Urban Naturalist Classes
In this teeming metropolis we call home, nature is all around us whether we pause to carefully observe it or not. Amaranth springs through the cracks in our sidewalks; migrating warblers rest in our parks; horseshoe crabs scuttle onto our beaches to breed. As a NYBG Urban Naturalist, you will have a unique opportunity to explore these diverse habitats while discovering the keys that unlock their many secrets. Enroll in a course for fun or pursue a Certificate.
Click here for an overview of the Certificate Program.
March
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The Science of Tree Communication - ONLINEThis class will take place online. Registered students will receive login instructions.Trees may appear to be strong and silent, but they can "talk"—to one another, to other plants, and to animals and insects. Discover how trees more... | |||||
213BOT385CO | 03/04 | Th | 6:00pm-8:00pm | Kutos | ONLINE |
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Botanical Latin - ONLINEThis class will take place online. Registered students will receive login instructions.Botanical Latin is essential for anyone with a serious interest in identifying plants. But, contrary to popular belief, mastering Latin plant names need not be intimidating more... | |||||
213GAR360DO | 03/08 | Mo | 6:15pm-8:15pm | Bakshi | ONLINE |
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Basic Plant ID - ONLINEThis class will take place online. Registered students will receive login instructions.Are you a plant-lover eager to up your game and start distinguishing one species from another? Then this is the class for you! Using commonly known more... | |||||
213BOT308CO | 03/09 | Tu | 5:00pm-7:00pm | Holmes | ONLINE |
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Nature's Pharmacy - ONLINEThis class will take place online. Registered students will receive login instructions.For centuries herbs and spices have been prized not just for their flavors, but as state-of-the-art medicine. Learn about a variety of plants historically used for more... | |||||
213BOT346DO | 03/13 | Sa | 10:00am-12:00pm | Candee | ONLINE |
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Perpetual Journaling: Draw the Details - ONLINEThis class will take place online. Registered students will receive login instructions.For years, botanical artist and two-time RHS Gold Medalist Lara Call Gastinger has captured the natural world in a "perpetual journal"—a book with a double page more... | |||||
213NAT356O | 03/17 | We | 10:30am-12:00pm | Call Gastinger | ONLINE |
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Urban Flora: Growing Between the Cracks - ONLINEThis class will take place online. Registered students will receive login instructions.Urban flora can be found growing in unlikely places, from city sidewalks and highway medians to lawns, and other man-made structures. Most of these plants are more... | |||||
213NAT332BO | 03/25 | Th | 10:00am-12:00pm | Slowik | ONLINE |
April
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Basic Plant ID - ONLINEThis class will take place online. Registered students will receive login instructions.Are you a plant-lover eager to up your game and start distinguishing one species from another? Then this is the class for you! Using commonly known more... | |||||
214BOT308AO | 04/06 | Tu | 5:30pm-7:30pm | Holmes | ONLINE |
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Native Flora in Spring - BLENDEDThis blended class meets online for some sessions and on NYBG grounds for others. Registered students will receive login instructions and a syllabus with specifics.Witness the diversity of plants in the northeast as they flower and more... | |||||
214BOT333ABL | 04/11 | Su | 9:00am-12:00pm | Slowik | BLENDED |
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Harriet Tubman: "The Ultimate Outdoorswoman" - ONLINEThis lecture will take place online. Registered students will receive login instructions.As a young enslaved girl in the swampy wetlands and upland forests of Dorchester County, Maryland, Harriet Tubman learned to navigate different ecosystems, mimic the sounds more... | |||||
214NAT361O | 04/13 | Tu | 11:00am-12:00pm | Crenshaw | ONLINE |
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Spring Mushrooms - BLENDEDThis blended class meets online for some sessions and on NYBG grounds for others. Registered students will receive login instructions and a syllabus with specifics.As the mushroom season awakens, discover how and where to hunt for more... | |||||
214BOT330BL | 04/15 | Th | 10:00am-1:00pm | Sadowski | OFS-BL |
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Plant Diversity - ONLINEThis class will take place online. Registered students will receive login instructions.Explore the myriad structures and life cycles of the vast diversity of plants, algae, fungi, and bacteria. Delve into the evolutionary reasons behind how and more... | |||||
214BOT317O | 04/19 | Mo | 5:00pm-8:00pm | Boyer, Ph.D. | ONLINE |
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Native Flora in Spring - BLENDEDThis blended class meets online for some sessions and on NYBG grounds for others. Registered students will receive login instructions and a syllabus with specifics.Witness the diversity of plants in the northeast as they flower and more... | |||||
214BOT333BBL | 04/21 | We | 9:00am-12:00pm | Slowik | BLENDED |
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Dendrology: Woody Plant Identification - BLENDEDThis blended class meets online for some sessions and on NYBG grounds for others. Registered students will receive login instructions and a syllabus with specifics.From towering tulip trees to creeping partridge berries, woody plants make up more... | |||||
214BOT375ABL | 04/22 | Th | 6:00pm-8:00pm | Kaechele | BLENDED |
