in awe of cicada killers
The other day I was walking in my neighborhood when I saw alarmingly large insects hovering on someone’s lawn. At first I was excited and thought they could be hummingbird moths, which are pleasantly plump with these unreal clear wings. Then as I approached, I wondered if I was in fact seeing a “murder hornet,” or Vespa mandarinia, the enormous wasps that were recently introduced to North America. But there have been no confirmed sightings of these hornets in New York. Rather, what I was seeing was Sphecius speciosus, or the eastern cicada-killer wasp. Up close, I realized I had no idea the cicada killer was high key a cunty wasp! Look at her* pose!
*the cicada killer below is a male but he is objectively slaying and so here I deploy “she.”
Coincidentally, about a week later a friend asked me what enormous and intimidating bug they had seen, describing a big yellow-and-black wasp like this, and it seems they, too, glimpsed Sphecius. They’re kind of unmissable. Wikipedia describes them as “uniquely fearsome” and I have to agree.
I have been seeing many cicada killers out and about because we are in peak cicada season. But I feel compelled here to clear the name of the cicada killer, a creature that many people fear because it appears to be an enormous wasp (they can grow up to two inches long). Yes, it is a wasp, and yes, it is enormous, but it is not harmless to you unless you are a cicada. One redditor said their sting “hurt about as bad my estrogen injection, which is to say next to nothing.”
The males can’t even sting you, and the females are not aggressive. She is only interested in hunting, paralyzing, and killing about a hundred cicadas over the course of her lifetime. She will drag her prey back to her burrow for her offspring, which she lays inside the body of the cicada (one cicada for each male, and two to three cicadas for each female.) I personally find this very sweet, and I will think of this the next time I see a cicada killer hovering around some little hole in the street, dragging her cumbersome prey to her young. Perhaps I will salute her!
As summer stretches on, the creatures remain out and about. There are two bat walks happening at the Ridgewood Reservoir, an event I cannot recommend enough. I went last year, and wandering the edges of the water as your eyes adjust to the dark really transports you, and you will root for the bats swooping overhead to eat as many mosquitoes as they possibly can (as many as a thousand in an hour!) Don’t miss Femme Fishing happening tomorrow on Randall’s Island Park, and the shorebird festival at Jamaica Bay will surely be a good time. Stay cool out there, and see you in a month!
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August
🦇 The Hidden Ecology of Prospect Park After Dark - Bats, Fireflies, & More: August 1 @ 8pm. Join urban naturalist Gabriel Willow on a starlit stroll through Prospect Park. He’ll teach you how to find and identify bats using a special echolocation-listening device, and will point out numerous other natural wonders along the way, bringing you a safe distance to all the diverse creatures of the city night. Registration required, tickets $39.19.
🦇 Wild at Night - Evening Nature Encounters at Wave Hill: August 1 @ 8pm. After the sun sets, Wave Hill belongs to the creatures of the night. Bats, fireflies, katydids, and more emerge from their daytime slumber to animate the grounds far from human eyes and ears. On these exclusive evenings, immerse yourself in the sights and sounds of nature after dark with a series of indoor and outdoor nature experiences. Space is limited! Tickets to Wave Hill required.
🐦 Canarsie Park Birding: August 2 @ 9am. Join NYC Bird Alliance and visit the coastal woodlands, tidal channel, and one of the only freshwater ponds in Brooklyn. Expect to see herons, shorebirds, flycatchers, vireos, warblers, and sparrows. All birding levels welcome!
🪼 Community Science Seining: August 2 @ 10am. Join us for a special seining session celebrating the Great Hudson River Fish Count! 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! Learn how these organisms contribute to the estuary, what they tell us about the river’s health. Registration recommended.
