Jamaica Bay Pollinator Festival
Sunday, September 30 ☼ 10am - 4pm
at the
Jamaica Bay Wildlife Refuge
Join butterfly, bird, and nature enthusiasts for a day of activities at the Jamaica Bay Wildlife Refuge. Learn about butterflies, moths, bees, wasps, flies, hummingbirds, and a host of other wildlife that help pollinate the many species of wildflowers, food crops, and other plants that sustain life on planet Earth at the first ever Pollinator Festival at Jamaica Bay. Bring your binoculars (or borrow ours) and lots of curiosity! Free* and open to the public.
9:45am Meet at the Visitor Center for registration and complimentary coffee and doughnuts
10:00 Welcome Remarks from the National Park Service – Rick Jenkins, Chief Ranger
10:15 Pollinators of Jamaica Bay – Don Riepe, American Littoral Society
10:45 Life History of the Monarch – John E. Potente, Ph.D., Torrey Botanical Society
11:30 Monarch tagging and release – A Visit to the pollinator garden and new marsh overlook at the refuge
and hike around the refuge area to look for butterflies, day-flying moths, hummingbirds, and other pollinators – NPS, ALS and NYCA leaders
12:30pm Lunch—bring a bag lunch!—or drive to a nearby deli
1:30 Drive/Van to Fort Tilden to observe the annual migration of the Monarch Butterfly, hawks and other birds
3:30 Return to the Visitor Center for Q&A and complimentary juice and cookies
*Donations appreciated to help offset costs. Find out more at http://www.nycaudubon.org/pollinator-party-and-monarch-festival-2018. This event is a collaboration among NYC Audubon, Gateway National Recreation Area, the American Littoral Society—Jamaica Bay Guardian, and the Jamaica Bay-Rockaway Parks Conservancy.
Directions: The Jamaica Bay Wildlife Refuge Visitor Center is located along Cross Bay Blvd in southern Queens approximately 2¼ miles south of Howard Beach and ¼ mile north of Broad Channel. Q52 and Q53 buses stop on Cross Bay Blvd at the Visitor Center parking entrance traffic signal. The 10-minute walk to the Visitor Center from the A train stop at Broad Channel is approximately ¾ mile.