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AccessibilityWildlife
Meet and learn about NYC's wildlife neighbors, from the fish and crabs of our waters to the hawks and eagles of our skies. Our expert Urban Park Rangers, Parks Wildlife Unit, and our partners and friends lead wildlife-viewing tours and lectures all across the New York City. Join us! To learn more about NYC's wildlife and what to do when encountering wildlife, please visit our Urban Wildlife page.
Wildlife Events
Sunday, August 24, 2025
Garden Highlights Walk
at Wave Hill, Bronx 
2:00 p.m.–3:00 p.m.
Join a knowledgeable Wave Hill Garden Guide for a leisurely stroll in the gardens every Sunday.
Free!
Wednesday, August 27, 2025
Team RIVER Volunteers
at 10 Central Road (in Randall's Island Park), Manhattan
9:30 a.m.–12:30 p.m.
Volunteer with Team RIVER (Randall’s Island Volunteer Ecological Restorers) and help keep Randall’s Island Park beautiful!
Free!
Team RIVER Volunteers
at Randall's Island Park, Manhattan
9:30 a.m.–12:30 p.m.
Volunteer with Team RIVER (Randall’s Island Volunteer Ecological Restorers) and help keep Randall’s Island Park beautiful!
Free!
Team RIVER Volunteers
at Randall's Island Park, Manhattan
9:30 a.m.–12:30 p.m.
Volunteer with Team RIVER (Randall’s Island Volunteer Ecological Restorers) and help keep Randall’s Island Park beautiful!
Free!
Hudson River Park's Big City Fishing
at Hudson River Park's Pier 97, Manhattan
3:00 p.m.–5:00 p.m.
This summer, join us to make a fish wish—you might just get a bite!
Free!
Event
Thursday, August 28, 2025
Trail Work Thursday
at Van Cortlandt Golf House (in Van Cortlandt Park), Bronx
9:00 a.m.–12:00 p.m.
Be a part of the community effort to maintain the trails in Van Cortlandt Park. Whether you’re an experienced trailblazer or new to trail maintenance, your help will make a significant impact!
Free!
Prospect Park Zoo Field Trip
at Audubon Center at the Boathouse (in Prospect Park), Brooklyn
1:30 p.m.–2:45 p.m.
Join Prospect Park Alliance every Thursday afternoon for a wild trip to the Prospect Park Zoo!
Free!
Kids
Saturday, August 30, 2025
Riverside Park Birding Club
at 116th Street and Riverside Drive (in Riverside Park), Manhattan
9:00 a.m.–10:30 a.m.
Monthly walks through birding hotspots in Riverside Park, led by Riverside Park Conservancy Field Staff.
Free!
Event
Sensory Perception Hike
at 130th Street and 11th Avenue (in Powell's Cove Park), Queens
12:00 p.m.–1:00 p.m.
Engage your sense of touch, smell, sight, and hearing as we explore the natural world.
Free!
Sunday, August 31, 2025
Garden Highlights Walk
at Wave Hill, Bronx
2:00 p.m.–3:00 p.m.
Join a knowledgeable Wave Hill Garden Guide for a leisurely stroll in the gardens every Sunday.
Free!
Wednesday, September 3, 2025
Team RIVER Volunteers
at 10 Central Road (in Randall's Island Park), Manhattan
9:30 a.m.–12:30 p.m.
Volunteer with Team RIVER (Randall’s Island Volunteer Ecological Restorers) and help keep Randall’s Island Park beautiful!
Free!
Team RIVER Volunteers
at Randall's Island Park, Manhattan
9:30 a.m.–12:30 p.m.
Volunteer with Team RIVER (Randall’s Island Volunteer Ecological Restorers) and help keep Randall’s Island Park beautiful!
Free!
Team RIVER Volunteers
at Randall's Island Park, Manhattan
9:30 a.m.–12:30 p.m.
Volunteer with Team RIVER (Randall’s Island Volunteer Ecological Restorers) and help keep Randall’s Island Park beautiful!
Free!
Thursday, September 4, 2025
Hudson River Park's Science After Dark: Science Stories
at Hudson River Park's Pier 57
6:30 p.m.–8:00 p.m.
Join us for an evening of personal stories connecting science to our everyday lives. We’re teaming up with The Story Collider for an evening of true, personal stories about science.
Raptors in Flight: Identifying Birds of Prey
at Virtual
7:00 p.m.–8:00 p.m.
Join a virtual class on birds of prey and learn all about their patterns, behavior, and how to identify them, just in time for fall migration season!
Free!
Saturday, September 6, 2025
Cross Country Course Volunteer Days
at VCPA Garden & Compost Site (in Van Cortlandt Park), Bronx
10:00 a.m.–12:00 p.m.
Be a part of the community effort to maintain the trails in Van Cortlandt Park.
Free!
