For your pleasure, every Saturday and Sunday there is a naturalist-guided walk at 1:15 and another at 2:15, leaving from the Blue Heron Nature Center.
NATURE LIBRARY - Visit Blue Heron Nature Center’s NATURE LIBRARY, a collection of guidebooks, books & magazines about nature in the NYC area -- for adults, youngsters & children. The NATURE LIBRARY is available daily, except Monday from 11:00 am to 4:00 pm at the Nature Center -- for your study & enjoyment.
Very Special Event
BLUE HERON CELEBRATION. This year we are honoring, Howie Fischer, renowned birder, author, NYC Board of Ed Science teacher. Howie has been with the movement to create Blue Heron Park from the beginning, back in the mid-seventies, when both he and we presented the idea of saving those first 26 acres of what is now known as Blue Heron Park at almost 250 acres. This event, a country luncheon, will take place at the Blue Heron Nature Center, on April 13th, from 1 to 4 PM. It is by advance reservation ONLY. If you wish to attend and didn’t receive an invitation, please call 718-317-1732 and an invitation will be sent to you. We don’t want to leave anyone out that would like to share this special day for Howie.
Special Events
Chimpanzee Family Life & Society – Join us for a video presentation and discussion of Hugo van Lawick’s classic film study of chimpanzee family life and society – “People of the Forest.” Edited from hundreds of hours of footage shot at Gombe Stream National Park during the id-1960s, this unique film brings us deeply into the lives of Jane Goodall’s chimpanzees and remains one of the best film records of chimp behavior ever made. Meet the chimpanzees that were made famous by Jane’s long-term study – Flo, Fifi, Figan, Faben, Flint, Olly, Gilka, Evered, Melissa, Goblin and many others – and watch the drama of their lives unfold. If you are an animal lover, you can’t miss this presentation! Questions and discussions will occur periodically throughout the film.
Friday, May 23 – 7:30-9:00 pm
Plant and Nature Sale - BLUE HERON PLANT SALE – Join Ellen Pratt at her now-famous garden sale. Don't miss this unique event! A wide array of annuals for pots and garden, hanging baskets, perennials dug from the garden, native plants, herbs and vegetables. Don’t forget to take a walk around her beautiful garden while you’re there! 355 Harold Avenue, Annadale - corner of Lenzie Street.
For information call 718-948-2662.
Friday, May 2 -
2-6 pm
Saturday, May 3 – 10 am-5 pm
Sunday, May 4 – 11 am-4 pm
CLEARANCE
Spring Programs
Yoga - Join Terry Seaman, RYT, Holistic Health Practitioner, for mind-body yoga for health and stress reduction. Light body Yoga for health and stress reduction. Take this time to renew your body and mind, allowing yourself time to relax and unwind. Come spend time with your body and nature. Bring Yoga mat and wear comfortable clothing. Donations gratefully accepted. To register, please call Terry Seaman 356-0106.
12:30-2:00 pm on the following dates:
April 20, May 18, June 8, June 22
Spring Sing – Join Cliff Hagen and watch in wonder a while whilst whistling wood warblers and woodpeckers wander the wilds.
Sunday, April 20 – 3:30-5:30 pm
Wildlife of S.I. – Join the Sims Family for a viewing of their DVD of wildlife of Staten Island. There will also be a discussion on how to edit digital photographs. Copies of the DVD will be available for purchase through Friends of Blue Heron.
Sunday, April 20 – 1:00-2:30 pm
Learn to Knit – During this four-week program, students will learn the basics of knitting… casting on, knit and purl stitches, cables, moss and lace stitches. Students may apply their knitting knowledge and learn how to knit socks using four double-pointed needles. There is a one-time materials charge of $8 or bring your own yarn/needles. Plan to attend all four classes. All ages welcome.
Registration 718-967-6158.
Tuesdays, April 22, 29, May 6, 13 – 3:00-4:30 pm
All About Fossils – Join Steven Okulewicz and learn how fossils are formed, identified and their place in geological history.
Saturday, April 26 – 1:00-2:00 pm
An Evening Ramble in the Bramble – Let the cares of the day slip away as the sun slides from the sky. Walk with Cliff Hagen and hear the sounds of the day give way to evening.
Sundays, May 4, May 18 – 6:00-8:00 pm
Field & Roadside Flora & Fauna - Join Sandra Mechanic and learn how to identify flowers, lichens, etc by habitat and know which animals feed on the plant/lichen. Identify edible mushrooms – like chicken of the wood. Can you help me identify a gall?
Sunday, May 4 - 10:00 am-noon
The Bs of Spring – Birds and butterflies, blooms and boughs, bumblebees and beetles, beech trees and beach glass at Blue Heron Park with Cliff Hagen.
Sunday, May 18 – 10:00 am-noon
Apartment Pets – Al Swanson has been breeding reptiles for 30+ years and will discuss the right reptile and/or amphibian for your life stile. WE will go through the pros and cons of selective your pet. Cage setup, temperature, humidity. Live lizards, snakes, frogs, turtles will be on hand.
Saturday, May 24 – noon-1:00 pm
Butterflies – Explore are garden and parkland to discover the many butterflies of Blue Heron Park with Cliff Hagen.
Sunday, June 1 – 11:00 am-1:00 pm
Starting and Herb Garden – Join herbalist Gert Coleman to learn how to start an herb garden from seeds and transplants. Find out what to do with those herbs once you’ve grown them: culinary, medicinal and household uses.
