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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, April 20, 2025
Wildlife Viewing: Rabbits
at Forest Avenue and Silver Lake Park Road (in Silver Lake Park), Staten Island
10:00 a.m.–11:30 a.m.
Join the Urban Park Rangers as they look for signs of rabbits and experience the joy of spotting these adorable creatures in the wild!
Free!
Event
Birding: Spring Migration
at 130th Street and 11th Avenue (in Powell's Cove Park), Queens
1:00 p.m.–2:00 p.m.
Join the Urban Park Rangers on a birding adventure around Powell's Cove Park to look for spring migrants that include warblers, raptors and more!
Free!
Event
Earth Day: Planting the Pollinator Garden
at West 218th Street and Indian Road (in Inwood Hill Park), Manhattan
1:00 p.m.–2:30 p.m.
Help restore and replant our pollinator garden as we create space for bees, birds and other species. Learn more about the ways pollinator species help plants flourish in our parks.
Free!
Event
Public Garden Highlights Walk
at Wave Hill, Bronx 
, Perkins Visitors Center (in Wave Hill), Bronx
1:00 p.m.–2:00 p.m.
Join a knowledgeable Wave Hill Garden Guide for a leisurely stroll in the gardens every Sunday. Each walk varies with the Guide leading it.
Free!
Wednesday, April 23, 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, April 24, 2025
Trail Work Thursdays
at VCPA Garden & Compost Site (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.
Free!
Friday, April 25, 2025
Event
Saturday, April 26, 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
Event
Volunteer Workday: Clifton Place Memorial Garden & Park
at Clifton Place Memorial Garden, Brooklyn
10:00 a.m.–2:00 p.m.
Learn how to join a GreenThumb garden and engage in EarthMonth activities, such as building raised beds and planting a floral landscape.
Free!
04/26 City Nature Challenge: Spring Ephemerals Walk at Idlewild Park
at Idlewild Park, Queens
12:00 p.m.–1:00 p.m.
Join Parks staff as we walk Idlewild Park to observe and collect data for City Nature Challenge, an international biodiversity competition taking place April 25 - 28
Free!
Earth Day Festival
at Field 62 - 63 (in Randall's Island Park), Manhattan
12:00 p.m.–3:00 p.m.
Celebrate spring at the annual, free Randall’s Island Earth Day Festival! We’re bringing you a family-friendly, interactive day of fun to welcome warmer weather & seasonal blooms.
Free!
Kids
Sunday, April 27, 2025
City Nature Challenge 2025
at Van Cortlandt Golf House (in Van Cortlandt Park), Bronx
10:00 a.m.–1:00 p.m.
Join the global City Nature Challenge! Cities around the world collect data throughout the spring but at Van Cortlandt Park, you can identify macroinvertebrates and other wildlife from the pond.
Free!
Event
Event
Public Garden Highlights Walk
at Wave Hill, Bronx , Perkins Visitors Center (in Wave Hill), Bronx
1:00 p.m.–2:00 p.m.
Join a knowledgeable Wave Hill Garden Guide for a leisurely stroll in the gardens every Sunday. Each walk varies with the Guide leading it.
Free!
Wednesday, April 30, 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, May 1, 2025
Trail Work Thursdays
at VCPA Garden & Compost Site (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.
Free!
Saturday, May 3, 2025
Riverkeeper Sweep
at Icahn Stadium (in Randall's Island Park), Manhattan
9:30 a.m.–12:00 p.m.
Join hundreds of others throughout the Hudson River watershed to help keep our shoreline free of marine plastics and refuse at the annual Riverkeeper Sweep.
Free!
Event
Birding: Nests and Baby Birds Exploration
at Van Cortlandt Nature Center (in Van Cortlandt Park), Bronx
10:00 a.m.–11:30 a.m.
Join the Urban Park Rangers on a fun and informative walk through Van Cortlandt Park to learn all about nests, baby birds, and unique spring-time animal behaviors!
Free!
Cross Country Course Volunteer Days
at VCPA Garden & Compost Site (in Van Cortlandt Park), Bronx
10:00 a.m.–1:00 p.m.