Event
Summer on the Hudson: Billion Oyster Project Presentation
at On the Pier (in West Harlem Piers), Manhattan
12:00 p.m.–2:00 p.m.
Visit a Billion Oyster Project research station on the Baylander’s jungle deck.
Free!
Wednesday, September 10, 2025
Team RIVER Volunteers
at 10 Central Road (in Randall's Island Park), Manhattan
9:30 a.m.–12:30 p.m.
Volunteer with Team RIVER (Randall’s Island Volunteer Ecological Restorers) and help keep Randall’s Island Park beautiful!
Free!
Team RIVER Volunteers
at Randall's Island Park, Manhattan
9:30 a.m.–12:30 p.m.
Volunteer with Team RIVER (Randall’s Island Volunteer Ecological Restorers) and help keep Randall’s Island Park beautiful!
Free!
Team RIVER Volunteers
at Randall's Island Park, Manhattan
9:30 a.m.–12:30 p.m.
Volunteer with Team RIVER (Randall’s Island Volunteer Ecological Restorers) and help keep Randall’s Island Park beautiful!
Free!
Wetland Wednesdays
at Little Hell Gate Salt Marsh (in Randall's Island Park), Manhattan
2:30 p.m.–4:30 p.m.
Drop in to explore the Little Hell Gate Salt Marsh during Wetland Wednesdays!
Free!
Kids
Friday, September 12, 2025
Summer on the Hudson: Birding Walk
at 120th Street and Riverside Drive (in Riverside Park), Manhattan
5:30 p.m.–7:00 p.m.
Explore Riverside Park on a family-friendly bird walk in partnership with NYC Bird Alliance.
Free!
Saturday, September 13, 2025
Monarch Watch
at Salt Marsh Nature Center (in Marine Park), Brooklyn
10:00 a.m.–11:00 a.m.
Help band butterflies to track the slow decline of the critical monarch species (all the more reason to plant pollinator gardens wherever possible!). Community science data collected on this day adds to a national study.
Free!
Sunday, September 14, 2025
Birding: Fall Migration
at 39th Ave Alley Creek Trail, Queens
9:00 a.m.–10:00 a.m.
Come explore Alley Creek as hundreds of migratory birds use the wetland as a resting place on their way back down south for the winter.
Free!
Fall Birding
at Wave Hill, Bronx
9:30 a.m.–11:00 a.m.
Explore Wave Hill’s gardens, woodlands, and the skies overhead to look for resident and migrating birds.
Bug Buddies!
at Queens County Farm Museum (in Queens Farm Park), Queens
11:00 a.m.–12:15 p.m.
Calling all bug enthusiasts for a monthly Bug Buddies program with our STEM Coordinator and resident bug expert, Keith McManus!
Kids
Outdoor Skills: Advanced Animal Tracking
at Blue Heron Nature Center (in Blue Heron Park), Staten Island
11:00 a.m.–12:30 p.m.
Join the Rangers in learning to identify animal tracks with non-invasive tracking techniques. Learn about how scientists can learn about what animals live in an area.
Free!
Summer on the Hudson: Huellas De Vida (Bilingual Horticulture Tour)
at 120th Street and Riverside Drive (in Riverside Park), Manhattan
12:00 p.m.–1:30 p.m.
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
Free!
Autumn Gardening and Wildflower ID
at West 218th Street and Indian Road (in Inwood Hill Park), Manhattan
1:00 p.m.–2:30 p.m.
Join the Urban Park Rangers as we keep our garden blooming. It’s time for goldenrod and aster.
Free!
Kids
Wednesday, September 17, 2025
Team RIVER Volunteers
at 10 Central Road (in Randall's Island Park), Manhattan
9:30 a.m.–12:30 p.m.
Volunteer with Team RIVER (Randall’s Island Volunteer Ecological Restorers) and help keep Randall’s Island Park beautiful!
Free!
Team RIVER Volunteers
at Randall's Island Park, Manhattan
9:30 a.m.–12:30 p.m.
Volunteer with Team RIVER (Randall’s Island Volunteer Ecological Restorers) and help keep Randall’s Island Park beautiful!
Free!
Team RIVER Volunteers
at Randall's Island Park, Manhattan
9:30 a.m.–12:30 p.m.
Volunteer with Team RIVER (Randall’s Island Volunteer Ecological Restorers) and help keep Randall’s Island Park beautiful!
Free!
Friday, September 19, 2025
International Coast Cleanup at Bush Terminal Park with Billion Oyster Project
at Entrance on 1st Ave. & 50th St. (in Bush Terminal Park), Brooklyn
10:00 a.m.–1:00 p.m.
Volunteer with the Stewardship Team and the Billion Oyster Project to protect wetland areas in Bush Terminal Park! Volunteers will help us remove debris in order to help restore...
Free!
