to go to some of the events below and get to know your neighbors, human and non-human, and learn more about the patch of the planet we inhabit together. This is a very packed month. There are tons of spring migration walks. There’s a pigeon portrait workshop celebrating Wild NYC, a new book written by Ryan Mandelbaum and illustrated by Chelsea Beck that celebrates the city’s unexpected nature. Don’t miss Queer Birders fundraising walk for Gaza and Herban Cura’s edible/medicinal plant walk along the Hudson.
Finally, there are the first events of ~*horseshoe crab*~ season, which is my favorite time to be alive in NYC! In fact, Sunday May 18th is the 9th annual Jamaica Bay Horseshoe Crab Festival, which is one of my favorite holidays and kind of the reason I started this whole newsletter (so that my friends would come to the festival.) You basically get to stand around at high tide while horseshoe crabs (gently and unsuccessfully) try to mate with your feet. See you there?
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April
🌱 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.
🪱 Composting for Community with Field Meridians: Sat April 26 @ 11am. Learn more about community composting through a practical, local, and hands-on approach. Join us in making nutrient-rich compost, a vital soil amendment that helps grow healthier plants and produce locally and makes our city more resilient to the impacts of climate change. Participants will gain knowledge across the entire decomposition cycle—from best practices in collecting food scraps to compost application. Earth Day in the Garden will be taking place afterwards from 12-3pm—stay for some seed starting, arts and crafts, and more.
🦅 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.
🌻 Becoming a Flower (Family & Kids Program) with Field Meridians: Sat April 26 @ 2:30pm. Becoming a Flower invites participants to imagine the perspective of a flower—its relationship to pollinators, how color and scent might attract or repel other species, and its role in ecosystems ranging from the park to our streets. Through walking meditation, group reading, and a poster-making exercise, we’ll explore different ways of sensing one’s surroundings and then communicating those ideas to others, both human and more-than-human. Bring magazines for collaging.
🐦 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.
🐦 City Nature Challenge Amphibian Walk at Alley Pond Park: Mon April 28 @ 6pm. Join NYC Parks staff for an evening hike around Alley Pond Park in search of frogs and salamanders. Volunteers will learn how to make iNaturalist observations of wildlife and any other signs of nature you find along the way.
May
🐦 Reed’s Basket Willow Swamp - Chapin Woods: Thurs May 1 @ 11am. Join us in Staten Island to welcome the back of the warblers to our NYC parks. The neo migrant passerine birds are returning to fill our parks with song and color.
🐦 Morning Birding at Prospect Park with Gabriel Willow: Fri May 2 @ 9am. Join NYC Bird Alliance to get to know the spring migrants of “Brooklyn's Backyard,” beautiful Prospect Park. The meadows, forests, and waterways of Prospect Park attract a variety of winter birds including juncos, thrushes, and waterfowl. Registration required. Free. Limited to 30.
🐦 Birding in Clove Lakes Park with Anthony Ciancimino: Sat May 3 @ 8am. Uncover Clove Lakes Park, a hidden gem nestled in Staten Island, known for its scenic lakes, lush woodlands, and diverse wildlife. Numerous warblers, vireos, tanagers, and other migratory songbirds can be seen here. Clove Lakes Park is home to one of the largest and oldest trees in NYC.
🐦 César Castillo Memorial Birdathon: Sat May 3 @ 8am. Join NYC Bird Alliance and the Queens County Bird Club for a Birdathon walk in memory of César Castillo. There will be an 8am walk at Forest Park, Jamaica Bay, and Kissena Park.
🐦 Multilingual Birding at Sunset Park: Sat May 3 @ 9:30am. To reflect the beautiful diversity of the Sunset Park neighborhood join NYC Bird Alliance for a special multilingual bird outing (Mandarin - Spanish - English). Bird guides Xinyi Zhang and Ronnie Almonte will led the group through the small but beautiful Sunset Park. This green space is known to provide breathtaking views of Manhattan, especially at sunset.
🌱 Riverkeeper Sweep: Sat May 3 @ 9:30am. Join hundreds of others throughout the Hudson River watershed to help keep our shoreline free of marine plastics and refuse at the annual Riverkeeper Sweep. Community friends and partners band together to remove and prevent hundreds of pounds of litter from getting into our rivers.
