Outdoors IN NEW YORK CITY January/February/March 2019
Welcome to Outdoors in New York City As winter takes hold in New York City, it is natural to want to stay inside. But at NYC Parks, we know that this is a great time of year for New Yorkers to get active and enjoy the outdoors. When the weather outside is frightful, consider it an opportunity to explore a side of the city that we can only experience for a few months every year. The Urban Park Rangers continue to offer many unique opportunities throughout the winter. Join us to kick off 2019 on a guided New Year s Day Hike in each borough. This is also the best time to search for winter wildlife, including seals, owls, and eagles. Kids Week programs encourage families to get outside and into the park while school is out. This season, grab your boots, mittens, and hat, and head to your nearest park! New York City parks are open and ready to welcome you year-round. Urban Park Ranger Facilities Please call specific locations for hours. BRONX Pelham Bay Ranger Station // (718) 319-7258 Pelham Bay Park // Bruckner Boulevard and Wilkinson Avenue Van Cortlandt Nature Center // (718) 548-0912 Van Cortlandt Park // BROOKLYN // (718) 421-2021 Marine Park // MANHATTAN Payson Center // (212) 304-2277 Inwood Hill Park // Payson Avenue and Dyckman Street QUEENS Alley Pond Park Adventure Center (718) 217-6034 // (718) 217-4685 Alley Pond Park // Enter at Winchester Boulevard, under the Grand Central Parkway Forest Park Ranger Station // (718) 846-2731 Forest Park // Woodhaven Boulevard and Forest Park Drive Fort Totten Visitors Center // (718) 352-1769 Fort Totten Park // Enter the park at fort entrance, north of intersection of 212th Street and Cross Island Parkway and follow signs STATEN ISLAND Blue Heron Nature Center // (718) 967-3542 Blue Heron Park // 222 Poillon Ave. between Amboy Road and Hylan Boulevard 2 Outdoors, January /February/March 2019
Winter Hiking Our Urban Park Ranger hiking guides will introduce you to the hidden gems of New York City. On our hikes, you may explore nature, discover our city s urban forests, or just unplug from the world to clear your head. BRONX Van Cortlandt Park // 11:00 a.m. Sunday, Feb. 3 // Nature Exploration: John Muir Trail Van Cortlandt Park // 11:00 a.m. Meet at Mosholu Avenue and Broadway Sunday, March 3 // Hunter Island Night Hike Pelham Bay Park // 6:00 p.m. begins on. BROOKLYN Prospect Park // 11:00 a.m. Prospect Park Audubon Center, East Drive and Lincoln Road Sunday, Feb. 3 // Photo Scavenger Hunt Hike Sunset Park // 1:00 p.m. Seventh Avenue at 43rd Street Saturday, March 9 // Winter Meditation Hike Prospect Park // 11:00 a.m. Prospect Park Audubon Center, East Drive and Lincoln Road MANHATTAN Fort Tryon Park // 1:00 p.m. Fort Washington Avenue and Margaret Corbin Circle Saturday, March 30 // Northern Manhattan Parks Super Hike Inwood Hill Park // 1:00 p.m. begins on Wednesday, March 20. QUEENS Forest Park // 11:00 a.m. Meet at the Buddy Monument, Myrtle Avenue and Park Lane South Sunday, Feb. 24 // Nature Exploration Hike Flushing Meadows Corona Park // 1:00 p.m. Mauro Playground, Park Drive East and 73rd Terrace Sunday, March 17 // Hike the Vanderbilt Motor Parkway Cunningham Park // 11:00 a.m. Meet in parking lot at 73rd Avenue and Hollis Hills Terrace STATEN ISLAND Bloomingdale Park// 11:00 a.m. Playground at Ramona Avenue and Lenevar Avenue Saturday, Feb. 16 // Healthy Heart Hike Clove Lakes Park // 11:00 a.m. Parking lot from Clove Road and Park Drive Saturday, March 30 // Conservation Hike Sunday, Feb. 24 // Winter Wildlife Night Hike Inwood Hill Park // 6:00 p.m. Payson Playground, Dyckman Street and Henshaw Street 3
