The very end of June and beginning of July marked the end of my favorite time of year. I’m not talking about cancer season or Pride or even its predecessor, Asian & Pacific American Heritage Month. I’m talking, of course, about horseshoe crab mating season. I was out of town during most of horseshoe crab mating season last year, so this year I was resolved to go as often as I could to see my favorite residents of the greatest city in the world.

Early in the season, the frigid ocean and coastal wind whips you into a kind of numb torpor. But such bodily discomfort is a small price to pay to see the first crabs of the season, those grand brown frying-pan-like crabs that come ashore during full and new moons to clank hornily against one another on the sand. Horseshoe crabs are not true crabs, or even crustaceans; they are chelicerates, a group of animals that include fellow living freaks (sea spiders), fellow extinct freaks (sea scorpions), and also all arachnids, so spiders, ticks, mites, etc.

Not to get corny on main — although I feel like that’s actually my whole deal — I am deeply moved watching these armored invertebrates cling to each other on the shores of a beach I can reach by bus. It is simply magical that such ancient creatures, who appeared basically fully-formed in the fossil record 250 million years ago and have changed very little in the years since, grace us with their primordial presence under the light of the moon.

I feel like I can’t start to write about horseshoe crabs without opening the floodgates. I will say that they are one of my most serious interspecies relationships in New York City. I first saw them in 2019 and have visited nearly every year since. They are a constant presence in my life, a point of reflection that makes me think about how I’ve grown and changed since I saw them last. I guess this is kind of the purpose of a birthday, but the crabs are way more special to me than my birthday. So without getting all maudlin, I will simply share two of my favorite photos of the crabs I was lucky enough to see this year.

Look at this gorgeous female crab! She was perhaps the most delicately accessorized of any crab I saw this season, sporting a ruffled garland of sea lettuce and the periwinkle honeycomb of long-lost barnacles. Diva!

The last time I saw the horseshoe crabs this year was actually on my birthday. The ocean glittered under the rosy light of the strawberry moon, which hung heavy and low in the sky like overripe fruit. I saw these crabs arranged like a perfect star. Can you believe it!

I have to end with one more photo from my friend Alex Tey, a journalist who writes brilliantly about birds on her Rare Bird substack, whose pictures of the spawning capture the magic of the season far better than my crude iPhone. Just look at that! Crabs glinting like cobblestones in the moonlight, right off the B44-SBS. If that’s not god, I don’t know what is.

As we head into August, it’s time to soak up the hottest season’s hottest creatures. I’m talking bats, turtles, shorebirds, and even seashells, which were once parts of creatures. Stay cool, don’t eat iceberg lettuce, and watch this cool video of an orca exploding a sunfish because why not!

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August

🌾 Salt Marsh Ecology Hike at Marine Park: Aug 1 @ 11am. Join the Urban Park Rangers for an interactive walk exploring how the landscape and ecology of Marine Park has been shaped by landfill. Learn about the efforts made to mitigate climate change, conserve natural resources and ecosystem services.

🐢 Turtle Quest - Explore, Observe, Protect with Lizbeth Miron: Aug 1 @ 11am. Join Lizbeth for an exploration of the freshwater turtles that reside in the Bronx River in Shoelace Park, while learning about local ecology and conservation. This workshop also includes a park clean-up to help protect turtle habitats and support the health of the Bronx River ecosystem. Registration required.

🦀 All That Skitters! at Marine Park: Aug 1 @ 1:30pm. How does the Fiddler Crab survive in the salt marsh tides? What other crabs live in the marsh? What happens in the winter? Where do Horseshoe Crabs fit in? Explore the complexities and threats to the fragile salt marsh with Mike Feller, retired Chief Naturalist of the NYC Parks Department.

🪼 Seining at Canarsie Park: Aug 1 @ 3pm. Our experienced Urban Park Rangers teach the ecology of our waterways on every seining program. Get ready to get your hands wet; seining programs use nets to catch fish. All equipment is provided; this program is recommended for ages 8 years and older. Participation is first-come, first-served.

🪼 What Lives in the East River?: Aug 1 @ 5pm. Discover the amazing biodiversity of the East River as you get hands-on and up close with our marine life touch tank. Participants 14 years of age or older can learn how to use a seine net to humanely catch and release organisms in the river. Protective waders and all equipment will be provided. Registration required.

🦇 Nocturnal Navigators - Green-Wood Bat Walk: Aug 1 @ 8:30pm. As the sun sets over Green-Wood’s historic landscape, some of its most elusive nocturnal creatures begin to stir—the bats! Join biologist Nic Comparato as we dive into the secret world of bats. Discover the species that call this Cemetery home, from the little brown bat to the eastern red bat and hoary bat. Experience a live sonar demonstration and see how scientists use this tool to identify bats in real time. Tickets $30, $24 for members.

