Welcome to Creatures NYC, a newsletter that will let you know all about how to encounter and appreciate all the cute and/or freaky little creatures that roam the city alongside us. Thank you for subscribing!

If we haven’t met, my name is Sabrina, and I’m a writer and a real critter freak. I wrote a memoir about sea creatures called How Far the Light Reaches and I write about non-human life for Defector. I’ve been living in Brooklyn for about 7 years now, and pretty early on I felt a kind of existential dread because the only wild animals I ever saw were rats, cockroaches, and house sparrows. Pessimistically, I figured this would be my lot as long as I lived in the city.

But I was wrong! The city is teeming with non-human New Yorkers fluttering, scuttling, swimming, breaching, and molting all around us. This year I made a goal to spend as much time as I can with the wildlife in and around NYC, and it’s already been so rewarding — I’ve watched pastel green eggs tumble into the sand behind a mating pair of horseshoe crabs, threw a beached and wriggling pipefish back into the grimy waters of Plumb Beach, and observed the centipedes living on my roof from a respectful distance. After spending a beautiful day with friends at the 8th Annual Jamaica Bay Wildlife Center Horseshoe Crab Festival, a friend suggested I make a newsletter of events like that happening in the city. I thought it was a great idea!

In this newsletter, I’ll be curating a list of some of the wildlife-centered events and volunteer opportunities happening in the city over the next few months. Most of the events will be free, and I’ll also include links to some perennial or recurring trips and tours that cost money but are still special ways to go out and see some wildlife. And I’ll include the occasional beach clean-up or invasive species weeding day, because protecting the ecology of the city is another way of appreciating wildlife — and where there be nature, there be creatures! I’ll also be writing a bit about the wildlife I’ve met recently, and how I encountered them, but feel free to scroll past to the links if you’re just here for that.

I’ll probably send out emails every month or so and update the list as I learn about more events, so you can find the most recent lists here. If you lead or know of a creature-centered event in NYC that’s not listed here but should be, email me — I’d love to hear about it. And if you go to one of the events below and love it/hate it, please let me know so I can improve the newsletter.

What does this month have in store for us? While horseshoe crab mating season may be over, summer is one of the best seasons to see creatures in New York. In the next few months, pollinators are abuzz in a meadow near you, sea creatures abound by our shorelines, and longtime evolutionary enemies bats and moths take center stage (begging the question, could they work it out on the remix?). Luckily, July is chock-full of bat walks, where you might get a chance to see and even identify the different species of flappy little guys that roost in parks near you.

There were not enough moth-related events for my liking, given the number of cool species that people have tagged on iNaturalist in Prospect Park, including the stunningly tiny ailanthus webworm moth and the freaky, spectral Morning-glory plume moth. I have scrounged up some moth events below that are happening outside of the city limits for anyone with a car. But it’s also possible to invite the moths to come to you in a practice called mothing, which essentially looks like hanging a white sheet at night outdoors in an area free of light pollution, shining a light on the sheet, and waiting for the moths to come. (They will be accompanied by practically every other insect in the area, which may be exciting or horrifying to you depending on your vibe.) I’m going mothing in Prospect Park for the first time this week, and with any luck I’ll have some moth pictures to share in the next edition.

One final thing: When I first posted about Creatures NYC, I did not anticipate the demand, and had to upgrade my Buttondown membership to accommodate this many subscribers. I’m now paying $29 a month to host this newsletter. If you’d like to help me offset those costs, you can choose to pay a monthly subscription (at a level of your choosing).

That’s it for now, events below!

Everything below is free unless indicated. Some events require registration, so please click through for more information.

~~UPDATED JULY 17~~

July

🦗 Wildlife Outing at Madison Square Park with Alyssa Bueno: Thurs. July 18 @ 8am. In partnership with the NYC Bird Alliance, we’ll search for and identify the various animals that make Madison Square Park their home in the heart of the big city. Open to people of all ages, participants spot all types of wildlife in the park, so we invite you to bring your own binoculars. Registration requested.

🦇 The Hidden Ecology of Prospect Park After Dark - Bats, Fireflies & More: Thurs. July 18 @ 8pm. Discover the many nocturnal wonders of Prospect Park. Look & listen for bats, fireflies, moths, raccoons, and more. Walk through the park while urban naturalist Gabriel Willow points out its thriving natural nightlife. Learn how to identify and track nocturnal creatures. $35 plus eventbrite fees.

🐝 Bryant Park Apiary Class: Fri. July 19 @ noon. Visit the Reading Room for beekeeping classes presented by our partners at New York City Beekeepers Association. You’ll learn about honey bee colonies and the vital role they play in the natural environment. We welcome gardeners, prospective beekeepers, and anyone interested in learning more about bees and beekeeping!

