Click on the Orange Map Butterfly and Linear Symbols on the map above for more information about nature walk places, sites and features, plans, terrain, and walking distances.
Click on the Orange Map Butterfly and Linear Symbols on the map above for more information about nature walk places, sites and features, plans, terrain, and walking distances.
On select Sundays, seasonally-themed nature walks will be hosted at various locales in Port Washington, featuring immersive citizen-science and service-learning activities. Walks will take place at diverse habitat areas, including Sands Point Preserve, Leeds Pond Preserve, Guggenheim Preserve, etc. For a detailed calendar of locales, see our events page. A unique team of five specialists has come together to lead these nature walks every Sunday from 3:00pm - 4:30pm. Team leaders include David Jakim, project director of ReWild Port Washington and the Port Washington Monarch Butterfly Alliance; Hildur Palsdottir, TreeSister with Full STEAMM Ahead, who brings her mindfulness and wonder to nature; Tanya Clusener, nature lover and biodiversity mover-and-shaker extraordinaire; Antonia Fthenakis, wild child, organic artist and nature craftswoman; and Adina Dabija, medicinal herbalist. Separate adult and families-and-children walks will be guided to facilitate age-appropriate structured learning experiences.
Nature walks will incorporate citizen science activities whereby, through observations and investigations, participants will be able to contribute to a regional and global body of scientific knowledge that will help us to better understand and conserve the natural world. During every walk, we will monitor the clouds to help scientists track and learn about weather and climate. We will study water quality to learn about pond and stream health. Our records of flowering plants and budding trees will help scientists understand the growing season and how weather and climate change affect particular plants and wildlife. We will report sightings of birds and butterflies to help specialists monitor and understand their migrations and populations. Systematically exploring habitats across Sands Point Preserve and our region, we will also provide the service of reporting on and removing invasive species early in their establishment, when they can still be removed to prevent widespread economic and ecological damage. All of the records that we collect will be uploaded directly to online databases and maps to share with the community and for immediate use. Over time, our nature walk citizen science projects will make Sands Point Preserve and Port Washington a model citizen science and environmental stewardship community.