Urban Park Ranger Programs From winter birding to survival workshops, the Urban Park Rangers are hosting fun outdoor activities all winter long. For a complete detailed listing of programs and to register, visit nyc.gov/parks/rangers. BRONX Sunday, Jan. 13 // Seal Exploration Pelham Bay Park // 10:00 a.m. Orchard Beach Nature Center, Section 2 of Orchard Beach Saturday, Jan. 19 // The Explorer s Club: Fire Making Saturday, Jan. 26 // Astronomy: The Winter Sky Van Cortlandt Park // 6:00 p.m. Sunday, Jan. 27 // Birding: Owls begins on Wednesday, Jan. 16. Saturday, Feb. 2 // The Explorer s Club: Cartographer s Orienteering Pelham Bay Nature Center, Bruckner Boulevard and Wilkinson Avenue Saturday, Feb. 9 // Birding: Winter Birds Van Cortlandt Park // 11:00 a.m. Sunday, Feb. 10 // Valentine s Day Hike and Craft Van Cortlandt Park // 11:00 a.m. Sunday, Feb. 17 // The Explorer s Club: Natural Cordage and Knot Tying Sunday, Feb. 24 // African-American History Month: The Birthplace of Hip Hop Cedar Playground // 1:00 p.m. West 179th Street between Cedar Avenue and Sedgwick Avenue Saturday, March 9 // The Explorer s Club: Deer Exploration Orchard Beach Nature Center, Section 2 of Orchard Beach 4 Outdoors, January /February/March 2019
Saturday, Feb. 9 // African-American History Month: Brooklyn and The Underground Railroad Brooklyn Bridge Park // 11:00 a.m. begins on Wednesday, Jan. 30. Saturday, Feb. 16 // Survival Series: Fire Making Fort Greene Park // 1:00 p.m. Fort Greene Visitor Center, Myrtle Avenue and Washington Park Sunday, March 17 // Women s History Month: Anne Hutchinson Meet at Pelham and Split Rock Golf Course, 870 Shore Road Saturday, March 30 // Birding: Hawk Watch BROOKLYN Sunday, Jan. 13 // Nature s Workshop: Natural Jewelry Making begins on Wednesday, Jan. 2. Sunday, Jan. 20 // Survival Series: Survival 101, East 33rd Street and Avenue U Sunday, Jan. 27 // Nature s Workshop: Nature Journals, East 33rd Street and Avenue U Sunday, Feb. 3 // Survival Series: Shelter Building Prospect Park// 1:00 p.m. Prospect Park Audubon Center, East Drive and Lincoln Road Sunday, March 3 // Historic New York: Nature and Design Prospect Park // 1:00 p.m. Meet under the Arch at Grand Army Plaza Sunday, March 10 // Science Discovery Workshop, Sunday, March 17 // Women s History Month: Gravesend Gravesend Cemetery // 11:00 a.m. begins on Wednesday, March 6. Saturday, March 23 // Nature s Workshop: Natural Music Instruments Fort Greene Park // 1:00 p.m. Fort Greene Visitor Center, Myrtle Avenue and Washington Park Saturday, March 30 // Survival Series: Cordage and Rope Making, MANHATTAN Sunday, Jan. 13 // The New York City History Club: Central Park West 72nd Street and Central Park West Sunday, Jan. 20 // Astronomy: The Supermoon Central Park // 6 :00 p.m. The Great Hill, West 106th Street and Central Park West 5