🎣 Community Science Fishing at Brooklyn Bridge Park: Fri. July 19 @ 4pm. Learn the basics of catch-and-release line fishing from the Brooklyn Bridge Conservancy’s own expert anglers and contribute to community science efforts assessing the health of the East River. No experience or supplies needed – equipment is provided but please note only a limited rods are available to loan and will be handed out on a first come, first served basis. All ages welcome. Registration recommended.

🦗 Insect Exploration at Fort Totten Park, Queens: Fri. July 19 @ 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.

🌴 Marine Park Forest Restoration: Sat. July 20 @ 9:30am. Volunteer with the Stewardship Team to protect the forested areas in Marine Park! Volunteers will contribute to ongoing restoration work and learn the importance of species diversity to ecosystem health. Come dressed in sturdy boots or shoes, long sleeves, long pants, and clothing that can get dirty. Registration required.

🪶 NYCHA in Nature Birding in Gowanus: Sat. July 20 @ 10am. Join NYC Bird Alliance, Gowanus Canal Conservancy, and the Public Housing Community Fund to look and listen for birds this summer! 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. Registration encouraged.

🦋 Moth Night at the Staten Island Museum: Sat. July 20 @ 8:30pm. Kick off National Moth Week with science and art activities after dark! Revel in the beauty and learn about the life cycles and habitats of moths. Bring a flashlight for the Night Walk and discover what insects find our light attractors appealing. $10 Adults, $5 Children. Registration recommended.

🦀 Meet the Critters: Sun. July 21 @ 11am. Learn about the unique characteristics of Marine Park’s Salt Marsh Nature Center critters during this up-close and fun introduction with the Urban Park Rangers.

🐦 Classic Harbor Line NY Harbor Eco-Cruise: Sun. July 21 @ 6:30pm. Join urban naturalist Gabriel Willow for a captivating 3-hour cruise through the heart of our city, where history and nature converge in breathtaking harmony. Visit abandoned islands where herons, egrets, cormorants, and ibis nest. $125. Registration required.

🐦 Classic Harbor Line NY Harbor Eco-Cruise: Mon. July 22 @ 6:40pm. Join urban naturalist Gabriel Willow for a captivating 3-hour cruise through the heart of our city, where history and nature converge in breathtaking harmony. Visit abandoned islands where herons, egrets, cormorants, and ibis nest. $125. Registration required.

🦋 Moth Night on Sandy Hook: Fri. July 26 @ 8pm (RESCHEDULED). Celebrate National Moth Week with the Littoral Society and learn about these incredible nocturnal creatures! We will join a moth expert for a hands-on, interactive session to observe the process of identifying moths. This event is $30 for non-members of the Littoral Society.

🦇 Evening Bat Walk at Marine Park: Thurs. July 25 @ 7:30pm. Gotham Bat Conservancy heads to Brooklyn’s largest park to demonstrate tracking acoustic radar that informs bats where to find food and direction.

🌳 Intro to Dendro "Happy Hour" in Central Park: Fri. July 26 @ 6pm. Spend two hours walking with local dendrologist, Carey Russell, while unpacking the what, where, and why of our local park and street trees. Seriously...isn't learning the names of the trees around you one of the simplest, most pleasant, and most revolutionary things you could do with your time. Let me help you get started. $21.05, Registration required.

🦇 Bat Walk at the Ridgewood Reservoir: Fri. July 26 @ 8pm. At this event run by NYC H20, join naturalist Gabriel Willow to observe and learn about bats at the Ridgewood Reservoir. Registration required.

🪶 Intro to Birding in Marine Park with Heydi Lopes: Sat. July 27 @ 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.

🐦 Queer Birders Walk in Prospect Park: Sat. July 27 @ 10am. Join NYC Queer Birders for a birding walk in Prospect Park. Meet at Dog Beach. There are bathrooms a 0.6 miles walk from our starting location. There will be using a mix of paved and dirt paths with some light slopes.

🌳 Legumes + Tree Identification Workshop in Central Park: Sat. July 27 @ 10am. Join dendrologist Carey Russell on a walk dedicated to trees with compound leaves, or leaves that consist of multiple leaf blades called leaflets. Given that this is a relatively large group of trees, they have been divided into two separate walks. Part I is dedicated to the legumes, including those non-legume species that are frequently confused due to their higher number of leaflet pairs. $21.05, registration required.

🌳 Hickory & Ash Tree Identification Workshop in Central Park: Sat. July 27 @ 1pm. Join dendrologist Carey Russell on a walk dedicated to trees with compound leaves, or leaves that consist of multiple leaf blades called leaflets. Part II is dedicated to compound leaves with fewer leaflets pairs like hickory, ash, and palmately compound leaves like buckeye. $21.05, registration required.