🌳 Trees Count at Prospect Park: Aug 2 @ 10am. 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 30-minute training session that includes the basics of tree identification and how to measure and assess each tree.

🌾 Historic New York at Ridgewood Reservoir: Aug 2 @ 1pm. Join NYC's Urban Park Rangers for a walk at the Ridgewood Reservoir highlighting the history, ecology and engineering of this cultural treasure. The Ridgewood Reservoir in Highland Park is a 50+ acre natural oasis that straddles the border of Brooklyn and Queens.

🌊 🏳️‍🌈 Riis + Tilden Queer Beach Nature Walk - Birds, Plants, Sand Dune Ecosystems: Aug 2 @ 3-8pm. Join Doll Herbalism, Gotham Taxidermy, and People’s Riisearch on this summer beach plant walk on a historic queer gathering and cruising site. Divya Anantharaman of Gotham Taxidermy and the Plover Project will be joining us to lead a bird walk as we use our senses to focus on more than humans: birds and plants alike. Payment is $45 ($30 - $90 sliding scale) for both the Riis and/or Fort Tilden Segment.

🌳 Trees Count at Marine Park: Aug 7 @ 10am. At each event you will receive a tote bag with all the materials needed to count trees. Volunteer with NYC Parks for Trees Count 2025! Next, we'll provide a 30-minute training session that includes the basics of tree identification and how to measure and assess each tree.

🌾 Salt Marsh Saturday at Little Hell Gate: Aug 8 @ 9am. Drop in to explore the Little Hell Gate Salt Marsh during Salt Marsh Saturdays! From 9 AM – 12 PM, 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!

🌱 Medicinal Plant ID Walk: Aug 8 @ 11am. Plants have been used for medicinal benefits for centuries. Learn about the benefits and to identify medicinal plants along the Bronx River Foodway with the Urban Park Rangers.

🦅 Hawk Watch at Tompkins Square Park: Aug 8 @ 1pm. New York City is home to an amazing abundance of wildlife. Our Urban Park Rangers will guide you to the best wildlife viewing spots in the urban jungle. We offer birding programs throughout the year. Birding programs are appropriate for all skill levels and beginners are welcome.

🌾 Volunteer Landscaping and Cleanup at Ridgewood Reservoir: Aug 9 @ 10am. Join NYC H2O and the NYC Parks Department as we remove invasive plants and plant native plants at Ridgewood Reservoir!

🦇 Nocturnal Navigators - Green-Wood Bat Walk: Aug 14 @ 8:30pm. As the sun sets over Green-Wood’s historic landscape, some of its most elusive nocturnal creatures begin to stir—the bats! Join biologist Nic Comparato as we dive into the secret world of bats. Discover the species that call this Cemetery home, from the little brown bat to the eastern red bat and hoary bat. Experience a live sonar demonstration and see how scientists use this tool to identify bats in real time. Tickets $30, $24 for members.

🐦 Rockaway Community Bird Outing with Russell Jacobs: Aug 15 @ 10am. Join NYC Bird Alliance to explore the Rockaways, a vital habitat for shorebirds year-round, with a FREE community bird outing.  In the summer, these beaches provide crucial nesting grounds for shorebirds like Piping Plovers, Least Terns, and Black Skimmers.

🎣 Catch-and-Release Fishing at Brooklyn Bridge Park: Aug 15 @ 11am. Have you ever gone fishing in NYC? Join Brooklyn Bridge Park staff to learn about the ecology of the East River as you participate in a free catch-and-release fishing lesson at the Pier 5 fishing stations (at the end of the pier). Registration required.

🐦 20th Annual Shorebird Festival at Jamaica Bay: Aug 16 @ 10am. August is the perfect time to explore the diversity of New York City’s shorebirds! Shorebird Festival attendees will have the opportunity to spot and learn about the scores of shorebird species and their natural habitat of the Jamaica Bay Wildlife Refuge, filled with marshland, fresh and brackish water ponds, and grassy fields.

🪲 Aquatic Insects Exploration at Baisley Pond Park: Aug 16 @ 1pm. Join the Urban Park Rangers as they explore the world of aquatic insects that are found in freshwater. Rangers will highlight dragonflies, damselflies, and various beetle species and talk about the ecological roles they play in maintaining a healthy body of water.

🌳 Bronx Black History Walking Tours at St. George’s Crescent: Aug 21 @ 2pm. Join historian Terrell L. Armistead in a special tour along the Bronx River at St. George’s Crescent as they share the ecological stories and community histories of the Bronx River. Led in honor of Morgan Powell, a founding member of the Bronx River Restoration and a passionate advocate for the reclamation of the Bronx River.

🦇 Bat Walk at the Ridgewood Reservoir: Aug 21 @ 7pm. Join wildlife scientist Nic Comparato 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.