Sunday, Jan. 27 // Gather Around the Campfire Inwood Hill Park // 1:00 p.m. begins on Wednesday, Jan. 16. Sunday, Feb. 3 // Winter Tree ID Dana Discovery Center, West 110th Street and Lenox Avenue Saturday, Feb. 9 // The New York City Naturalist Club: Bald Eagles Inwood Hill Park // 9:00 a.m. Payson Playground, Dyckman Street and Henshaw Street Sunday, Feb. 17 // The New York City History Club: Revolutionary War History Fort Tryon Park // 1:00 p.m. Anne Loftus Playground, Dyckman Street and Seaman Avenue Saturday, Feb. 23 // African-American History Month: Seneca Village Central Park// 1:00 p.m. West 81st Street and Central Park West Saturday, March 2 // High Line Park: Past and Present High Line Park // 10:00 a.m. West 34th Street between 11th Avenue and 12th Avenue Saturday, March 9 // Women s History Month: The Women Within Central Park Central Park // 11:00 a.m. begins on Wednesday, Feb. 27. Sunday, March 10 // The New York City Naturalist Club: Fungus Among-us! Inwood Hill Park // 11:00 a.m. Isham Street and Seaman Avenue Saturday, March 16 // The New York City History Club: The Forts of Central Park Fifth Avenue and East 106th Street Saturday, March 23 // The New York City History Club: The Hidden Streams and Wetlands of Manahatta: Sherman Creek Highbridge Park // 1:00 p.m. begins on Wednesday, March 13. QUEENS Sunday, Jan. 13 // Park of the Month: Baisley Pond Park Baisley Pond Park // 10:00 a.m. Meet in the parking lot at Baisley Boulevard and 155th Street Saturday, Jan. 19 // Birding: Hawk Watch Flushing Meadows Corona Park // 11:00 a.m. Meet inside the park at the Unisphere Sunday, Jan. 20 // Nature s Workshop: Nature Illustrations Forest Park // 1:00 p.m. begins on Wednesday, Jan. 9. Sunday, Jan. 27 // Birding: Winter Waterfowl Brookville Park // 1:00 p.m. Brookville Boulevard and Caney Road Sunday, Feb. 3 // Winter Tree ID Captain Tilly Park // 10:00 a.m. Meet at Chapin Parkway and Gothic Drive Sunday, Feb. 10 // African-American History Month: The Flushing Freedom Mile Daniel Carter Beard Square // 1:00 p.m. Northern Boulevard and Linden Place Saturday, Feb. 16 // Park of the Month: Powell s Cove Park Powell s Cove Park // 10:00 a.m. 11th Avenue and 130th Street 6 Outdoors, January /February/March 2019
Sunday, Feb. 17 // Historic New York: George Washington s Path Alley Pond Park // 1:00 p.m. Enter at Winchester Boulevard under the Grand Central Parkway and proceed to the Alley Pond Park Adventure Course Sunday, Feb. 24 // Astronomy Alley Pond Park // 6:00 p.m. Enter at Winchester Boulevard under the Grand Central Parkway and proceed to the Alley Pond Park Adventure Course Saturday, March 9 // Coastal Ecology Exploration Rockaway Beach // 1:00 p.m. Beach 94th Street and Shorefront Parkway Sunday, March 16 // Astronomy Fort Totten Park // 6:00 p.m. Fort Totten Visitor Center, Totten Road and Cross Island Parkway. Enter park and follow signs to the Visitor Center. Sunday, March 10 // Women s History Month: Historic Women in Queens Marie Curie Playground // 11:00 a.m. 46th Avenue and 211th Street Saturday, March 23 // Park of the Month: Cunningham Park Cunningham Park // 10:00 a.m. Meet in parking lot at Union Turnpike and 196th Place Saturday, March 30 // Historic New York: Fort Totten Tunnel Tour Fort Totten Park // 10:00 a.m. Fort Totten Visitor Center, Totten Road and Cross Island Parkway. Enter park and follow signs to the Visitor Center. STATEN ISLAND Sunday, Jan. 6 // Ecosystem Explorers: Grasslands Brookfield Park // 1:00 p.m. Saturday, Jan. 12 // Astronomy Willowbrook Park // 6:00 p.m. Archery Field parking lot from the Eton Place entrance Sunday, Jan. 13 // Historic Brookfield Sunday, Jan. 20 // Animal of the Month: Northern Harrier Parking lot entrance at Arthur Kill Road and Brookfield Avenue Saturday, Feb. 2 // Ecosystem Explorers: Pond Ecology Blue