🐝 8th Annual Kingsland Wildflowers Festival: Sat. July 27 @ 2pm. Kingsland Wildflowers is a native rooftop meadow in Greenpoint, Brooklyn and a thriving wildlife habitat. This annual festival aims to bring awareness to Greenpoint’s and the surrounding communities' long-standing environmental burdens; transition to a cleaner, healthier future; as well as the global climate crisis and the potential for local, community-based solutions. Come to enjoy the native plantings and views, art exhibitions, a native plant sale, rooftop tours, and more!

🌳 "Simple & Entire" Tree Identification Workshop in Central Park: Sun. July 28 @ 10am. Join dendrologist Carey Russell on a walk dedicated to look more closely at a variety of trees whose leaves all share a similar morphological characteristic. That trait being simple leaves with entire margins, or leaf edges with no teeth or other distinguishing characteristics. $21.05, registration required.

🌳 Birch Tree Identification Workshop in Central Park: Sun. July 28 @ 1pm. Learn how to confidently identify our 5 native birch trees: white, yellow, black, grey, and river birch. We will also cover a few non-birch species within the birch family, such as hornbeam and hop-hornbeam, as well as important species that frequently share the same habitat within the willow and holly families. $21.05, registration required.

🪲 Insect Exploration Hunt at Inwood Hill Park: Sun. July 28 @ 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.

August

🦇 The Hidden Ecology of Central Park After Dark - Bats, Fireflies & More: Fri. August 2 @ 8pm. Discover the many nocturnal wonders of Central Park. Look & listen for bats, fireflies, moths, raccoons, and more. Walk through the park while urban naturalist Gabriel Willow points out its thriving natural nightlife. Learn how to identify and track nocturnal creatures. $35 plus eventbrite fees.

🦇 The Hidden Ecology of Prospect Park After Dark - Bats, Fireflies & More: Sat. August 3 @ 7:30pm. Discover the many nocturnal wonders of Prospect Park. Look & listen for bats, fireflies, moths, raccoons, and more. Walk through the park while urban naturalist Gabriel Willow points out its thriving natural nightlife. Learn how to identify and track nocturnal creatures. $35 plus eventbrite fees.

🦉 Accessible Birding in Fort Tryon Park with Alex Wang: Sat. August 3 @ 11am. Join NYC Bird Alliance to bird in Fort Tryon Park’s 67 acres, which are accessible to birders of all abilities and disabilities. Accessible-friendly routes including many well-paved walkways are suitable for birders with strollers, carriages, wheelchairs, walkers, canes, etc. Accessibility is enhanced by birding guide and educator Alexandra Wang (Avian Alex), M.S. Ed., who offers augmentative and alternative communication (AAC) pamphlets, Braille pamphlets and plush birds for an inclusive birding tour. Registration encouraged but not required.

🎣 Community Science Fishing at Brooklyn Bridge Park: Sat. August 3 @ 3pm. Learn the basics of catch-and-release line fishing from the Brooklyn Bridge Conservancy’s expert anglers and contribute to community science efforts assessing the health of the East River. No experience or supplies needed – equipment is provided but please note only a limited rods are available to loan and will be handed out on a first come, first served basis. All ages welcome. Registration recommended.

🪶 Birding by Boat with the Bronx River Alliance: Sun. August 4 @ 9am. Join NYC Bird Alliance and the Bronx River Alliance for a special birding by boat event! This guided tour takes paddlers through the lower saltwater portion of the Bronx River (to the river mouth and back), featuring a duality of estuarine and urban habitat. While on the way we will get the chance to look at a wide variety of shorebirds, as well as other wildlife. Binoculars and other equipment will be provided. This event costs $30, registration required.

🌾 Ridgewood Reservoir Volunteer Landscaping: Sun. August 4 @ 10am. Join NYC H2O and the NYC Parks Department to remove invasive plants and plant native plants at Ridgewood Reservoir. The Ridgewood Reservoir in Highland Park is a 50+ acre natural oasis that straddles the border of Brooklyn and Queens. A lush and dense forest has grown in its two outside basins while a freshwater pond with waterfowl sits in the middle basin. This fresh water source is critical to migrating birds on the Atlantic Flyway. Registration required.

🍄 Fungi walk in High Rock Park, Staten Island: Sun. August 4. Join the NY Mycological Society on a jaunt in High Rock Park, one of New York City’s mycorrhizal hot spots, for a summer walk. Bring paper bags, a hand lens, a knife, a tackle box (if you have one), water and a lunch. Open to NYMS members; membership costs $20.

🌳 Intro to Dendro "Happy Hour" in Central Park: Fri. Aug. 9 @ 6pm. If you're ready to start learning how to identify the trees of our city's parks & streets with confidence, you've come to the right place! Isn't learning the names of the trees around you one of the simplest, most pleasant, and most revolutionary things you could do with your time? Let me help you get started. $21.05, Registration required.