🐣 Nests and Baby Birds Exploration: Sat May 3 @ 10am. Join the Urban Park Rangers on a fun and informative walk through Van Cortlandt Park to learn all about nests, baby birds, and unique spring-time animal behaviors!
🦪 Billion Oyster Project Presentation: Sat May 3 @ 12pm. Come see and learn about the Billion Oyster Project on the Baylander’s Jungle Deck. It’s the latest effort to restore our harbor!
🌿 Plants to the People with Field Meridians and Herban Cura: Sat May 3 @ 1pm. Plants to the People redistributes free herbal medicine in the form of fresh herbs to our communities in New York City. Field Meridians will also be hosting open office hours for our community seed library! Come by Brower Park and drop seeds to share or pick up seeds for the season. We will also be running two workshops. One by KL Mays from 2-3 PM and another by Alma Valdez-Garcia from 3-4 PM.
🐦 ✍️ Pigeon Portraits and Prose at Caveat: Sat May 3 @ 1:30pm. An irreverent nature writing and illustration workshop devoted to New York's least-loved wildlife. This event is a two-part workshop: We'll begin with an introduction to wildlife illustration with Chelsea Beck, followed by a drawing session and the opportunity to have your work critiqued. Then, we'll host a nature writing workshop led by Ryan Mandelbaum, with the opportunity to craft and then read your prose in front of the crowd. $15 in advance, $20 at the door.
🪲 Insects of the Night at Fort Totten Park: Sat May 3 @ 8pm. Rangers will show you how to attract and identify the diverse menagerie of friendly nocturnal insects that fill the night skies of your local park.
🐦 Spring Birding in Pelham Bay Park with Jack Rothman: Sun May 4 @ 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.
🐦 Intro to Birding in Marine Park with Ryan Mandelbaum: Sun May 4 @ 9am. Explore the beauty of Brooklyn’s largest green space, Marine Park! Consisting of grassland and salt marshes, this park is habitat for a variety of migratory songbirds and waterbirds.
🐦 Warbler Watch in Forest Park: Sun May 4 @ 9am. Don’t miss out on the chance to see the beautiful tropical birds unique to the Americas as they briefly pass through NYC in the spring.
🐦 Queens Botanical Garden Birding: Sun May 4 @ 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. Register here. Limited to 25.
🌳 A Tree Grows in Brooklyn, Part 1, with Field Meridians: Sun May 4 @ 10am. Get to know your tree neighbors, with your human (and more than human) neighbors. We’ll be checking in on our neighborhood street trees with a stroll up Nostrand Avenue to identify the trees that provide shade, ecologies, and homes for species of all kinds. We’ll be learning how to identify and care for trees, sharing stories of their cultural histories, and discussing our shared future with them in a time of unprecedented global ecosystems change.
🐞 Bug Buddies at Queens County Farm Museum: Sun May 4 @ 11am. Calling all bug enthusiasts for a monthly Bug Buddies program with our STEM Coordinator and resident bug expert, Keith McManus! Classes will take place both outdoors (weather permitting) and indoors. May: Garden guardians, focus on ladybugs and aphids.
🐦🇵🇸 Birdwalk for Gaza + Afterparty with Queer Birders: Sun May 4 @ 11:30am. NYC Queer Birders is excited to make our annual birding and social gathering event a benefit for Palestinian mutual aid! As ecocide and genocide continue to intensify in Gaza, we’ll pledge our resources to support Palestinian life while appreciating the natural world around us. We will meet at McCarren Park for a delightful bird walk around the park. We’ll end the walk at Sprtizenhaus33 where we’ll gather at the long tables and share drinks, snacks, and a beautiful time getting to know each other. $20-40 sliding scale. All funds go to Gaza.
🌳 Volunteer with Highbridge Park Forest Crew: Sun May 4 @ 11:30am. Join us to learn about the urban forest while taking part in essential stewardship and restoration tasks, including invasive plant removal, litter cleanup, tree care, and planting projects. Registration mandatory.
