Join Marine Park Alliance and the Amateur Astronomers Association as we celebrate the longest day of the year by viewing the sun through telescopes with filters to allow for safe solar observation. 

Join the National Park Service for a park ranger-led program highlighting the nature and history of Jamaica Bay. 

Open to all — no registration required.

For more information about a week's tour, call the Jamaica Bay Wildlife Refuge Visitor Center at 718-318-4340.

Join the National Park Service for a park ranger-led program highlighting the nature and history of Jamaica Bay. 

Open to all — no registration required.

For more information about a week's tour, call the Jamaica Bay Wildlife Refuge Visitor Center at 718-318-4340.

Join us at Edgemere Farm for a free, fun, hands-on program celebrating pollinators and their important role in our community! Designed for children ages 2–10 and their caregivers, this interactive event will explore how bees, butterflies, and other pollinators help grow the food we eat and support healthy ecosystems right here in Rockaway.

Families will enjoy a guided garden tour, playful learning activities including making their own “insect hotels” using upcycled and foraged materials, and a chance to take home a native plant to support pollinators at home. Through exploration, movement, and discovery, participants will learn how caring for pollinators helps strengthen both the farm and our local environment. Pre-registration is required.

Join a park ranger on a tour to learn all about Jamaica Bay Wildlife Refuge! Together we'll focus on the plants, animals, and history, that make this place so special. We will incorporate some meditative practices as well to find new ways to enhance our experiences in nature.

Our Urban Park Rangers will guide you to the best viewing spots in New York City to see migratory birds. Birding programs are appropriate for all skill levels and beginners are welcome.

Learn more about plovers, terns, oystercatchers and other shorebirds that nest on the beach shoreline.

This two-hour guided forest bathing workshop invites participants into a traditional slow immersion walk through the park, integrating mindful sensory invitations, breathwork, and embodied reflection.

In alignment with World Environment Day’s global call for environmental stewardship and climate resilience, the experience concludes with a guided visualization and gentle act-of-care practice, encouraging each participant to identify one sustainable action that supports both personal well-being and planetary health.

Registration required.

What role do mushrooms and fungi play in the complex web of ecosystems found in the salt marsh? What exactly are mushrooms and fungi? Discover more with Andrew Cannon of the New York Mycological Society and find out what's could be growing in our marsh.

Volunteer with NYC Parks for Trees Count 2025! At each event you will receive a tote bag with all the materials needed to count trees.

Next, we'll provide a 30-minute training session that includes the basics of tree identification and how to measure and assess each tree. Using our Tree Census app, you’ll split up into different zones within the park to start counting trees!

After completing your first training event, you are welcome to continue counting trees on your own in smaller parks across the city. Registration is required. Registration begins on May 14.

Join Marine Park Alliance to learn how you can use binoculars to help out with New York State Department of Environmental Conservation’s volunteer diamondback terrapin headcount surveys.

The New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) I FISH NY program is excited to offer an engaging recreational experience, connecting state residents with their local natural resources through fishing.

DEC provides all the necessary instruction, equipment, and bait for a fishing experience. Visit the DEC Free Learn To Fish Clinics webpage for more information about this and other free fishing events.

Stop by the Jamaica Bay-Rockaway Parks Conservancy table to learn about our upcoming recreation, ecology, and family programs like this one and more!

Help us catch, count, and record fish species and wildlife that thrive along the shores of the Penn Water Access Area!

Join the Education Team on Saturday, May 30th from 10am to 12pm for a morning of seining! Together we'll discover the incredible wildlife that call these shores home.

This program is free! All supplies are provided.

All ages are welcome. Children under 16 must be accompanied by an adult.

This program is fully outdoors. Please wear shoes you don't mind getting wet or muddy.

We will meet at the Penn Water Access Area. Note: The PWAA is roughly a 10 minute walk from the parking lot along a flat, gravel trail.

Don't forget to pack water, sun screen, and whatever else you need to be comfortable outside on the trails.

Join the Amateur Astronomers Association at historic Floyd Bennett Field for free monthly observing sessions, open to the public!

The observing location is next to the Community Garden. It is within walking distance of the Q35 bus, and there is ample parking for cars.

If you do come out, remember to observe proper car light etiquette. Douse your lights at the entrance in the fence line, and let someone guide you in. If your car has running lights that don’t turn off, park at the fence. NOTE: Events are canceled in the event of rain, of if the sky is overcast.

Join New York State Parks educators and NYC Bird Alliance to discover the joys of urban birding as the sun sets behind the Manhattan skyline!

Join New York State Park staff for a guided birding session where they’ll teach you everything you need to get started!

Come birdwatching with the NYC Bird Alliance, park educators, and other bird enthusiasts to discover the incredible birds at Shirley Chisholm State Park.

Binoculars and ID guides will be provided to borrow for the duration of the hike.

This program is free! All ages are welcome. Children under 16 must be accompanied by an adult.

Participants will meet at Hendrix Creek Patio, near the Penn Entrance parking lot. Please wear comfortable shoes for gravel trails, and bring enough water to stay hydrated during this outing.