Sunday, June 22 – 1:00-2:30 pm
Children's Programs
Doodlebug FunTime
For ages 18 months-4 yrs, with care giver
Kick off the weekend early with some Friday afternoon fun. Join Kathleen Hagen for storytelling, music & crafts. Materials charge is $1.00 per child. Registration is a must in order for us to have a craft project for each little one. Please restrict registration to one series only. Fridays – 1 pm REGISTRATION REQUIRED: 718-227-8839
Series I – April 18, May 9, June 6
Series II – May 5, May 23, June 13
Kids & Kritters
Join Nancy Zawada Clair, naturalist, for a fun time at Blue Heron Park. Dress your child in weather-appropriate attire (coats, hats, gloves & shoes you don’t mind getting dirty). Part of these programs will take place outdoors, weather permitting. All programs take place on Saturdays, from 11 am-12:30 pm and will include a craft, story or game as part of the program. Parent or guardian presence required.
REGISTRATION: 917-751-0071
April 19 – Earth Day – Celebrate Earth Day by learning how we can care for our planet
May 10 – Birding with Mom – In celebration of Mom’s special day, we will look and listen to our returning birds. Craft included
May 17 – S-S-S-NAKES – What does a snake do when it sticks out its tongue? Come and find out as we meet a snake, and search the park for others. Craft included.
May 24 – Rachel Carson’s Birthday – We invite you to a special party to learn why Ms. Carson played an important role in saving our earth. Game, craft and hike. Please – by Registration Only.
June 14 – Pond Dip – Explore the hidden world beneath Spring Pond. Hands-on activity.
Krafty Kids
Wiggle, hop or fly over to the Nature Center and join us for some Saturday afternoon crafty fun. Materials fee is $1 per child. Registration is a must in order for us to have supplies for each child: 718-227-8839
Tuesdays – May 6, May 20, June 10 – 3:30-4:45 pm
Natural Science Club
Programs for curious nature-oriented students ages 8-12. This Club will meet with Clay Wollney on the days listed with different topics relating to natural science. On the following days from 2-3:30 pm INFORMATION: 718-967-3542
April 6 – Stories in Bones – The skeletons of animals have many stories to tell though their owners are otherwise long gone. Participants will compare the skeletons of the various vertebrates and identify particular features that indicate adaptations of their group or indicate events in an individual’s life.
May 18 – Natural Detectives – Raccoons, opossums and other nocturnal animals are rarely seen in the day, they leave signs of their presence from the night before. Participants will learn how to find evidence of animals that usually can’t be seen by day.
June 1 – Reptile Adaptations – From the ancient turtles to the relatively recent evolution of snakes, reptiles are a varied class of vertebrates. Live specimens and observations of the local populations in Spring Pond will be used to learn about the anatomy, adaptations and behavior of these scaly, cold-blooded animals.
Explorers of the Wild
Explorers can learn a lot about the environment from Clay Wollney. Clay is a Naturalist, a science teacher at Staten Island Academy, & a featured columnist for the Staten Island ADVANCE. Clay is also known as “Mr. Discovery” at the Staten Island Institute of Arts & Sciences. On the following Sundays from 2-3:30 pm
INFORMATION: 718-967-3542
April 27 – Amphibians: Living in Water and Land – Frogs, toads, and salamanders are some of the most ecologically sensitive animals on the planet. Some species of frogs have not been observed in the wild for over twenty years and may already be extinct. Participants will have the opportunity to meet some local representatives as well as exotic members of this class of animals.
May 25 – Importance of the Insect World – The classification, life cycles, diet, ecology and economic impact of insects are the subject of this session. Bugs, beetles, dragonflies and ants are just a few of the six-legged arthropods that participants will examine and learn about.
June 8 – What Lives under Rocks? From millipedes to salamanders, the microenvironment under rocks provides many small animals with a moist, dark place to live. Participants will learn how these animals survive and interact in their hidden worlds.
Birding with Friends of Blue Heron
(Formerly “Jr. Audubon”)
Young birders & enthusiastic “bird people” will learn about how birds behave & migrate. Howie Fischer will emphasize bird identification. Places and times are listed below. Please dress warmly, wear boots and bring your binoculars! Information: 718-317-1732
April 9 – High Rock Park – We will be looking for early spring migrants in the woods of the Greenbelt. Meet in High Rock parking lot – 9 am
April 26 – Clove Lake Park – meet at the Martling Ave bridge opposite Martling Pond – 8 am
May 4 – Clove Lake Park - meet at the Martling Ave bridge opposite Martling Pond – 8 am
May 24 – Jamaica Bay Wildlife Refuge – meet at Van Briesen Park so we can carpool to the refuge in Queens. If you have any questions about car space or any other issue, call Howie at 718-81-4002 or email him at ceruleanwarbler51@yahoo.com. We hope to see migrating shorebirds. Meet at 8 am
June 7 – Doodletown – New York – Orange County near Bear Mountain (Harriman State Park off of the Palisades parkway). We will go back to this wonderful place and hopefully see the birds that we enjoyed last year. We can meet at the Forest Avenue Home Depot at 5:30 am (I know Goethals Bridge – this is the best meeting place I think. Lunch and beverage are a must! Call 718-981-4002 with any questions.
Picasso in the Park
Beauty abounds at Blue Heron Park. Join us for a morning “paint date”. Paper, paint and brushes are all supplied. Don’t forget to wear your painting clothes – and bring your creativity. Preregister at 718-227-8839 Takes place outside.
June 7 – 10:30 am-noon
Welcome | Directions | Hours | Programs | Mini Vacation | Join
This document maintained by
Preserve & Protect.