🌷 Spring Plant Walk and Wonder with Herban Cura: Sun May 4 @ 1pm. Join Herban Cura founder and herbalist Antonia Estela Pérez for a plant identification walk along the Mahicantuck River (Hudson River) in Washington Heights, NY, where will be meeting edible and medicinal plants and trees growing along the river. Participants will learn a few methods for how to begin their plant relationship journey to continue deeping relationship to the plants growing in New York City beyond our time together. Many of the beings we will be meeting are both food and medicine! Sliding Scale: $35 – $75.
🐦 Spring Migration in Central Park: Sun May 4 @ 1pm. Join the Urban Park Rangers on a birding adventure around Central Park to look for spring migrants that include warblers, raptors and more!
🐦 Central Park Evening Birding with Gabriel Willow: Mon May 5 @ 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. Limited to 30. Free.
🐦 NYCHA in Nature - Birding in Fulton and Elliott- Chelsea Houses: Tues May 6 @ 9:30 am. Join NYC Bird Alliance and Hudson Guild for a morning of birding to look and listen for birds! We'll slowly stroll through the Fulton and Elliott- Chelsea NYCHA Complexes and nearby parks. Mandarin translation available.
🐦 Birding in the East Harlem with EsplanadeFriends: Tues May 6 @ 6pm. Join NYC Bird Alliance and EsplanadeFriends to discover the Harlem stretch of East River Esplanade. Expect to see many water birds swimming in and flying over the East River. Free. Please email us at executivedirector@esplanadefriends.org to RSVP
🌳 Tree Identification - Buds, Blooms And Leaves With Will Thomson: Weds May 7 @ 5pm. Sharpen your tree identification skills and focus on emerging leaves, breaking buds, and seasonal flowers. The workshop will introduce some of the most common tree genera and species found on New York City streets and in its parks, including maples (Acer), lindens (Tilia), oaks (Quercus), and ashes (Fraxinus).
🐦 Prospect Park Birding with the Young Conservationists: Thurs May 8 @ 6pm. Join NYC Bird Alliance and Young Conservationist Council member Ryan Mandelbaum and get to know the spring bird migrants of beautiful Prospect Park. The meadows, forests, and waterways of Prospect Park attract a dazzling variety of migratory birds on their way south, including warblers, tanagers, cuckoos, and more.
🐦 Morning Birding at Prospect Park with Gabriel Willow: Fri May 9 @ 9am. Join NYC Bird Alliance to get to know the spring migrants of “Brooklyn's Backyard,” beautiful Prospect Park. The meadows, forests, and waterways of Prospect Park attract a variety of winter birds including juncos, thrushes, and waterfowl. Registration required. Free. Limited to 30.
🐦 Summer on the Hudson with Russell Jacobs: Fri May 9 @ 5:30pm. Join NYC Bird Alliance and Riverside Park Conservancy for this year's Summer on the Hudson series. Who knows what birds we'll discover while taking in views of the Hudson River?
🐦 Bilingual Birding at Flushing Meadows Corona Park on World Migratory Bird Day: Sat May 10 @ 8am. Celebrate World Migratory Bird Day with the NYC Bird Alliance, led by naturalist Oliver Lopez, in Flushing Meadows Corona Park. Begin at the iconic Unisphere and explore the diverse bird species that call this vibrant Queens park home.
🐦 World Migratory Bird Day: Intro to Birding in Marine Park: Sat May 10 @ 9am. Explore the beauty of Brooklyn’s largest green space, Marine Park! Consisting of grassland and salt marshes, this park is habitat for a variety of migratory songbirds and waterbirds. This series is hosted in partnership with the Marine Park Alliance.
🐦 World Migratory Bird Day in Jamaica Bay: Sat May 10 @ 10am. Celebrate World Migratory Bird Day with longtime birder and educator Don Riepe at the Jamaica Bay Wildlife Refuge! Explore this gem of New York City, home to dozens of warblers like Yellow and Yellow-rumped Warblers, and up to seven species of wading birds, such as Great Egrets and Great Blue Herons. Registration required. Limited to 30. Free.
🐦 Bird Bonanza on Randall’s Island: Sat May 10 @ 10am. Enjoy a day dedicated to our feathered friends with engaging activities, bird tours, and games suitable for all ages. Learn about local birds with a special focus on those that are currently migrating through NYC.