Be a part of the community effort to maintain the trails in Van Cortlandt Park.
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.
Visit a Billion Oyster Project research station on the Baylander’s jungle deck.
Free!
Sunday, May 4, 2025
Birding: Warbler Watch
at The Overlook (in Forest Park), Queens
9:00 a.m.–10:00 a.m.
Join the Urban Park Rangers on a birding adventure around Forest Park to look for spring warblers and more!
Free!
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
Birding: Spring Migration
at West 81st Street and Central Park West (in Central Park), Manhattan
1:00 p.m.–2:00 p.m.
Join the Urban Park Rangers on a birding adventure around Central Park to look for spring migrants that include warblers, raptors and more!
Free!
Public Garden Highlights Walk
at Wave Hill, Bronx , Perkins Visitors Center (in Wave Hill), Bronx
1:00 p.m.–2:00 p.m.
Join a knowledgeable Wave Hill Garden Guide for a leisurely stroll in the gardens every Sunday. Each walk varies with the Guide leading it.
Free!
Wednesday, May 7, 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, May 8, 2025
Trail Work Thursdays
at VCPA Garden & Compost Site (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.
Free!
Friday, May 9, 2025
Bush Terminal Park Wetland Cleanup with The Billion Oyster Project
at 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 and...
Free!
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!
Event
Saturday, May 10, 2025
Bird Bonanza
at Urban Farm (in Randall's Island Park), Manhattan
10:00 a.m.–1:00 p.m.
Fly over to Randall’s Island Park to celebrate World Migratory Bird Day at our annual Bird Bonanza!
Free!
Kids
Urban Wildlife Festival
at East 149th Street and St. Ann's Avenue (in St. Mary's Park), Bronx
12:00 p.m.–3:00 p.m.
We welcome guests of all ages to join us at Urban Wildlife Festival hosted by the Urban Park Rangers. Discover abundant wildlife at this free family event featuring live animals!
Free!
Event
Sunday, May 11, 2025
Spring Birding
at Wave Hill, Bronx
9:30 a.m.–11:00 a.m.
Welcome migratory birds back to Wave Hill this spring! Explore the gardens and woodlands with birders Gabriel Willow and Ryan Mandelbaum to look for resident and rare birds as they pass through on their northern journey or settle down for the season.
Event
Birding: All About Pigeons
at Lawn Area (in Seaside Wildlife Nature Park), Staten Island
11:00 a.m.–12:00 p.m.
Pigeons are among some of the most abundant species of birds in our city. Learn more about what makes these birds so unique and interesting.
Free!
Planting the Native Garden
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 replant our Native American polyculture garden and learn about the indigenous people.
Free!
Kids
Public Garden Highlights Walk
at Wave Hill, Bronx , Perkins Visitors Center (in Wave Hill), Bronx
1:00 p.m.–2:00 p.m.
Join a knowledgeable Wave Hill Garden Guide for a leisurely stroll in the gardens every Sunday. Each walk varies with the Guide leading it.
Free!
Wednesday, May 14, 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, May 15, 2025
Trail Work Thursdays
at VCPA Garden & Compost Site (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.
Free!
Friday, May 16, 2025
Earth Day Celebration
at Outdoor Performance Area (in Roy Wilkins Recreation Center)
3:00 p.m.–7:00 p.m.
Raising awareness about environmental issues such as pollution, deforestation, climate change, and endangered species
Free!
Saturday, May 17, 2025
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!
Sunday, May 18, 2025
Wings Over Wave Hill
at Wave Hill, Bronx
9:30 a.m.–5:30 p.m.
Join us for a full day of amazing bird encounters!
Free!
Kids
Birding: Hawk Watch
at Unisphere (in Flushing Meadows Corona Park), Queens
10:00 a.m.–11:30 a.m.
Experience the majesty of NYC’s top aerial predator. Join us to learn about Red-Tailed Hawks and other raptors of NYC and hopefully catch a glimpse of a nesting pair.
Free!
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