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The Science of Tree Communication - ONLINEThis class will take place online. Registered students will receive login instructions.Trees may appear to be strong and silent, but they can "talk"—to one another, to other plants, and to animals and insects. Discover how trees more... | |||||
214BOT385CO | 04/22 | Th | 6:00pm-8:00pm | Kutos | ONLINE |
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Natural History of Birds: Spring- BLENDEDThis blended class meets online for some sessions and on NYBG grounds for others. Registered students will receive login instructions and a syllabus with specifics.With its variety of habitats and position on the Atlantic Flyway, NYC more... | |||||
214NAT317ABL | 04/22 | Th | 9:30am-12:30pm | Chaya | BLENDED |
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Forest Ecology - BLENDEDThis blended class meets online for some sessions and on NYBG grounds for others. Registered students will receive login instructions and a syllabus with specifics.Explore the basic principles that influence the ecological relationships of the forest more... | |||||
214BOT326ABL | 04/24 | Sa | 9:30am-12:30pm | Schmiege | BLENDED |
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Spotlight on Bird Songs - ONLINEThis class will take place online. Registered students will receive login instructions.Did you know that Blue Jays can mimic the cry of a Red-tailed Hawk? Train your ear to find them as well as other talented mimics, more... | |||||
214NAT341AO | 04/27 | Tu | 10:00am-1:00pm | Chaya | ONLINE |
May
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Botanical Latin - ONLINEThis class will take place online. Registered students will receive login instructions.Botanical Latin is essential for anyone with a serious interest in identifying plants. But, contrary to popular belief, mastering Latin plant names need not be intimidating more... | |||||
214GAR360AO | 05/04 | Tu | 10:30am-12:30pm | Bakshi | ONLINE |
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The Science of Tree Communication - ONLINEThis class will take place online. Registered students will receive login instructions.Trees may appear to be strong and silent, but they can "talk"—to one another, to other plants, and to animals and insects. Discover how trees more... | |||||
214BOT385AO | 05/05 | We | 6:00pm-8:00pm | Herrera | ONLINE |
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Herbaceous Plant Identification - BLENDEDThis blended class meets online for some sessions and on NYBG grounds for others. Registered students will receive login instructions and a syllabus with specifics.Herbaceous plants occupy prairies, wetlands, forest understories, and many other habitats. The more... | |||||
214BOT376BL | 05/08 | Sa | 9:00am-11:30am | Hagen | BLENDED |
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Basic Plant ID - ONLINEThis class will take place online. Registered students will receive login instructions.Are you a plant-lover eager to up your game and start distinguishing one species from another? Then this is the class for you! Using commonly known more... | |||||
214BOT308BO | 05/13 | Th | 5:30pm-7:30pm | Holmes | ONLINE |
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Nature's Pharmacy - ONLINEThis class will take place online. Registered students will receive login instructions.For centuries herbs and spices have been prized not just for their flavors, but as state-of-the-art medicine. Learn about a variety of plants historically used for more... | |||||
214BOT346AO | 05/15 | Sa | 10:00am-12:00pm | Candee | ONLINE |
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Morphology of Flowering Plants - ONLINEThis class will take place online. Registered students will receive login instructions.Angiosperms (flowering plants) are the dominant plants in most of the world's habitats today. Through laboratory demonstrations and dissections, examine the morphology of flowers, fruits, and more... | |||||
214BOT431O | 05/19 | We | 10:00am-12:00pm | Alvarez | ONLINE |
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Natural History of Birds: Spring- BLENDEDThis blended class meets online for some sessions and on NYBG grounds for others. Registered students will receive login instructions and a syllabus with specifics.With its variety of habitats and position on the Atlantic Flyway, NYC more... | |||||
214NAT317BBL | 05/26 | We | 9:30am-12:30pm | Chaya | BLENDED |
June
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Urban Ecology Field Study - BLENDEDThis blended class meets online for some sessions and on NYBG grounds for others. Registered students will receive login instructions and a syllabus with specifics.Learn to measure and monitor the ecological diversity observed and celebrated in more... | |||||
214NAT323BL | 06/01 | Tu | 9:00am-12:00pm | Slowik | BLENDED |
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Wolf Trees: Elders of the Eastern Forest - ONLINEThis class will take place online. Registered students will receive login instructions.Massive, charismatic deciduous trees-some more than 300 years old-are sprinkled throughout our woods. Ecologist Michael Gaige reveals the stories these "wolf trees" tell of settlers more... | |||||
214NAT345O | 06/02 | We | 11:00am-1:00pm | Gaige | ONLINE |
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Plant Structure- ONLINEThis class will take place online. Registered students will receive login instructions.Get a solid grounding in the basic plant body, from the cell to the roots, stems, leaves, flowers, and fruits. We will discuss the base-level chemistry more... | |||||
214BOT315AO | 06/03 | Th | 6:00pm-9:00pm | Alim | ONLINE |
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Native Flora in Summer - BLENDEDThis blended class meets online for some sessions and on NYBG grounds for others. Registered students will receive login instructions and a syllabus with specifics.Learn to identify native and introduced herbs, ferns, shrubs, and trees as more... | |||||
214BOT334BL | 06/10 | Th | 6:00pm-8:00pm | Holmes | BLENDED |