🦅 Accessible Birding in Fort Tryon Park with Alex Wang on World Migratory Bird Day: Sat May 10 @ 11am. Fort Tryon 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.
🦋 Fragile Beauties at Marine Park: Sat May 10 @ 1:30pm Butterflies and moths play an important role in plant pollination. Their beauty and fragility inspire as they flit through the air. With Melissa Muller, Senior Entomologist at the Long Island Aquarium, find out about native butterfly and moth species and how they contribute to the diversity of Marine Park.
🐦 Governors Island Bird Tour on World Migratory Bird Day: Sat May 10 @ 2:15pm. With nearly 240 bird species spotted on Governors Island, learn what makes the island an excellent habitat all year round. Whether you’re an expert birder or a beginner, these tours will help you discover all of the birdlife the island has to offer. Registration required.
🐦 Bird Watching/ Observación de Aves at Ridgewood Reservoir: Sun May 11 @ 8am. Join author and naturalist Heather Wolf for a bird walk at the Ridgewood Reservoir. With the weather turning it's a great time to come out and enjoy the reservoir and see some birds!
🐦 Mother's Day Birding at Forest Park: Sun May 11 @ 9am. Join NYC Parks, the Queens County Bird Club, and the Forest Park Trust for a Mother's Day birding event in Forest Park's natural areas! Participants will hike in this Forever Wild area, seeing what birds call this place home. Event will run from 9am-12pm. Registration required.
🐦 All About Pigeons in Staten Island: Sun May 11 @ 11am. Join the Urban Park Rangers for a fun and feathered adventure all about pigeons! Whether you're a bird watcher or just curious about these resilient city dwellers, our "Pigeon Patrol" program will take you on a deep dive into the lives of New York City’s most misunderstood bird.
🦋 The Motherly Instincts of Insects in Astoria Park: Sun May 11 @ 1pm. Celebrate this year’s Mother’s Day by learning about some of the most doting mothers of the insect world! Rangers will highlight a variety of insect species found in NYC Parks and talk about many ways insects care for their babies and make sure their young ones have a bright future ahead of themselves.
🐦 Central Park Evening Birding with Gabriel Willow: Mon May 12 @ 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.
🪱 Wormy Wednesday at Randall’s Island: Weds May 14 @ 3pm. Learn about vermicomposting with the Randall’s Island Park Alliance! Come after school to meet the worms from our compost bins and learn how you can make your own at home.
🐦 Evening Birding at Alley Pond Park with Woo Sung Park: Weds May 14 @ 5pm. 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 Woo Sung Park for a evening walk through this Queen's gem! Registration encouraged.
🐴 👠 🦀 Horseshoe Crab Walk and Coastal Cleanup in the Rockaways: Thurs May 15 @ 10am. Volunteer with the Stewardship Team to protect coastal areas in the Vernam Barbadoes Peninsula! This coincides with the high tide full moon, which marks the beginning of the annual horseshoe crab spawning season in Jamaica Bay. Volunteers will get the opportunity to witness this incredible natural event and help us remove debris from the coastline.
🐦 Morning Birding at Prospect Park with Gabriel Willow: Fri May 16 @ 9am. Join NYC Bird Alliance to get to know the spring migrants of “Brooklyn's Backyard,” beautiful Prospect Park. The meadows, forests, and waterways of Prospect Park attract a variety of winter birds including juncos, thrushes, and waterfowl. Registration required.
🐦 NYCHA in Nature: Birding in Wyckoff Gardens and Gowanus: Sat May 17 @ 9am. Join NYC Bird Alliance, Gowanus Canal Conservancy, and the Public Housing Community Fund to look and listen for birds! We'll stroll through the Gowanus and Wyckoff Gardens NYCHA complexes, which are full of large trees and lush vegetation, perfect habitat for song birds.
🦪 Coastal Ecology - Oysters and Other Bivalves: Sat May 17 @ 11am. Oysters and other bivalves act as natural filters for our shores. Learn more about these phenomenal creatures and other marine life at this Billion Oyster Project site along The Narrows. Participants will also learn how to record relevant data.