Event
Saturday, September 20, 2025
Community Work Day
at Wyckoff Farmhouse Museum (in Fidler-Wyckoff House Park), Brooklyn
11:00 a.m.–3:00 p.m.
Stop by the Wyckoff Urban Farm on the third Saturday of the month to learn about what we're growing, get to know our farmers, and get your hands dirty with farm projects!
Free!
Summer on the Hudson: Billion Oyster Project Presentation
at On the Pier (in West Harlem Piers), Manhattan
12:00 p.m.–2:00 p.m.
Come see and learn about the Billion Oyster Project on the Baylander’s Jungle Deck.
Free!
Femme Fishing
at East River Picnic Area (in Randall's Island Park), Manhattan
2:00 p.m.–4:00 p.m.
Join Randall’s Island Park Alliance for an afternoon of fishing for women, femme, and gender-nonconforming folx.
Free!
Event
Birding: Fall Migration
at Upper Highland Playground (in Highland Park), Queens
4:00 p.m.–5:30 p.m.
Join the Urban Park Rangers on a birding adventure around Highland Park to look for fall migrants that include warblers, raptors and more!
Free!
Sunday, September 21, 2025
Raptor Fest
at Foch Boulevard and 155th Street (in Baisley Pond Park), Queens
12:00 p.m.–3:00 p.m.
Experience the thrill of viewing New York’s premier predators live and up close, including eagles, falcons, owls, hawks, and more!
Free!
Event
Wednesday, September 24, 2025
Team RIVER Volunteers
at 10 Central Road (in Randall's Island Park), Manhattan
9:30 a.m.–12:30 p.m.
Volunteer with Team RIVER (Randall’s Island Volunteer Ecological Restorers) and help keep Randall’s Island Park beautiful!
Free!
Team RIVER Volunteers
at Randall's Island Park, Manhattan
9:30 a.m.–12:30 p.m.
Volunteer with Team RIVER (Randall’s Island Volunteer Ecological Restorers) and help keep Randall’s Island Park beautiful!
Free!
Team RIVER Volunteers
at Randall's Island Park, Manhattan
9:30 a.m.–12:30 p.m.
Volunteer with Team RIVER (Randall’s Island Volunteer Ecological Restorers) and help keep Randall’s Island Park beautiful!
Free!
Saturday, September 27, 2025
Riverside Park Birding Club
at 116th Street and Riverside Drive (in Riverside Park), Manhattan
9:00 a.m.–10:30 a.m.
Monthly walks through birding hotspots in Riverside Park, led by Riverside Park Conservancy Field Staff.
Free!
Event
Birding: Raptors
at Beach 54th and Almeda Avenue (in Rockaway Community Park), Queens
10:00 a.m.–11:00 a.m.
Join the Urban Park Rangers as we explore Jamaica Bay's marshy ecosystem and determine what kind of raptors make it their home.
Free!
Sunday, September 28, 2025
Birding: Warbler Watch
at Pelham Bay Nature Center (in Pelham Bay Park), Bronx
11:00 a.m.–12:30 p.m.
Approximately 45 species of warblers migrate every season! Join the Urban Park Rangers to learn about these amazing animals on a fun nature walk through NYCs largest park
Free!
Build a Birdfeeder
at Juniper North Playground (in Juniper Valley Park), Queens
11:00 a.m.–12:00 p.m.
Join the Urban Park Rangers to create your own decomposable and environmentally friendly bird feeders made of pinecones and bird seeds
Free!
Kids
Just for Kids: Turtle Boy Puppet Show
at Lenape Playground (in Marine Park), Brooklyn
11:00 a.m.–12:00 p.m.
Puppeteer Emmanuel Elpenord performs The Choose-Your-Own Adventures of Turtle Boy, in which shy yet rowdy Turtle Boy leads the audience through an action movie of their own making.
Free!
Kids
Birding: Fall Migration
at West 116th Street and Riverside Drive (in Riverside Park), Manhattan
1:00 p.m.–2:30 p.m.
Join the Urban Park Rangers on a birding adventure around Highland Park to look for fall migrants that include warblers, raptors and more!
Free!
Wednesday, October 1, 2025
Team RIVER Volunteers
at 10 Central Road (in Randall's Island Park), Manhattan
9:30 a.m.–12:30 p.m.
Volunteer with Team RIVER (Randall’s Island Volunteer Ecological Restorers) and help keep Randall’s Island Park beautiful!
Free!
Team RIVER Volunteers
at Randall's Island Park, Manhattan
9:30 a.m.–12:30 p.m.
Volunteer with Team RIVER (Randall’s Island Volunteer Ecological Restorers) and help keep Randall’s Island Park beautiful!
Free!
Team RIVER Volunteers
at Randall's Island Park, Manhattan
9:30 a.m.–12:30 p.m.
Volunteer with Team RIVER (Randall’s Island Volunteer Ecological Restorers) and help keep Randall’s Island Park beautiful!
Free!
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