🐍 All That Slithers in Marine Park: August 2 @ 1:30pm. Discover the importance and beauty of the snakes found in NY and Marine Park. What role do they play in the complex ecosystem of the Salt Marsh? How do they survive harsh winters? Dr. Leroy Núñez, Department of Ecology and Evolution, Stony Brook University explains how snakes fit in. Take the opportunity to admire the native snake species living at the Salt Marsh Nature Center
🎣 💅 Femme Fishing at Randall’s Island: August 2 @ 2pm. Join Randall’s Island Park Alliance for an afternoon of fishing for women, femme, and gender-nonconforming folx. Grow your own fishing skills, share with other folks in and around the NY/NJ Harbor Estuary, on our serene shoreline at the meeting of the Harlem and East Rivers. We strive to make spaces where other educators and anglers can hang out, build community, and create a vibe that works for us in what is a typically male-dominated activity. All supplies are provided.
🌾 Volunteer Landscaping and Cleanup at the Ridgewood Reservoir: August 3 @ 10am. Join NYC H2O and the NYC Parks Department as we remove invasive plants and plant native plants at Ridgewood Reservoir! Registration required.
🪲 Bug Buddies at Queens County Farm Museum: August 3 @ 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. All classes are hands-on, exploratory, and include a related activity. This month will explore cicadas and their connection to trees. For kids.
🐸 Urban Wildlife - Reptiles and Amphibians of Flushing Meadows: August 3 @ 12pm. Join the Urban Park Rangers as we explore the park, looking for and learning about the turtles, snakes, frogs, and salamanders that call New York City home.
🦀 Discovery Hike - Tide Pools of Pelham Bay Park: August 3 @ 1pm. Explore the shore with the Urban Park Rangers as we take a closer look at these temporary habitats and find out the many creatures that call tide pools home.
🦇 Bat Walk at the Ridgewood Reservoir: August 9 @ 7pm. Join naturalist Gabriel Willow to observe and learn about bats at the Ridgewood Reservoir. There are over 1,400 species of these winged mammals worldwide. Come discover which ones live at the Reservoir as well as learn about other nocturnal animals.
🪲 Insects of the Night of Alley Pond Park: August 9 @ 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.
🐦 Summer Birding at Wave Hill: August 10 @ 9:30am. Naturalist Gabriel Willow leads this walk through the gardens and woodlands to seek out summer birds. Observe the plants, insects, and habitats at Wave Hill that make it so appealing for such a wide variety of birds. Advance registration is encouraged online or by calling 718.549.3200 x251.
🌾 Volunteer Landscaping and Cleanup at the Ridgewood Reservoir: August 10 @ 10am. Join NYC H2O and the NYC Parks Department as we remove invasive plants and plant native plants at Ridgewood Reservoir! Registration required.
🐸 Amphibian Exploration in Van Cortlandt Park: August 10 @ 11am. Join the Urban Park Rangers for an exploration of the amphibian species that call the park home! Good shoes are recommended.
🪴 Summer on the Hudson - Huellas De Vida (Bilingual Horticulture Tour): August 10 @ 12pm. Ven a celebrar la vida, fomentar conexiones con la naturaleza y honrar los ecosistemas que nos sustentan. Foster connections with nature on this guided bilingual horticulture tour.
🐦 Intro to Birding Webinar with NYC Bird Alliance: August 12 @ 6:30pm. Get ready for fall migration with NYC Bird Alliance's Intro to Birding Webinar. Whether you're brand new to birding or looking to brush up on the basics this session will cover everything you need to know. This webinar is led by NYC Bird Alliance's Urban Biodiversity Specialist and Bird Guide, Tod Winston.
🦪 Wetland Wednesdays at Little Hell Gate Salt Marsh: August 13 @ 2:30pm. The salt marsh is a vital ecosystem that protects nearby areas from flooding and erosion and creates habitats for many different species of animals. From 2:30-4:30PM on the second Wednesday of every month, the marsh pathway gates on the boardwalk will be open and members of RIPA’s Natural Areas Team will be on site to answer questions, share interesting facts and show off some of the unique species of plants and animals that call this amazing and dynamic ecosystem home!
🐦 Rockaway Birding with Russell Jacobs: August 13 @ 6pm. Join NYC Bird Alliance to explore the Rockaways - a vital habitat for shorebirds. In the summer, these beaches provide crucial nesting grounds for shorebirds like Piping Plovers, Least Terns, and Black Skimmers. Registration encouraged.