🍄 Fantastic Fungi Mushroom ID Hike in Van Cortlandt Park: Sat May 17 @ 11am. This Urban Park Ranger led hike will take you through the forest to learn how to identify fungi. Participants will learn about the crucial role that mushrooms play in an ecosystem and how natural decomposition takes place.
🐦 Wings Over Wave Hill: Sun May 18 @ 9:30am-5:30pm. Join us for a full day of amazing bird encounters! In May, migratory and resident raptors and songbirds animate the gardens and the skies above Wave Hill and our naturalists and expert birders are on hand to reveal and explain their activities. Some activities require reservations and a paid ticket.
🐦 Birding on the QueensWay with Woo Sung Park: Sun May 18 @ 9:30am. Join NYC Bird Alliance's Woo Sung Park and The Trust for Public Land and explore The QueensWay! The QueensWay is an initiative to transform the LIRR Rockaway Beach Branch that cuts through Forest Park into a new green space.
🐴 👠 🦀 9th Annual Jamaica Bay Horseshoe Crab Festival: Sun May 18 @ 10am-1pm. We're back with the 9th Annual Jamaica Bay Horseshoe Crab Festival! This festival celebrates the ancient mating ritual of these charismatic "living dinosaurs" that come to our shores each year, helping provide a vital food source for migrating shorebirds like the endangered Red Knot!
🦅 Hawk Watch in Flushing Meadows: Sun May 18 @ 10am. Experience the majesty of NYC’s top aerial predator. Join us to learn about Red-Tailed Hawks and other raptors of NYC and hopefully catch a glimpse of a nesting pair.
🐦⬛ Field Sketching with Sam Philbert: Sun May 18 @ 2pm. Join bird guide and artist Sam Philbert for a field sketching workshop in Prospect Park! Learn tips to record and draw species in your environment to fill your own nature journal. Bring a drawing book or paper and something to write/draw to document your findings.
🐦 Documenting Urban Nature in support of Wild NYC: Sun May 18 @ 4:30pm. Come join us for an introduction to thinking about New York City as nature—and how to document it. We'll start with an introduction to the city's non-human residents and how to study them using old and new tools given by nature educator and author Ryan Mandelbaum. Then we'll have an introduction to nature illustration with illustrator Chelsea Beck.
🐦 Morning Birding in Washington Square Park: Mon May 19 @ 8am. Join us for a early morning of birding at Washington Square Park, one of NYC’s most iconic green spaces. Although only 10 acres, Washington Square Park is rich in history and serves as a vibrant hub for New Yorkers.
🐦 Central Park Evening Birding with Gabriel Willow: Mon May 19 @ 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. Limited to 30.
🐦 Morning Birding at Prospect Park with Gabriel Willow: Fri May 23 @ 9am. Join NYC Bird Alliance to get to know the spring migrants of “Brooklyn's Backyard,” beautiful Prospect Park. The meadows, forests, and waterways of Prospect Park attract a variety of winter birds including juncos, thrushes, and waterfowl. Registration required, capped at 30.
🐦 Spring Birding in Van Cortlandt Park with Joe McManus: Sat May 24 @ 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. This event is held in partnership with Van Cortlandt Park Alliance. Registration required, capped at 20.
🐦 Bilingual Birding at Kissena Park: Mandarin-English: Sat May 24 @ 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.
🐦 Accessible Birding in Fort Tryon Park with Alex Wang: Sat May 24 @ 11am. Fort Tryon 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.
🐴 👠 🦀 Staten Island Horseshoe Crab Monitoring: Sat May 24 @ 6pm. Join the Urban Park Rangers for an evening on the shore engaging in a community science project as we collect scientific data and learn the importance of protecting horseshoe crabs. Registration required.
🐦 Bird Watching/ Observación de Aves at Ridgewood Reservoir: Sun May 25 @ 8am. Join author and naturalist Heather Wolf for a bird walk at the Ridgewood Reservoir. With the weather turning it's a great time to come out and enjoy the reservoir and see some birds!
