The Urban Park Rangers
Explorer Programs
Every weekend in all five boroughs there’s an Explorer Program in a park near you. Families, adults and seniors are welcome at these evening and weekend programs. Developed in conjunction with the National Geographic Society, these programs help you experience New York City’s vast acres of parkland as you never have before and discover areas you never knew existed. You’ll forget you’re in the city entirely! Programs last about an hour and a half unless otherwise specified, and are guaranteed to bring out the explorer in everyone.
- View a list of upcoming Ranger events.
- Request a FREE subscription to Outdoors in NYC.
- Register for select Explorer Programs online.
- Download a copy of the July/August/September issue of Outdoors in NYC (PDF, 2.4 MB).
Be prepared for Explorer Programs!
- Dress for the weather
- Wear good walking shoes or hiking boots
- Wear long trousers
- Wear hat, sunscreen, & insect repellent
- Bring water to drink
- Bring binoculars (if desired)
- Flashlights for night walks
For information about Ranger Special Events, call 311 and ask for the Urban Park Rangers. Our special events celebrate the natural environment and are fun for all ages!
Start paddling. Before you know it, you’ll be gliding along the ponds, creeks, and rivers of the City, just as the Native Americans once did. If we are quiet enough, we’ll enjoy beautiful views and get a closer look at muskrats, shore birds, and other native wildlife. Get a river otter’s view of the City while learning basic canoeing techniques with the Urban Park Rangers.
All participants wear life–preserver vests. Ages 8 and up. Beginners welcome! Reservations are required, and space is limited. You must call on the date specified.
Be the first to say, “I caught one!” — a striped bass and flounder from our coastal waters, or sunfish and largemouth bass from freshwater ponds and lakes. Urban Park Rangers will teach fishing basics, and help you learn about the fish you’re catching, and the environment they live in.
Bring your own pole if you have one; a limited number are available to borrow. Freshwater: bring your own corn and bread dough for bait; catch-and-release fishing only. Saltwater: bait provided.
Sometimes walking just won’t cut it. Experience the parks with the wind blowing in your hair. Travel from park to park, or see more of a large park in one visit. We brake for wildlife and beautiful nature scenes.
Bring your own bike, a helmet, and water to drink.
Don’t miss the natural events of the Fall! Temperatures are getting colder. Hawks and monarch butterflies are migrating south. The leaves on the trees change to brilliant yellows, oranges and reds. The creatures of the forest are beginning their preparations for the winter ahead.
Along the way, we may test water quality, monitor populations, or examine soil conditions. The data we collect will be used by scientists to gain a better understanding of parks and how we can protect them. Bring binoculars if you have them!
Cultivate your artistic and playful sides. Join us for poetry, sketching, and photography workshops, even storytelling. Be inspired by the beauty of nature or a wildlife moment, and then use that inspiration to create a permanent remembrance. Amateur and experienced artists encouraged to attend!
Sketching and writing materials provided, but bring your own camera for photography programs.
We’ll break out the shovels, work gloves, wheelbarrows, and wading boots, if you’ll meet us at the appointed times and places to help restore our natural areas. Help us remove invasive plant species from fragile salt marsh habitat, plant native wildflowers to attract birds and butterflies, or monitor the presence of he wild animals that call our parks home.
Your day’s work will help the New York City environment for years to come. Bring water, a snack, and wear work clothes!
Come hear the fantastic stories our parks have to tell! Native Americans, colonists, revolutionaries, and power brokers have all left their mark on our green spaces. Join the Urban Park Rangers for a visit to a historic house, a battlefield, or a shell midden, and learn about how we got where we are today. You may meet characters from the past, participate in long-forgotten pastimes, or be invited to travel back in time yourself!
Let us entertain you! Enjoy performances by artists, poets, and theatrical groups; readings by authors; and film screenings. At lectures, noted experts in their fields will talk about park ecosystems and historical and cultural subjects. At our Open Mics, you can be one of the performers! Refreshments and conversation follow every event.
Children’s activities are available, so bring the whole family! Coming soon to a Nature Center near you.
Nighttime: the final frontier! Enjoy an evening of night hikes and exploration, followed by storytelling and stargazing. Fall asleep under the stars, and wake to bird song, all in good company, and under the watchful eye of the Urban Park Rangers. New campers welcome!
Bring a flashlight, your own tent if you have one (a limited number are available to borrow). You must bring your own bedding and dinner. Reservations are required, and space is limited. You must call on the date and time specified.
Go off-road with your hiking boots or sneakers! Take a healthy, strenuous hike through a forest, up a mountain, around a lake, or through a marsh, and learn the lay of the land using natural cues. On Orienteering programs, learn how to use a map and compass, then follow a challenging team orienteering course.
Bring a snack, sturdy but comfortable walking shoes, and a sense of adventure!
As always…
While visiting our parks, please remember to
“…leave only footprints; take only memories.”