Field Trips for August 2025
August 3 (Sunday) Kakiat County Park
Meet Catherine Parker at 7:30 am at the entrance to the park
914-319-1396
August 3 (Sunday) Kakiat County Park
Meet Catherine Parker at 7:30 am at the entrance to the park
914-319-1396
July 6 (Sunday) Kakiat County Park
Meet Catherine Parker at 7:30 am at the entrance to the park
914-319-1396
All field trips are free and open to all levels
June 1 (Sunday) Kakiat County Park
Meet Catherine Parker at 7:30 am at the entrance to the park
914-319-1396
June 9 (Monday) Great Swamp NWR, Fenske Visitor Center, NJ
Meet Catherine Parker at 7:30 at the Route 303 Park and Ride in West Nyack
If you wish to meet us there please notify leader.
914-319-1396
June 16 (Monday) Rockland Lake State Park
Meet Catherine Parker at 7:30 am at Fishing Station Parking Lot #6
914-3191396
June 23 (Monday) Wallkill River National Wildlife Refuge
Meet Catherine Parker at 7:30 at the Route 303 Park and Ride in West Nyack
914-319-1396
June 30 (Monday) Kennedy Dells County Park
Meet Catherine Parker at 7:30 at the first parking lot in Kennedy Dells, New City
914-319-1396
We have binoculars to lend. Please call Catherine Parker 914-319-1396
All field trips are free and open to all levels
May 4 (Sunday) Kakiat County Park
Meet Catherine Parker at 7:30 am at the entrance to the park
914-319-1396
May 12 (Monday) Ironwood Dr.
Meet Catherine Parker at 8:00 am at Ironwood Drive in Tuxedo.
Park at the loop at the end of Ironwood Drive.
914-319-1396
May 19 (Monday) Jones Point Path
Meet Catherine Parker at 7:30 am at the north trailhead on 9W
(we will car pool to the south entrance and walk from there)
914-319-1396
May 28 (Wednesday) Bashakill Wildlife Management Area
Meet Zenon Bachir at 7:30 am at the Route 303 Park and Ride, West Nyack
845-202-0302
We have binoculars to lend.
Please call Catherine Parker 914-319-1396
May 2nd - Congers Lake Community Center – 6 Gilchrest Road, Congers, NY
Doors open for refreshments at 7:00. Program begins at 7:30.
Presented by: Anne Swaim, Executive Director of Saw Mill River Audubon.
Explore the thirty-five species of wood warblers that have been sighted in Rockland County from the often-seen and heard Common Yellowthroat and Yellow Warblers to rarer prizes like Connecticut and Mourning Warblers with a rainbow of colors in between. ID tips, sounds, and habitat and conservation notes will be included with references from The Warbler Book and Cornell Lab of Ornithology's Bird Academy and other recommended resources to learn more about warblers.
Anne Swaim is Executive Director of Saw Mill River Audubon, a local chapter of National Audubon based in Westchester County New York. She began as Staff Naturalist and sole employee of Saw Mill River Audubon in 1989. Anne has served as Executive Director since 2004 and works together with a board of directors, dozens of volunteers and four staff to maintain eight wildlife sanctuaries and present over 200 free public programs & field trips annually to connect people with nature.
All field trips are free and open to all levels
April 6 (Sunday) Kakiat County Park
Meet Catherine Parker at 7:30 am at the entrance to the park
914-319-1396
April 14 (Monday) Celery Farm
Meet Catherine Parker at Celery Farm at 8:30 am
County Rte. 507 (Franklin Turnpike) Allendale NJ
914-261-2895
April 20 Earth Day Celebration (Sunday) Mt. Ivy Swamp: Spring Plants
Met Veronika Krause at 9 am at the parking lot on Station Rd., Mt. Ivy
845-359-9294
April 27 (Sunday) Pelham Bay Park
Meet Catherine Parker at 8 am at the Route 303 Park and Ride in West Nyack
914-319-1396
We have binoculars to lend. Please call Catherine Parker.