🌠 Stargazing at Floyd Bennett Field: Aug 21 @ 7:30pm. Join the Amateur Astronomers Association at historic Floyd Bennett Field for free monthly observing sessions, open to the public! The observing location is next to the Community Garden. It is within walking distance of the Q35 bus, and there is ample parking for cars. Events are canceled in the event of rain, or if the sky is overcast.

🐦 Rockaway Community Bird Outing with Russell Jacobs: Aug 22 @ 10am. Join NYC Bird Alliance to explore the Rockaways, a vital habitat for shorebirds year-round, with a FREE community bird outing.  In the summer, these beaches provide crucial nesting grounds for shorebirds like Piping Plovers, Least Terns, and Black Skimmers.

🐛 The Secret Lives of Insects at Inwood Hill Park: Aug 22 @ 1pm. Join the Urban Park Rangers for a deep dive into the extraordinary world of insects — the tiny creatures that quietly run our ecosystems. On this adventure, we’ll uncover the surprising lives of pollinators, predators, decomposers, and parasites, and learn how each plays a critical role in keeping New York City’s natural areas thriving.

✏️ 🌳 Field Sketching with Sam Philbert at Brooklyn Bridge Park: Aug 22 @ 2pm. Join us for a field sketching workshop in Brooklyn Bridge 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. Led by artist Sam Philbert. Registration required.

🌊 🏳️‍🌈 Riis + Tilden Queer Beach Nature Walk - Birds, Plants, Sand Dune Ecosystems: Aug 22 @ 3-8pm. Join Doll Herbalism and Dr. jah elyse sayers of People's Riisearch and the Riis Beach Bloc Association for A people's history of Riis focused on Black, trans, queer, and working-class congregation on the ever-changing coastline. We'll walk the length of Riis Park in order to dive into the queer movements of people, sea & sand; how capital shapes it; how plants stabilize it; how flowers give us beauty and vibes; and the people’s infrastructures for queer movement & gathering ever-emerging. Payment is $45 ($30 - $90 sliding scale) for both the Riis and/or Fort Tilden Segment.

🌾 Volunteer Landscaping and Cleanup at Ridgewood Reservoir: Aug 23 @ 10am. Join NYC H2O and the NYC Parks Department as we remove invasive plants and plant native plants at Ridgewood Reservoir!

🐢 Urban Wildlife - Turtles at Van Cortland Park: Aug 23 @ 10am. It’s turtle time! Did you know Van Cortlandt Park is home to a variety of freshwater turtles? Join the Urban Park Rangers on a walk along the John Kieran Trail to learn all about your favorite aquatic reptiles!

🛶 Jamaica Bay Open Paddle Kayaking, B43rd St: Aug 29 @ 12:30pm. Join Jamaica Bay-Rockaway Parks Conservancy, Gateway National Recreation Area, and the Garden by the Bay for an easy, open kayak paddle in Jamaica Bay! We’ll paddle around Norton Basin, a protected tributary of the Bay that offers calm conditions welcoming to beginner and experienced kayakers alike.

🐚 Seashells by the Seashore at Rockaway Beach: Aug 29 @ 1pm. Ever wonder about the creatures that made the beautiful shells you find on the beach? The Urban Park Rangers will introduce you to the natural wonders that wash up on the shores of the city’s beaches and what that means about the ecosystem just beneath the waves.

🐢 Urban Wildlife - Diamondback Terrapins on Staten Island: Aug 30 @ 10am. Join the Urban Park Rangers and Staten Island Zoo’s Elle Hulett of the Terrapin Project to count terrapins in the estuary and get an up close and unique opportunity to learn all about the hidden gems of Brookfield Park.

🌳 Trees Count at Morningside Park with the Urban Park Rangers: Aug 30 @ 1pm. 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 30-minute training session that includes the basics of tree identification and how to measure and assess each tree. Registration is required.

Ongoing:

🛳️ Urban Naturalist Tour: Abandoned Islands of the East River at Sunset: Join Classic Harbor Line Join aboard a cozy, elegant, 1920s-style Manhattan yacht -- as we travel past abandoned islands rich with history and modern day wildlife! Throughout the journey, our knowledgeable naturalist-guide (Gabriel Willow or Russell Jacobs) will share insights into the conservation efforts aimed at preserving these precious ecosystems. Bring binoculars! (This is an affiliate link!)

🐦 Governors Island Bird Tour: Saturdays @ 2:15pm. Did you know that nearly 240 bird species have been spotted on Governors Island? Whether you’re an expert birder or a beginner, these tours will help you discover what makes this island an excellent place for birding. Registration not required but HIGHLY encouraged.

🌠 Stargazing on the High Line: Tuesdays from 8:15pm to 10pm. Immerse yourself in the wonders of the night sky every Tuesday on the High Line! The friendly team from the Amateur Astronomers Association—with whom we’ve been partnering since the park’s opening—will be there with high-powered telescopes, ready to reveal the secrets of the cosmos.

🦪 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.