Find Your Adventure - The Long Island Section of the NYS Birding Trail is live!

Check out the Long Island Segment of the NYS Birding Trail!

DEC Commissioner Basil Seggos announced the grand opening of the Long Island segment of the New York State Birding Trail to highlight the State’s world-class and wide-ranging birding opportunities. The Long Island segment includes 20 locations throughout Nassau and Suffolk counties, providing a variety of quality birding experiences for New Yorkers and visitors to enjoy. This announcement also featured the addition of Governors Island to the previously announced New York City segment. Long Island is the third segment of the trail completed, following New York City and Greater Niagara.

From the awe-inspiring Montauk Point State Park on the tip of Long Island to Hempstead Lake in Nassau County, visitors can enjoy birding at a variety of habitats. Visitors can enjoy birding at coastal locations like the barrier island ecosystem at Fire Island Lighthouse, where one-third of all North American species have been recorded. Long Island is part of the Atlantic flyway and on the migratory path of a high diversity of bird species. A visit to these sites will have something for everyone. Learn more and start planning your adventure.

Stay tuned for future announcements on the birding trail.

NYS Birding Trail Featured Location: Hempstead Lake State Park

Hempstead Lake State Park, located in West Hempstead, Nassau County, features the largest freshwater body of water in Nassau County, and is known by birders for its waterfowl observations. The park’s landscapes include mature oak trees in a woodland with a reservoir and additional man-made lakes, known as South and Sailboat Ponds. Currently, the park serves as one of the most important Long Island birding sites for wintering waterfowl, which may best be observed between late August and winter. Hempstead is also a hot spot for migrant land birds, offering birders the potential to see and hear 50-75 species during a single outing, in addition to 17 species of shorebirds. Check out some of the most recent sightings on eBird, and use Merlin to help identify species.

Hempstead Lake State Park features an environmental education and resiliency center, pavilions, trails, bathrooms, parking (fee collected from April through October), and is accessible via public transportation.

Need more places to go? Check out the NYS Birding Trail for an updated list of locations, with new ones continually being added.

Celebrate Women’s History Month

Join the nation in celebrating the accomplishments of women throughout the month of March during Women's History Month. This year's national theme is "Women Providing Healing, Promoting Hope." As we acknowledge the past and celebrate the present, DEC is highlighting remarkable women who have advanced, taught, or advocated for the well-being of the environment. These trailblazers have created a path for today's history-in-the-making women at DEC, several of whom are profiled on DEC’s website to applaud their recently earned promotions to leadership positions.

Earn a Catskills Fire Tower Challenge Patch

Looking for a fun outdoor challenge this year? Earn a 2022 Catskills Fire Tower patch by taking the 2022 Catskills Fire Tower Challenge! This challenge can be a fun way to experience the Catskills, see beautiful scenery, and visit new places. To participate in the 2022 challenge, hikers must hike to all six DEC-owned fire towers in the Catskills between January 1, 2022 and December 31, 2022:

• Hunter Mountain Fire Tower
• Tremper Mountain Fire Tower
• Upper Esopus Fire Tower (New!)
• Overlook Mountain Fire Tower
• Red Hill Fire Tower
• Balsam Lake Mountain Fire Tower

Once completed, participants submit a log of their completed hikes along with a favorite photo to: CatskillsChallenge@dec.ny.gov or via mail. Entries must be postmarked by January 7, 2023. Finishers will receive a letter, commemorative patch designed with the 2022 completion year (as seen on the right), and a one-year subscription to DEC’s Conservationist magazine. Upon completion, finishers will also be able to download a customizable certificate and will be eligible to win hiking accessories after the challenge period is closed.

Learn more by visiting DEC’s website.

Save the Date!

I Love My Park Day 2022 – Saturday, May 7