914.319.1396
Congers Lake Community Center – 6 Gilchrest Road, Congers, NY Doors open for refreshments at 7:00. Program begins at 7:30. Presented by: Christine Toth: Conservation Chair, Rockland Audubon Society
Do you know which NY State Threatened and Endangered Species have been seen recently in Rockland? Please join us for this presentation where we will learn about threatened and endangered species close to home and what can be done to
protect them. We will also overview various conservation concerns in Rockland including loss of habitat and dark skies. Lastly, we will learn about how you can help with bird conservation efforts at your own home through Rockland Audubon Society's new Certified Bird Sanctuary and Windows Collision Programs.
Field trips are free and open to all levels. Beginners welcome.
March 2 (Sunday) Kakiat County Park
Meet Catherine Parker at 8 am at the entrance to the park
914-319-1396
March 10 (Monday ) Piermont Pier
Meet Catherine Parker at 8 am in Parking Lot D in Piermont
914-319-1396
March 19 (Wednesday) Rockland Lake
Meet Catherine Parker at 8 am at the Fishing Station parking lot #6
914-319-1396
March 24 (Monday) Kennedy Dells Cancelled due to rain
Meet Frank Kemmer at 8 am in the first parking lot.
845-634-1808
March 31 (Monday) Tallman Mountain
Meet Carol Weiss at 8 am in Parking Lot D in Piermont
845-358-3659
To borrow binoculars call Catherine Parker 914.319.1396
RAS is co-sponsoring this event with the Lower Hudson Group of Sierra Club
Online - Zoom information:
Please open the link below for the zoom meeting information:
Click here to join the Zoom Meeting.
Or call: 1 (929)205-6099
Meeting ID: 868 8244 5856
Wildlife populations have declined steeply since the 1970s. Like climate change, the
extinction crisis is approaching critical tipping points with about one million animal and plant species threatened with extinction and many more declining. Extinctions and loss of biodiversity pose a grave threat to future generations.
Noah Greenwald, Director of Endangered Species for the Center for Biological Diversity, will speak to us about the scope and magnitude of the crisis. He’ll explain the causes, the impacts we can expect to see in coming decades on mammals, amphibians, insects, and human wellbeing, and solutions. He’ll outline what we must do to pass on to future generations a world where the wild can still thrive.
The annual Great Backyard Bird Count (GBBC) is Friday, February 14 through Monday, February 17. The GBBC was one of the first online projects to collect information on wild birds and was also instrumental in the creation of eBird back in 2002. Now there are more ways than ever to participate and share your love of birds!
Congers Lake Community Center – 6 Gilchrest Road, Congers, NY Doors open for refreshments at 7:00pm. Program begins at 7:15pm. Watch the New Shorebird Documentary “Flyways” followed by discussion led by Cheryl Stroud, Vice President of RAS.
Shorebirds fly thousands of miles each year along ancient and largely unknown migratory routes called Flyways. More than 200 species, such as Far Eastern Curlews, Lesser Yellowlegs, Red Knots and Hudsonian Godwits, travel from feeding grounds in the southern hemisphere to breeding grounds in the Arctic and back again, flying up to nine days non-stop without food or water.
But their populations are crashing amidst climate change and urban development. Follow a conservation movement of bird-loving experts and citizen scientists as they mobilize to the challenge of understanding and saving shorebirds.
See less
February 2nd (Sunday) Kakiat County Park Meet Catherine Parker at the parking lot at 8 am 914.319.1396
February 10th (Monday) Edith G. Read Wildlife Sanctuary Meet Catherine Parker at the parking lot at 9 am at the Route 303 Park and Ride, West Nyack 914.319.1396
We have binoculars to lend. Please call Catherine Parker. 914.319.1396
January 5th (Sunday) Kakiat County Park
Meet Catherine Parker at the parking lot at 8 am.