🐦⬛ Black Birders Week Beginner Birding at Shirley Chisholm State Park: Sun May 25 @ 10am. Join NYC Bird Alliance and NYS Department of Parks with a morning outing in Shirley Chisholm State Park. The largest state park in New York City, it is named after the trailblazing Shirley Chisholm—Brooklyn native. Built on what was once a landfill, the park is now a thriving spot full of wildlife.
🐦 Queens Botanical Garden Birding at Dusk: Sun May 25 @ 4:30pm. 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. Register here. Limited to 25.
🐴 👠 🦀 Staten Island Horseshoe Crab Monitoring: Mon May 26 @ 7:30pm. Join the Urban Park Rangers for an evening on the shore engaging in a community science project as we collect scientific data and learn the importance of protecting horseshoe crabs. Registration required.
🐴 👠 🦀 Horseshoe Crab Walk and Coastal Cleanup in the Rockaways: Weds May 28 @ 10am. Volunteer with the Stewardship Team to protect coastal areas in Vernam Barbadoes Peninsula! This coastal cleanup coincides with the new moon high tide, which is an ideal time to witness the annual horseshoe crab spawning season in Jamaica Bay. Volunteers will get the opportunity to see this incredible natural event and help us remove debris from the coastline. Registration required.
🐦⬛ Black Birders Week Beginner Birding at Shirley Chisholm State Park: Weds May 28 @ 7pm. Join NYC Bird Alliance and NYS Department of Parks with a morning outing in Shirley Chisholm State Park. The largest state park in New York City, it is named after the trailblazing Shirley Chisholm—Brooklyn native. Built on what was once a landfill, the park is now a thriving spot full of wildlife.
🐦 Morning Birding at Prospect Park with Gabriel Willow: Fri May 30 @ 9am. Join NYC Bird Alliance to get to know the spring migrants of “Brooklyn's Backyard,” beautiful Prospect Park. The meadows, forests, and waterways of Prospect Park attract a variety of winter birds including juncos, thrushes, and waterfowl. Registration required. Limited to 30.
🪼 Community Science Seining at Brooklyn Bridge Park: Fri May 30 @ 4pm. Discover the East River’s amazing biodiversity as our trained staff, volunteers and marine biologists use a seine net to humanely catch-and-release organisms, including fish, jellyfish, crabs, and more!
🐦 Black Birders Week - Birds & Brews at Marsha P. Johnson State Park: Fri May 30 @ 6:30pm. Join NYC Bird Alliance and NY State Parks for a stroll in Marsha P. Johnson State Park. Overlooking the East River, this park provides great views of the city and of waterbirds off the coast. After the bird outing, participants are invited to attend a free tour of the nearby Brooklyn Brewery and receive a drink voucher. This event is for adults 18 and older. Register here!
🐦 Black Birders Week - Birding at the Bronx River Forest: Sat May 31 @ 9am. Extending south into the New York Botanical Garden, the Bronx River Forest is a remnant of the original forests and floodplains that once blanketed the Bronx River corridor. Recent projects to restore the river's corridor and increase habitat have made it a perfect place to spot birds and other wildlife! Registration encouraged.
🌻 Wildflowers of Marine Park Walk: Sat May 31 @ 9am. Join botanist Zihao Wang from Torrey Botanical Society to seek out beautiful wild plants, insects, and their fascinating relationship.
⚡ 🐭 Catch Them All Nature and History Scavenger Hunt: Sat May 31 @ 11am. Join the Urban Park Rangers and take a walk-through history in Astoria Park while engaging in the modern world of Pokémon.
🌳 Nature Exploration - The Northwest Woods: Sat May 31 @ 11am. Join the Rangers on a nature walk into the Northwest Woods of Van Cortlandt Park to learn about the ecology and wildlife that inhabits this magical woodlands habitat
Ongoing:
🏳️🌈 🐦 Weekday Morning Migration Birding Walks with Queer Birders: From April 22-May 28, join Queer Birders for 7am walks. Tuesdays in Central Park with Leo Wexler Mann. Wednesdays in Prospect Park with Megan Thornton.
🪐 Star Gaze on the Hudson: Every second Saturday between May and August from 8-11pm, join expert stargazers from the Amateur Astronomers Association to observe stars and planets on Pier 1 in Riverside Park.
🪼 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.