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Basic Plant ID - ONLINEThis class will take place online. Registered students will receive login instructions.Are you a plant-lover eager to up your game and start distinguishing one species from another? Then this is the class for you! Using commonly known more... | |||||
214BOT308CO | 06/15 | Tu | 5:30pm-7:30pm | Holmes | ONLINE |
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Natural History of Insects - BLENDEDThis blended class meets online for some sessions and on NYBG grounds for others. Registered students will receive login instructions and a syllabus with specifics.Delve into the fascinating world of the creatures that make up 84% more... | |||||
214NAT322BL | 06/17 | Th | 10:00am-1:00pm | Chaya | BLENDED |
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Pressing Plants for Art & ScienceThis class will meet outside on NYBG grounds; rain or shine. Registered students will receive more information regarding meeting location. Participants must follow current safety procedures.From the field to the folder, this course covers the essentials of making more... | |||||
214BOT338 | 06/18 | Fr | 2:00pm-5:00pm | Atha | NYBG |
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Spotlight on Bird Songs - ONLINEThis class will take place online. Registered students will receive login instructions.Did you know that Blue Jays can mimic the cry of a Red-tailed Hawk? Train your ear to find them as well as other talented mimics, more... | |||||
214NAT341BO | 06/23 | We | 10:00am-1:00pm | Chaya | ONLINE |
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Botanical Latin - ONLINEThis class will take place online. Registered students will receive login instructions.Botanical Latin is essential for anyone with a serious interest in identifying plants. But, contrary to popular belief, mastering Latin plant names need not be intimidating more... | |||||
214GAR360BO | 06/29 | Tu | 6:15pm-8:15pm | Bakshi | ONLINE |
July
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Forest Ecology - BLENDEDThis blended class meets online for some sessions and on NYBG grounds for others. Registered students will receive login instructions and a syllabus with specifics.Explore the basic principles that influence the ecological relationships of the forest more... | |||||
221BOT326BBL | 07/07 | We | 5:30pm-8:30pm | Schmiege | BLENDED |
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Dragonflies & Damselflies of the Northeast - ONLINEThis class will take place online. Registered students will receive login instructions.Learn how to identify this unique order of insects as they take to the skies in early summer. Study their biology, behavior, habitat associations, and more... | |||||
221NAT311O | 07/12 | Mo | 10:00am-12:00pm | Wells | ONLINE |
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The Science of Tree Communication - ONLINEThis class will take place online. Registered students will receive login instructions.Trees may appear to be strong and silent, but they can "talk"—to one another, to other plants, and to animals and insects. Discover how trees more... | |||||
221BOT385BO | 07/13 | Tu | 6:00pm-8:00pm | Kutos | ONLINE |
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Butterflies of the Northeast - BLENDEDThis blended class meets online for some sessions and on NYBG grounds for others. Registered students will receive login instructions and a syllabus with specifics.Focusing on species commonly found in our region-from Giant Swallowtails to more... | |||||
221NAT336BL | 07/14 | We | 10:00am-12:00pm | Chaya | BLENDED |
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Basic Plant ID - ONLINEThis class will take place online. Registered students will receive login instructions.Are you a plant-lover eager to up your game and start distinguishing one species from another? Then this is the class for you! Using commonly known more... | |||||
221BOT308DO | 07/15 | Th | 5:30pm-7:30pm | Holmes | ONLINE |
August
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Basic Plant ID - ONLINEThis class will take place online. Registered students will receive login instructions.Are you a plant-lover eager to up your game and start distinguishing one species from another? Then this is the class for you! Using commonly known more... | |||||
221BOT308EO | 08/03 | Tu | 5:30pm-7:30pm | Holmes | ONLINE |
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Spotlight on Bird Songs - ONLINEThis class will take place online. Registered students will receive login instructions.Did you know that Blue Jays can mimic the cry of a Red-tailed Hawk? Train your ear to find them as well as other talented mimics, more... | |||||
221NAT341CO | 08/04 | We | 10:00am-1:00pm | Chaya | ONLINE |
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Pollination Ecology - ONLINEThis class will take place online. Registered students will receive login instructions.Study the crucial role birds, insects, and bats play in local ecosystems. Using gorgeous photographs taken over years of field study, expert naturalist Alan Wells discusses more... | |||||
221NAT325O | 08/11 | We | 10:00am-12:00pm | Wells | ONLINE |
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Urban Flora: Growing Between the Cracks - ONLINEThis class will take place online. Registered students will receive login instructions.Urban flora can be found growing in unlikely places, from city sidewalks and highway medians to lawns, and other man-made structures. Most of these plants are more... | |||||
221NAT332BO | 08/13 | Fr | 10:00am-12:00pm | Slowik | ONLINE |
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Night Callers: Bronx BatsClass will take place outside on NYBG grounds and follow current safety procedures. Registered students will be sent information regarding meeting location and log-in information.The fascinating lives of bats are revealed courtesy of J. Alan Clark, more... | |||||
221NAT329 | 08/24 | Tu | 6:30pm-8:30pm | Clark, Ph. D. | NYBG |