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.


July

NYBG's lush grounds and various habitats provide a remarkable opportunity to observe and study butterflies. Join naturalist Ken Chaya in search of a wide variety of colorful butterflies known to feast on summer flowers in our area. You'll learn how more...
261NAT328 07/12 Sa 10:00am-1:00pm Chaya
NYBG

Discover how trees communicate via chemical signals in the air (to warn of insect attacks) and transfer nutrients to one another through complex underground fungal networks (sometimes to assist sick trees).
261BOT385O 07/16 We 6:00pm-8:00pm Kutos
ONLINE

This is the class for plant-lovers eager to up their game! Learn the terminology and basic botanical nomenclature that will help you recognize and describe key differences in common plants.
261BOT308AO 07/28 Mo 6:00pm-8:00pm Holmes
ONLINE

August

Discover the many herbs and spices prized for centuries to heal, to revitalize the immune system, and to treat and prevent asthma, insomnia, flu, and more.
261BOT346O 08/04 Mo 10:00am-12:00pm Bijkerk
ONLINE

Enhance your environmental stewardship skills by learning the methods of conducting a botanical survey. In this class, you'll examine how botanists are contributing to conservation efforts by documenting the flora of the Rockefeller State Park Preserve in Westchester County. You'll more...
261NAT340BL 08/05 Tu 6:00pm-8:00pm Butter
OFS-BL

Explore these two beautiful and intriguing groups of herbaceous plants. NYBG's Director of the William and Lynda Steere Herbarium Dr. Emily Sessa will take you through the basic aspects of ferns and lycophytes. Gain an understanding of their form and more...
261BOT360 08/08 Fr 10:00am-1:00pm Sessa
NYBG

This is the class for plant-lovers eager to up their game! Learn the terminology and basic botanical nomenclature that will help you recognize and describe key differences in common plants.
261BOT308BO 08/10 Su 10:00am-12:00pm Bucuvalas
ONLINE

Chanterelles, Milk Caps, Black Trumpets, Boletes of all kinds, and many other choice edibles make their appearance in the steamy summer months. Learn how to sort through this abundance with hands-on techniques and observations.
261BOT356 08/14 Th 10:00am-1:00pm Sadowski
NYBG

Study the crucial role birds, insects, and bats play in local ecosystems. Expert naturalist Alan Wells discusses the many different types of pollination, as well as how the roles played by a plant's flower structure, nectar production, and fragrance.
261NAT325O 08/14 Th 6:00pm-8:00pm Wells
ONLINE

Celebrate National Moth Week with its co-founder Elena Tartaglia! She'll detail the essential roles that moths play in ecosystems as pollinators, links in food webs, and decomposers. Discover how to attract moths for close observation and learn how they are more...
261NAT348O 08/14 Th 6:30pm-8:30pm Tartaglia
ONLINE

With lushly cultivated gardens, native plants, and variety of natural habitats, NYBG is a haven for observing many species of pollinators and other fascinating insects. During the summer pollination season, dozens of species of butterflies, dragonflies, bees, beetles, wasps, flies, more...
261NAT216 08/17 Su 10:00am-1:00pm Chaya
NYBG
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