High school students from Burma planting native shrubs within our wildlife brush pile
🌎 Join us for Earth Day 2026! Help us plant native trees and remove invasive species on Wednesday, April 22 (3–5 PM).
All ages and students are welcome to get hands-on and help restore the forest. 🌱
Sign up: www.blackrockforest.org/event/earth-...
#EarthDay #BlackRockForest #Stewardship
2025 Redden winner Kate Montana with AMNH studying dragonflies
🌲 Science funding news! We awarded $26,850 to 3 research teams working on the forest to study:
🐟 Fish diversity via eDNA,
🐍 Timber Rattlesnake health & genomics @markdavis79.bsky.social &
🌱 Forest soil microbial biodiversity.
Since 2019, 37 grants & $197K+ awarded! www.blackrockforest.org/news
Photo by BRF staff: Pecks Road brush fire in 2023
Annual NY Burn Ban: March 16 – May 14 🚫🔥
Debris burning is the leading cause of spring wildfires in NY. Remember public campfires are never permitted in Black Rock Forest. Help us keep the Forest safe—report any signs of fire immediately.
Learn more: dec.ny.gov/environmenta...
Happy Spring Equinox! 🌸 Tickets are ON SALE for our Spring Benefit. 🐦🧠
Discover how the chickadee’s caching behavior and unique neuroanatomy offer incredible insights for neuroscience!
📅 Wed, May 13 | 12–2 PM
📍 Tavern on the Green, NYC
🎟 www.blackrockforest.org/benefit2026
Haven't posted in a while, but wanted to introduce LYRU 8 to the community. He's our first adult male #bobcat with an eobs GPS collar! Looking forward to seeing how he navigates our region. Volume up! #movement #ecology @blackrockforest.bsky.social
What’s next for our beech trees? 🌳📉
Join Dr. Andrew Reinmann ( @asrc-gc.bsky.social ) on 4/14 (7 PM) for a virtual talk on the rapid spread of Beech Leaf Disease & its impact on future forests.
💻 Register:
www.blackrockforest.org/event/black-...
#Forestry #Science #Conservation #BlackRockForest
Isabel and Jessica visited Urban Assembly AMS Bronx on Monday! 🏫🌲
We shared forest camera trap footage with students across all grades and brainstormed upcoming field trips with the science team. Can’t wait to see these Bronx students out on the trails! 🦊📸
#BlackRockForest #STEM #OutdoorEducation
📸 Calling All Photographers! 🌱 Help capture the shift from winter to spring at Black Rock Forest.
Submit your best high-res photos from Black Rock Forest for our 2027 Calendar Competition. Deadline: October 1st.
Details & link to submit: www.blackrockforest.org/blog/calling...
"Exposure to nature can lower our blood pressure, slash the risk of diabetes, improve our mental health and treat ADHD in a way that’s similar to a dose of Ritalin. Likewise, earthly sounds, like crickets chirping and crashing waves, can help us perform better in cognitive tests..."
Celebrate Earth Day @ Black Rock Forest! 🌳✨
📅 Wed, April 22 | 3-5 PM
Help restore the woods by removing invasive species and planting native trees. All ages and students welcome!
Register: www.blackrockforest.org/event/earth-...
#EarthDay #BlackRockForest #Stewardship #Conservation
Winter is beautiful, but snow makes roads tricky. ❄️ We use sand instead of salt to protect our ecosystem. Rising salt use has spiked environmental salinity ➡️ groundwater, rivers, lakes.
Reminder: Avoid parking in the Public Lot during/after storms so we can plow.
#BlackRockForest #Conservation
Celebrate the Spring Equinox at Black Rock Forest! 🌲 Join us for a Silent Walk led by Jackie Skrzynski—a chance to slow down and connect with the forest during the twilight hours.
📅 Friday, March 20
🕖 7:00 PM EST
📍 Details: www.blackrockforest.org/event/decemb...
A Red-bellied Woodpecker (Melanerpes carolinus) and a Black-capped Chickadee (Poecile atricapillus) share a feeder.
American Goldfinches (Spinus tristis), Purple Finches (Haemorhous purpureus), a Tufted Titmouse (Baeolophus bicolor), and a White-breasted Nuthatch (Sitta carolinensis) compete over spots at a BRF feeder.
A male Downy Woodpecker (Dryobates pubescens) on a tree by the Forest Lodge.
A Carolina Wren (Thryothorus ludovicianus) takes off from a branch during Project FeederWatch.
Today is the 1st day of the #GBBC! What birds are you seeing this weekend during the 29th Annual Great Backyard Bird Count? Watch and listen for birds for 15 minutes or more, at least once over four days (February 13–16, 2026). #gbbc2026 www.birdcount.org
Save the Date 05.13.26
Join us at Tavern on the Green for our annual Benefit Luncheon! 🌳 Honoring Ellen V. Futter & featuring keynote Dmitriy Aronov, PhD @zuckermanbrain.bsky.social on the extraordinary memory of chickadees. 🐦🧠
Details: www.blackrockforest.org/benefit2026 #SaveTheDate #NYC #Science
Fenced deer exclosure in Black Rock Forest
White-tailed Deer can affect heavy browse pressure on tree seedlings. Protecting seedlings with fencing can go a long way in encouraging tree regeneration. 🦌
We installed “deer exclosure fences” in some areas of the forest to limit deer browse and give native seedlings a chance.