Get your feet wet and learn the very beginner basics of kayaking!

Join New York State Parks staff for a beginner paddling class! No prior experience required. 15+ only, accompanied by an adult.

We will provide all necessary equipment including: kayak, paddles, PFD (personal floatation device).

WHEN: Three sessions on Saturday, May 23rd from 1pm to 4pm.

Session 1: 1pm to 1:45pm

Session 2: 2pm to 2:45pm

Session 3: 3pm to 3:45pm

WHERE: Kayak programs are held at the Penn Water Access Area, a 10 minute walk from the parking lot along gravel trails. Paddlers must be on-time for their session or they will not be permitted on the water.

IMPORTANT INFORMATION: All participants must sign a NY State Parks waiver in order to paddle. Participants are expected to wear a PFD at all times while on the water.

Our boats are all double sit-on top kayaks. Boats will be assigned based on group needs.

You will have to wade into the water to get into the kayak, so please wear secure footwear that you do not mind getting wet and muddy. You will not be allowed to paddle or walk on the shoreline barefoot, as there are sharp rocks and shells in the sand.

All paddling programs are weather dependent and subject to cancelation or rescheduling if weather, tide, or water conditions are deemed unsafe by the instructor.

Registration is required for this event.

Join Jamaica Bay-Rockaway Parks Conservancy, American Littoral Society, NYC Bird Alliance, Plover Project, NYC Parks and the National Park Service for the Annual Horseshoe Crab Festival!

Attendees will meet at Sunset Cove Park (next to American Ballfields Park), to see Horseshoe Crabs on the shoreline and learn about their ecological and medicinal importance! Horseshoe crabs, nicknamed “living fossils,” come ashore around Jamaica Bay this time of year to lay millions of eggs.

This event is jointly produced and presented by Jamaica Bay-Rockaway Parks Conservancy, NYC Bird Alliance, American Littoral Society, the National Park Service, NYC Plover Project and NYC Parks.

Celebrate spring and the essential role pollinators play in the ecosystems of Rockaway and Jamaica Bay at our Shoreline Pollinator Festival!

Join the Jamaica Bay-Rockaway Parks Conservancy, The Garden By the Bay, and the Edgemere Alliance for this family-friendly event at 43rd Street Waterfront Park, where we’ll highlight native bees, butterflies, and other pollinating insects that support our coastal and urban habitats. Through hands-on activities and interactive learning, participants will explore how pollinators help sustain local plants, strengthen biodiversity, and contribute to resilient waterfront landscapes, while also learning about the challenges these species face.
Get your hands in the soil by helping us plant pollinator-friendly species to beautify the park and create vital habitat. Participants can also decorate terracotta pots, make seed bombs, and take home native plant seeds, along with a pollinator-friendly plant to care for at home.

Join us to plant, create, and give back to your local environment, because healthy shorelines depend on all of us.

Join NYC Parks and Natural Areas Conservancy for a Super Steward: Pathkeeper training at Rockaway Community Park.

If you are attending, please fill out this volunteer waiver. 

Note: Every attendee must fill out waiver. If you have others joining, please ensure they fill out the waiver above as well.

Join New York State Parks staff to learn about the special birds that can be seen in Shirley Chisholm State Park as they make their long migration journeys.

We will pay special attention to the migratory birds that visit our park during the spring and summer, in celebration of World Migratory Bird Day

This program is free! All ages are welcome. Children under 16 must be accompanied by an adult.

We will meet at the picnic tables behind the blue office building in the Fountain Ave parking lot. Please wear comfortable shoes for gravel trails, and bring water!

Hikes will be roughly two miles, on gravel trails. Please reach out if you have questions about accessibility or hike intensity.

Join us New York State Park staff at Shirley Chisholm State Park’s Hendrix Creek Patio for a fun morning of toddler-friendly crafts and activities!

Registration is required.

Join Jamaica Bay-Rockaway Parks Conservancy and the National Park Service for a BioBlitz at the Jamaica Bay Wildlife Refuge as part of the global City Nature Challenge!

During this hands-on community science event, participants will work together to document as many plant and animal species as possible throughout the refuge. Using the iNaturalist app, you’ll help photograph and record wildlife - contributing valuable data that helps scientists and conservationists better understand urban biodiversity.

Please bring a smartphone or tablet with the iNaturalist app downloaded, or, if you’re new to the app, we can help you download it and learn how to use it at the event. Drop by between 1:00 p.m. and 3:30 p.m. - all experience levels are welcome, whether you’re a seasoned naturalist or just curious about the wildlife around you. Come explore the incredible biodiversity of Jamaica Bay and be part of a global effort to document nature in our cities!

Join us for Park Pals, an early childhood family program for children ages 0–6 and their caregivers designed to foster curiosity, connection, and care for the natural world at Floyd Bennett Field!

In celebration of Earth Day, we’ll explore what it means to take care of our planet through fun, hands-on activities that encourage even our youngest park stewards to make a difference. Together, we’ll enjoy a special Earth-themed storytime, create eco-friendly crafts using recycled and natural materials, and engage in simple, age-appropriate stewardship activities that help keep our park clean and beautiful.  We’ll also take a walk to our shoreline, where we’ll look for signs of spring growth, talk about how we can protect the habitats that wildlife call home, and celebrate the many ways we can love our Earth every day.

