Nature is all around us. Our State Park environmental educators have compiled innovative ideas and creative activities to explore the outdoors near you. From searching for signs of spring to identifying bird songs, these activities connect you with the natural world without having to travel any further than your backyard, your neighborhood or an outdoor space close to your home.
Follow along here, on our blog, and on social media for activities and inspiration that connect you to the nature near you, and we can't wait to see you back in our nature centers soon.
Virtual Nature Lessons
Nature Nearby: Visit from a Blue-Spotted Salamander!
Join Kelly, one of our Educators, as she introduces you to a blue-spotted salamander she found at Beaver Island State Park!
Leave No Trace: Leave It As You Found It
Take good care of the parks and trails you love!
Story Time! with Ms. Sue and You! "What a Wonderful World"
Printable Activities and Crafts
- Take an Earth Day Scavenger Hunt in your Neighborhood (pdf)
- Learn How to Build a Blue Bird Nest Box (pdf)
- Explore Niagara Falls with these fun coloring sheets (pdf)
- Take a Scavenger Hunt Near You and look for these signs of Spring (pdf)
- Learn about the importance of pollinators and why we need to protect them! (pdf)
Additional Resources
Follow us on Facebook for more Nature Neaby ideas. Educators at these parks are posting regularly with nature themed activities and inspiration.
- Long Island State Parks Nature
- Clay Pit Ponds State Park
- Marsha P. Johnson State Park
- Trailside Museums and Zoo at Bear Mountain State Park
- Palisades Parks
- Taconic Outdoor Education Center
- Grafton Lakes State Park
- Saratoga Spa State Park
- Moreau Lake State Park
- Thacher State Park
- Max V Shaul State Park
- Mine Kill State Park
- Point Au Roche
- Minna Anthony Common Nature Center
- Green Lakes State Park
- Letchworth State Park
- Niagara Region Interpretive Programs
- Allegany State Park
- Nicandri Nature Center, Robert Moses State Park
- Hempstead Lake State Park