Heron Park // 11:00 a.m. Blue Heron Nature Center, 222 Poillon Ave. Sunday, Feb. 3 // African-American History Month: Sandy Ground Bloomingdale Park // 11:00 a.m. Playground at Ramona Avenue and Lenevar Avenue Saturday, Feb. 9 // Birding: Winter Birds Silver Lake Park // 11:00 a.m. Forest Avenue and Silver Lake Park Drive Sunday, Feb. 10 // Animal of the Month: Seal Watch Lemon Creek Park // 2:00 p.m. Fishing pier at Sharrott Avenue and Hylan Boulevard Sunday, Feb. 17 // Ecosystem Explorers: Micro-Ecosystems Allison Pond Park // 1:00 p.m. Prospect Avenue and Brentwood Avenue Saturday, Feb. 23 // Birding: Winter Waterfowl Saturday, March 2 // Nocturnal Hike Wolfe s Pond Park // 6:00 p.m. Comfort Station near the parking lot at the end of Cornelia Avenue Sunday, March 10 // Animal of the Month: Fox Sunday, March 24 // Women s History Month: Women of the Lenape Conference House Park // 1:00 p.m. Visitors Center parking lot at Hylan Boulevard and Satterlee Street Saturday, March 30 // Animal Tracks Blue Heron Park // 11:00 a.m. Blue Heron Nature Center, 222 Poillon Avenue between Amboy Road and Hylan Boulevard 7
Urban Park Rangers Kids Week Feb. 18 22, 2019 School s out! Take the kids to the park to enjoy a variety of nature programs. Get outside and get excited! BRONX Orienteering for Kids Pelham Bay Nature Center Bruckner Boulevard and Wilkinson Avenue Nature Exploration Van Cortlandt Nature Center Birds of Prey Crotona Park // 1:00 p.m. Crotona Nature Center Charlotte Street and Crotona Park East Urban Forest Exploration Pelham Bay Nature Center Bruckner Boulevard and Wilkinson Avenue Winter Scavenger Hunt Van Cortlandt Nature Center West 246 th Street and Broadway BROOKLYN Find My Way: Maps and Compasses Shelter Building Fort Greene History and Colonial Games Fort Greene Park // 1:00 p.m. Fort Greene Visitors Center Myrtle Avenue and Washington Park Nature Games Birds of Prey Build a Birdfeeder Fort Greene Park // 1:00 p.m. Fort Greene Visitors Center Myrtle Avenue and Washington Park Knot Tying MANHATTAN Geology Rocks! Dana Discovery Center West 110th Street and Lenox Avenue Reptiles and Amphibians Inwood Hill Park // 1:00 p.m. Payson Playground Dyckman Street and Henshaw Street Trees and Winter Wildlife Dana Discovery Center, West 110th Street and Lenox Avenue Birds of Prey Inwood Hill Park // 1:00 p.m. Payson Playground Dyckman Street and Henshaw Street All About Owls Dana Discovery Center, West 110th Street and Lenox Avenue QUEENS Nature Exploration Forest Park // 11:00 a.m. Forest Park Visitor Center Woodhaven Blvd and Forest Park Drive Who Lives Here? Fort Totten Park // 11:00 a.m. Fort Totten Visitor Center Totten Road and Cross Island Parkway Gather Around the Campfire Alley Pond Park // 11:00 a.m. Pond Park Adventure Course, Winchester Boulevard and Grand Central Parkway Nature Puppet Show Forest Park // 11:00 a.m. Oak Ridge, 1 Forest Parkway Birding for Kids Kissena Park // 11:00 a.m. Rose Avenue and Oak Avenue STATEN ISLAND Be A Tree Detective Westerleigh Park // 1:00 p.m. Maine Avenue and Neal Dow Avenue Ranger Recycle Games Blue Heron Park // 1:00 p.m. Blue Heron Nature Center, 222 Poillon Ave. Lenape Bingo Conference House Park // 1:00 p.m. Conference House Visitors Center Hylan Boulevard and Satterlee Street Winter Scavenger Hunt Von Briesen Park // 1:00 p.m. Parking lot from Bay Street and School Road entrance Tent Building Walker Park // 1:00 p.m. Delafield Place and Bard Avenue