JBRPC Park Pals Programs are generously supported by the New York Community Trust, Office of the New York State Attorney General for the New York Pollinator Conservation Fund, and NYC Ferry, operated by Hornblower. Public funding is provided by NY Senator Roxanne Persaud, Assemblymembers Stacey Pheffer-Amato and Jaime R. Williams, NYC Council Speaker Adrienne Adams, Majority Whip Selvena Brooks-Powers, and Council Members Joann Ariola and Mercedes Narcisse.

Join New York State Parks educators on a hike to help catalogue plants and animals as we walk. Come be a scientist with us!

The City Nature Challenge is an annual four-day global bioblitz where cities compete to see not only what can be accomplished when we all work toward a common goal, but also which city can gather the most observations of nature, find the most species, and engage the most people in the event!

Join the Amateur Astronomers Association at historic Floyd Bennett Field for free monthly observing sessions, open to the public!

The observing location is next to the Community Garden. It is within walking distance of the Q35 bus, and there is ample parking for cars.

If you do come out, remember to observe proper car light etiquette. Douse your lights at the entrance in the fence line, and let someone guide you in. If your car has running lights that don’t turn off, park at the fence. NOTE: Events are canceled in the event of rain, of if the sky is overcast.

Spring is here and so are the migratory birds!

Join a park ranger on this birding for beginners walk around the West Pond at Jamaica Bay Wildlife Refuge. All skill levels welcomed; binoculars provided.

Support your local national park by helping plant native species and expand pollinator habitats at the Jamaica Bay Wildlife Refuge! Volunteers will also have the opportunity to sign up for future maintenance days and continue caring for the garden. This is a great opportunity to learn about native plants and pollinator ecology.

Gardening tools and supplies will be provided. Be sure to bring water and dress comfortably in clothes you do not mind getting dirty. All volunteers under 18 must be accompanied with an adult for the entire event.

Join us for Park Pals, an early childhood family program for children ages 0–6 and their caregivers designed to inspire curiosity, exploration, and connection with nature at Floyd Bennett Field! 

Spring has sprung at Jamaica Bay! In this session, we’ll become seasonal detectives, searching for the many signs of spring in the park, from budding trees and blooming flowers to buzzing pollinators and returning birds.

Our time together will include hands-on activities that celebrate the season of growth, such as making colorful leaf prints and flower crafts, listening to a springtime story, and exploring sensory play inspired by the sights and sounds of the season. Then we’ll take a guided walk to the shoreline and nearby fields, where we’ll look for early wildflowers, listen for bird calls, and see what other signs of spring we can discover.

JBRPC Park Pals Programs are generously supported by the New York Community Trust, Office of the New York State Attorney General for the New York Pollinator Conservation Fund, and NYC Ferry, operated by Hornblower. Public funding is provided by NY Senator Roxanne Persaud, Assemblymembers Stacey Pheffer-Amato and Jaime R. Williams, NYC Council Speaker Adrienne Adams, Majority Whip Selvena Brooks-Powers, and Council Members Joann Ariola and Mercedes Narcisse.

Join us for Park Pals, an early childhood family program for children ages 0–6 and their caregivers designed to inspire curiosity, exploration, and connection with nature at Floyd Bennett Field! This month, we’ll dive into the wonders of Jamaica Bay as we celebrate the mighty menhaden, a small but powerful fish that plays a big role in keeping our oceans and bays healthy. Sometimes called the “most important fish in the sea,” menhaden help clean the water and provide food for dolphins, ospreys, and many other animals.

Families will enjoy hands-on indoor activities to learn about these amazing fish, such as creating shimmering fish-scale collages, exploring sensory bins inspired by the sea, and listening to a fishy read-aloud that brings the underwater world to life. Then we’ll bundle up and head out for a short shoreline walk, where we’ll look for signs of fish life, explore shells and seaweed washed ashore, and imagine where menhaden might be swimming beneath the waves.

JBRPC Park Pals Programs are generously supported by the New York Community Trust, Office of the New York State Attorney General for the New York Pollinator Conservation Fund, and NYC Ferry, operated by Hornblower. Public funding is provided by NY Senator Roxanne Persaud, Assemblymembers Stacey Pheffer-Amato and Jaime R. Williams, NYC Council Speaker Adrienne Adams, Majority Whip Selvena Brooks-Powers, and Council Members Joann Ariola and Mercedes Narcisse.

The Jamaica Bay-Rockaway Parks Conservancy will host the 9th Annual Jamaica Bay Festival on City of Water Day, Saturday, July 25, 2026.

The Jamaica Bay Festival is a free, fun, family event taking place in Brooklyn and Queens. The Festival celebrates those who share our vision to champion the spirit of the Jamaica Bay community, the unparalleled opportunities and the natural beauty of this urban tidal estuary. Participants can enjoy free kayaking, fishing, surfing, hiking, bird watching, art, nature and more.