914.319.1396
Congers Lake Community Center – 6 Gilchrest Road, Congers, NY Doors open for refreshments at 7:00. Program begins at 7:30. Presented by: Anne Swaim, Executive Director of Saw Mill River Audubon.
More than 30 species of waterfowl might be seen in the winter around Rockland County and the Lower Hudson Valley. Many of these birds may have hatched as far north as Hudson Bay and come here to spend the winter. Others nest locally. Find out how to sort them out and where to see them. Also, learn about the New York State Waterfowl Count, which takes place every mid-January.
Nature Program for Friday December 6th
Please join us for a Zoom presentation. Program will begin at 7pm.
After registering you will receive a confirmation email.
https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZUpceyvrz0oE9SfMv4CJihuhQY_-98xryWq#/registration
Owls are mysterious and charismatic birds that have intrigued humans for centuries with their mysterious behaviors and unique adaptations.
In this program, Stella Miller will take us on a journey into the fascinating world of owls as we uncover the secrets of these nocturnal hunters, exploring their life history, amazing adaptations and the individual species that call NYS home.
Upcoming Field Trips for December 2024
All field trips are free and open to all levels
December 1st (Sunday) Kakiat County Park
Meet Catherine Parker at 8 am at the entrance to the park
914-319-1396
December 15th (Sunday) Christmas Bird Count
To sign up contact Alan Wells, CBC Coordinator
845-942-5751 email: alan.wells@optimum.net
To borrow binoculars please call Catherine Parker 914.319.1396
As much as plants and animals need light, they also need the dark. At a moment when we are facing a crisis in extinctions, scientific studies document that light pollution disrupts wildlife and plants, impacts human health, and contributes to climate change. The loss of dark skies also blocks our most ancient connection with the universe.
From the beginning of time, light and dark, day and night, have been the great clock that orchestrates life on earth. In addition to the impacts on migrating birds and all other wildlife, we are also losing part of our birthright that joins us with all the generations, the sense of awe at the stars in the night sky.
Mark Grosz, from DarkSky International, will discuss the ecological impacts of the loss of dark skies. The good news is that we can begin to restore darker skies with relatively simple solutions.
We will address regional and Rockland specific issues following the talk by Mark Grosz and Q&A.
Click HERE to join Zoom Meeting.
Or call: 1 929 205 6099 / Meeting ID: 813 3013 6167
November 3 (Sunday) Kakiat County Park Meet Catherine Parker at 8 am at the entrance to the park 914-319-1396
November 10 (Sunday) Piermont Pier Meet Linda Pistolesi at 8 am in Parking Lot D in Piermont 914-319-1396
November 18 (Monday) Kennedy Dells Meet Catherine Parker at 8 am. in the first parking lot 914-319-1396
To borrow binoculars call Catherine Parker 914.319.1396
Doors open for refreshments at 7:00pm. Program begins at 7:30pm at Congers Lake Memorial Park Community Center - 6 Gilchrest Road, Congers, NY.
Please join us for the Christmas Bird Count presentation by Alan and Della Wells. This marks the 125th consecutive year the survey will be conducted by the National Audubon Society. Alan and Della will explain how the count is conducted, what we might find and how you can participate in this community science project. We will also hear about the history of the CBC including the RAS’s first ever Christmas Bird Count.
October Big Day will take place on Oct. 12th!
Open the link below for more information:
https://globalbirding.org/home
Meadowlands Birding Festival - 2 Dekorte Park Plaza, Lyndhurst, NJ click here for additional info
Doors open for refreshments at 7:00pm. Program begins at 7:30pm at Congers Lake Memorial Park Community Center - 6 Gilchrest Road, Congers, NY. An Inordinate Fondness: Sharing Our World (and Gardens) with Insects presented by Brittney Hahn
Our world runs on insects! Despite their gruesome reputation, insects are integral parts of our lives and the environment around us, from the rainforests of the Amazon to the urban jungle of Manhattan. They are fascinatingly diverse and interesting animals in their own right, and perform crucial ecosystem services such as pollination, pest control, and being a rich food source (for birds and humans alike!). Please join us for this presentation where we will learn about the natural history of insects, their social and natural significance, and introduce some of those right here in our backyards in Rockland. We will also have the chance to examine some prepared insect specimens from our area.