Winter 2026 at Black Rock Forest is here! ❄️
🚌 Grants: Connect Kids to Parks funding for school field trips. 🐾 Wildlife: Insights into bobcat ecology & the legacy of "LYRU 2." 🏗️ Infrastructure: 5 new bridges. 📸 Plus a nature photo contest!
Read more: www.blackrockforest.org/blog/winter-...
Queens College students counting tree rings in the Moretti Center.
Queens College students donned hip waders and used aquatic kick nets to sample benthic macroinvertebrates along Reservoir Road.
Hudson the Barred Owl from Ravensbeard Wildlife Center. Photo by Mitch Baker, PhD.
Queens College students enjoy the beaver ecology hike around Upper Reservoir.
@cuny.edu Dr. Mitchell Baker’s winter ecology course was a success! ❄️ @queenscollegecuny.bsky.social students sampled stream life, studied tree rings, & joined @cornellbirds.bsky.social Project FeederWatch. Best of all: Ravensbeard Wildlife Center’s Birds of Prey, including Hudson the Barred Owl! 🦉🌲
Please share: two weeks left to apply! 🔭 🔬
📸 Calling all nature photographers! Submit your best high-res photos from Black Rock Forest for our 2027 Calendar Competition. Deadline: October 1st.
Details & link to submit: www.blackrockforest.org/blog/calling...
#NaturePhotography #BlackRockForest #PhotoContest
Eastern coyote
Two white-tailed deer
A BRF camera trap
Dr. Jennifer Wall setting up a camera trap for the winter field season
New Year, new discoveries! Every winter we deploy dozens of cameras across the Forest to collect data on the resident wildlife. Our New Year’s resolution? To better understand which species live in our forest and to share more pictures with all of you.
BRF staff under the new picnic pavilion behind the Science Center
Happy New Year from Black Rock Forest! 🎉
Start 2026 with a First Hike of the Year! We have trail suggestions on our website & our FREE map is on Avenza.
➡️ Hike Info/Map: www.blackrockforest.org/trail-map
➡️ Become a Monthly Donor: www.blackrockforest.org/donate #BlackRockForest #SupportConservation
Scott setting up transects to measure oak acorn productivity
Hanna sharing her research on maples at the Friends of Forest Hike day
Nancy Lowe teaching how to incorporate art & nature into the classroom for teachers
Aaron teaching water ecology during the Educator Open House
Wishing all our friends and neighbors a safe and inspiring New Year 2026! 🎉
We are grateful for the individuals whose support helped sustain our mission throughout 2025, making our work possible.
See you on the trails in the New Year! 🌲
#HappyNewYear #BlackRockForest #Conservation #BRF2026
White-tailed deer from BRF Research cameras
Entrance to Sibyl’s Path
Red-bellied woodpecker observed during Project FeederWatch
Upper Reservoir
Happy Winter Solstice from Black Rock Forest! ❄️ Even during the longest night, our research continues.
Help us support these vital programs — make your solstice gift today to power our work into the new year! www.blackrockforest.org/donate #WinterSolstice #BlackRockForest
We hope you enjoy this highlight reel of 2025—from a Prairie Warbler to a black bear to the Ruby-throated Hummingbird.
✨ Help us protect this magic for 2026! If you are able, please consider a year-end gift to support our programs.
➡️ Donate here: www.blackrockforest.org/donate
Please apply and share! #Funding! We're offering $10000 grants to do #research with #conservation application here in the Forest. Send us your proposals: www.blackrockforest.org/david-redden...
Deadline: January 30. 2026
2021 Friends of the Forest History Hike
2022 Friends of the Forest Hike
2023 Friends of the Forest Walk
2025 Earth Day volunteering event
The Black Rock Forest is OPEN! 🎉 Welcome back!
Renew your 2026 Parking Pass TODAY! Passes expire 12/31/25. Your donation supports vital stewardship: trail maintenance, invasive plant removal, and road care.
Become a Friend of the Forest to get FREE parking & free admission to public programs.
Photo by Thom Munterich
Find peace in the winter stillness! 🌲
Join us for a Silent Walk led by @Jackie Skrzynski at Black Rock Forest. Disconnect from the rush and connect with nature at twilight.
Date: Fri, Dec 19, 2025
Time: 5:30 PM EST
Register on www.blackrockforest.org/events
Dress warmly & bring a headlamp! 💡
BRF summer science students learns how to use binoculars to observe wildlife at Upper Reservoir
It's #GivingTuesday! Your gift makes Black Rock Forest's science curriculum more inclusive.
Students say: "I really loved BRF so much, I created new bonds, connected with nature, had fun, experienced new things."
Support hands-on learning today! www.blackrockforest.org/donate