🪼: Community Science Seining: Sat. August 10 @ 10am: Discover the amazing biodiversity of the East River as Brooklyn Bridge Park staff and marine biologists use a seine net to catch-and-release incredible organisms that live below that water’s surface. Be ready for exciting discoveries! All ages are welcome at this free event.

🌲 Conifers I - The Pine Family: Tree Identification Workshop: Sat. August 10 @ 10am. We've all heard of pines, spruces, and firs. Now let's learn to easily tell them apart, while learning a few species of each, including those pine species from Europe and Asia commonly found in urban green spaces. $21.05, Registration required.

🌲 Conifers II - The Cypress Family: Tree Identification Workshop : Sat. August 10 @ 1pm. We explore and learn to identify members of the cypress family. You likely have already heard of several, such as juniper (never to be called "cedar" again), bald cypress, and the now famous dawn redwood. $21.05, Registration required.

🪶 Wildlife Outing at Madison Square Park with NYC Bird Alliance: Thurs. August 15 @ 8am. Join a wildlife outing in Madison Square Park to discover the flora and fauna that make the park ecologically rich. Registration link to come.

🦜 Accessible Birding in Carl Schurz Park with Alex Wang: Sat. August 17 @ 11am. In the Upper East Side, Carl Schurz Park is a picturesque green space that warblers, sparrows, and raptors use as a stopover during migration. Registration not required but encouraged.

🌳 Intro to Dendro "Happy Hour" in Central Park: Fri. Aug. 23 @ 6pm. If you're ready to start learning how to identify the trees of our city's parks & streets with confidence, you've come to the right place! Isn't learning the names of the trees around you one of the simplest, most pleasant, and most revolutionary things you could do with your time? Let me help you get started. $21.05, Registration required.

🐦 19th Annual Shorebird Festival at Jamaica Bay: Sat. August 24 @ 11am. Join us in learning all about NYC’s beautiful shorebirds and explore the natural habitat of the Jamaica Bay Wildlife Refuge, filled with marshland, fresh and brackish water ponds, and grassy fields. Registration link to come.

Ongoing:

🐋 Whale-watching on the American Princess: The American Princess is a ferry vessel with indoor/outdoor seating that departs from Pier 3 in Sheepshead Bay, Brooklyn in the waters around NYC on Weds-Sun. all summer. You might see humpback whales, pods of bottlenose dolphins, and seabirds or falcons diving for prey. American Princess partners with Gotham Whale, a nonprofit dedicated to the study, advocacy for and education about the whales and marine mammals of New York City. Adult tickets are $69, special pricing for seniors and kids. It’s a splurge, but a lovely jaunt around the ocean. The last time I went, I saw three humpback whales!

🐢 Nature Exploration: Wildlife Appreciation: Join Prospect Park Alliance for nature education programs on Thursdays and Fridays at the Prospect Park Audubon Center, the first urban Audubon Center in the nation. From noon to 3pm, learn about the plants and animals living in the lake and lullwater, test the water quality, and observe pond samples. From 2-3pm, join naturalists to learn more about the animals in the Audubon Center’s collection. From 3-4pm, enjoy a birding or nature walk and pick up some litter on the way!

🐦 Classic Harbor Line NY Harbor Eco-Cruise: Throughout July and August, join urban naturalist Gabriel Willow for captivating 3-hour evening cruises through the heart of our city and see a number of abandoned islands where birds love to nest!. North Brother & South Brother Islands, nestled in the East River, are a nationally recognized haven for colonial water birds, gulls, herons, cormorants, and egrets. $125. Registration required.

🌳 Forest Restoration Fridays in Forest Park, Queens: Join NYC Parks and The Forest Park Trust for Forest Restoration Fridays this summer to engage in hands-on forest restoration work, including invasive species removal, trail restoration, and possible planting in our park. The events are from 10am to 12pm. Registration is required. All tools will be provided, and no prior experience is needed. Please come dressed in sturdy, closed-toe shoes and bring your own water bottle.

🦐: Shoreline Strolls at Gansevoort Peninsula: On Saturday afternoons, stroll along the a sandy shoreline beach to a pine grove, pile field and salt marsh at Gansevoort Peninsula in Hudson River Park. You’ll have the chance to learn more about these fascinating ecosystems from our River Project team. Grab your binoculars and try to spot some of the shorebirds seen regularly dabbling in our salt marsh, or see if you can spot some of the resident hawks that use the light poles.

🦪 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.

🦀 Hudson River Park’s Wetlab Look-ins: On Tuesdays and Wednesdays from 3-6pm and Saturdays from 11a-5pm, visit Hudson River Park’s Wetlab to see a rotating exhibit of fish and invertebrates collected in the park as part of an ongoing Fish Ecology Survey. Animals are also regularly released to ensure that their behaviors are minimally impacted, meaning there’s always something new to explore at the Wetlab.

Thanks for reading! As always, you can view this email online for potentially updated list of events.