Movie Night Flyways: the Untold Story of Migratory Shorebirds. As part of our participation in this fall's Citizen Science Bird Migration project, enjoy light snacks provided by the library, with our showing of Flyways , a PBS Nature documentary. Christine Toth, R.A.S. conservation chair will follow up the movie with a short discussion. Location: Fellowship Hall, Pearl River Methodist Church 130 Franklin Ave, Pearl River, NY 10965.
October 2nd (Wednesday ) Stateline Hawk Watch - Meet Catherine Parker at the parking lot at 10 am. 914.319.1396
October 8th (Tuesday) Marshlands Conservancy - Meet Catherine Parker at the commuter Park and Ride on Rt. 303 at 9am. 914.319.1396
October 13th (Sunday) Kakiat County Park - Meet Catherine Parker at the parking lot at 8 am. 914.319.1396
October 20th (Sunday) Croton Point - Meet Zenon Bachir at the Park and Ride on Rt. 303 at 8:30. 845.202.0302 We will be joining the Edgar A Mearns Bird Club.
October 28th (Monday) Rockland Lake - Meet Matt Beck at Field 6 Fishing Station at 8:00am. The focus will be on tree identification
We are pleased to extend an invitation to you for an engaging and informative presentation by Stella Miller.
Click here to register for the event
The forests and woodlands of New York provide ideal habitat for woodpecker species, some which breed here, one which is a regular migrant spending winters with us, as well as a rarity to the area that may not be such a rarity for long. We will learn about the various species of woodpeckers that call lower NYS home, their amazing adaptations, as well as the answer to that age old question, “Why don’t woodpeckers get headaches?”
Date: Wednesday September 18th, 2024
Time: 7-8:30 pm.
Location: Online via Zoom
Please contact rocklandaudubon@gmail.com if you have other questions.
Three Sundays of Hawk Watching Fun! See the link below for additional details: https://www.rocklandaudubon.org/hawk-id
Doors open for refreshments at 7:00pm. Program begins at 7:30pm at Congers Lake Memorial Park Community Center - 6 Gilchrest Road, Congers, NY. Watch hawks, falcons and owls sharpen their hunting skills during an exciting flight demonstration with master falconer Brian Bradley of New Paltz, New York. Hear about the ancient sport of falconry and see live raptors from around the world.
September 1st (Sunday) Kakiat County Park - Meet Peter Johnson at park entrance at 8am. 914-261-2895
September 11th (Wednesday) Marshlands Conservancy - Meet Catherine Parker at 8:00am at the Route 303 Park and Ride in West Nyack. 914-319-1396
September 16th (Monday) Wallkill River NWR - Meet Catherine Parker at 8:00am at the Route 303 Park and Ride in West Nyack.914-319-1396
September 30th (Monday) Joseph B. Clark Rail Trail - Meet Catherine Parker at 8:00am at Oak Tree Rd. Tappan 914-319-1396
Note: The first Sunday walk at Kakiat wil be on the 13th of October. They will be setting up for an endurance race on October 6th.
August 4 (Sunday) Rockland Lake
Meet Catherine Parker at 7:30am at the fishing station lot, Parking Lot #6
914-319-1396
July 7 (Sunday) Rockland Lake
Meet Catherine Parker at 7:30am at the fishing station lot, Parking Lot #6
914-319-1396
Friday, June 7, at 6:30pm is our annual potluck and member share at the Congers Lake Memorial Park Community Center. Please bring a covered dish for the potluck and please bring any photos, crafts, or other bird- and nature-related items you would like to share with other Rockland Audubon Society members. We will eat first, then share!