🦪 Coastal Ecology Oysters Monitoring and Stewardship at Stapleton Waterfront Park: August 14 @ 10am. 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 used for scientific study.
🦇 Bat Walk at the Ridgewood Reservoir: August 15 @ 7pm. Join wildlife scientist Nic Comparato to observe and learn about bats at the Ridgewood Reservoir!
🐦 Field Sketching with Sam Philbert at Governors Island: August 16 @ 10am. Join bird guide and artist Sam Philbert for a field sketching workshop in Marine 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. Registration required. Limited to 30.
🌳 Trees Count at Fort Greene Park: August 16 @ 12pm. Volunteer with NYC Parks for Trees Count 2025! At each event you will receive a tote bag with all the materials needed to count trees. Next, we'll provide a 20-minute training session that includes the basics of tree identification and how to measure and assess each tree. Using our Tree Census app, you’ll split up into different zones within the park to start counting trees!
🌾 Salt Marsh Ecology at Randall’s Island Park: August 16 @ 1pm. Join the Urban Park Rangers for a hike to Hell Gate Salt Marsh (and more) to learn about the ecology and wildlife that inhabit this underappreciated environment.
🎣 Community Science Fishing: August 16 3-5pm. Learn the basics of catch-and-release line fishing from the Brooklyn Bridge Park’s Education team own expert anglers. During this clinic, participants of all ages will learn how to tie knots, bait a hook, drop a line, and (with some luck) reel up a fish! Contribute to the our community science efforts as we collect data from our catch to assess the health of the East River.
🐦 Shorebird Festival at Jamaica Bay: August 17 @ 9am-1pm. Join us for the 20th Annual Shorebird Festival!August is the perfect time to explore the diversity of New York City’s shorebirds. Join us in learning all about these beautiful birds and explore the natural habitat of the Jamaica Bay Wildlife Refuge, filled with marshland, fresh and brackish water ponds, and grassy fields.
🌳 Trees Count at Lincoln Terrace / Arthur S. Somers Park: August 17 @ 12pm. Volunteer with NYC Parks for Trees Count 2025! At each event you will receive a tote bag with all the materials needed to count trees. Next, we'll provide a 20-minute training session that includes the basics of tree identification and how to measure and assess each tree. Using our Tree Census app, you’ll split up into different zones within the park to start counting trees!
🐦 Rockaway Birding with Russell Jacobs: August 23 @ 9:30am. Join NYC Bird Alliance to explore the Rockaways - a vital habitat for shorebirds. In the summer, these beaches provide crucial nesting grounds for shorebirds like Piping Plovers, Least Terns, and Black Skimmers. Registration encouraged.
🐢 Idlewild Environment Center Critter Encounter: August 21 @ 2pm. Join us each week for a hands-on Critter Encounter where you'll meet a different animal from our center and learn fascinating facts about their habits and habitats. We welcome all participants ages 7-12!
🦇 Staten Island Bio Blitz Nocturnal Wildlife: August 22 @ 7:30pm. Be a part of this community science event with this Ranger led activity, as we explore the woods and identify what nighttime critters we find. Staten Island Bio-Blitz 2025 is a community science event where local naturalists and local agencies compile data on what flora and fauna call the Greenbelt home.
🐦 Intro to Birding on the QueensWay with Woo Sung Park: August 24 @ 9:30am. Join NYC Bird Alliance's Woo Sung Park and The Trust for Public Land and explore The QueensWay, an inotiative 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.
Ongoing:
⛵ Classic Harbor Line Eco Tours: Classic Harbor Line is once again offering its wonderful 3-hour Urban Naturalist tour, hosted by Gabriel Willow, offers sweeping vistas of the abandoned islands of the East River and the many birds that roost on them. The last eco cruise I went on featured a whole island studded with majestic egrets and sulky night herons. (This is an affiliate link, so if you buy a ticket I will receive a commission.)
🐦 New York Botanical Garden Bird Tour: Join us and the New York Botanical Garden for Bird Tours throughout the year on Saturdays! Get to see some of NYBG’s diverse landscape and learn why this unique green space is such a vital haven for a great variety of species year-round. This tour is included in your admission to the Garden.
🪐 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.