Wild Oyster Survey
2025-11-05 14:00 - 16:00 UTC | Little Hell Gate Salt Marsh
Wild oysters are a key indicator of ecosystem health in the New York Harbor. Randall’s Island Park Alliance is partnering with the Billion Oyster Project to conduct a wild oyster survey in the Little Hell Gate Salt Marsh! Volunteers will have the opportunity to identify oysters and take multiple parameters to determine the abundance, size, and health of the wild oyster population.
Registration is required here.
Location: Little Hell Gate Salt Marsh
For inquiries about accessibility, to request an accommodation or for event information, please email publicprograms@randallsisland.org.

Fall Cleanup
2025-11-08 09:30 - 12:00 | Icahn Stadium
Join the Randall’s Island Park Alliance and our Natural Areas Team for one last push to cleanup the park while the weather is still agreeable. Volunteers will not only help with picking up litter and debris but also remove invasive species, clean walking trail paths and other duties to put us on a good path for the winter months.
Gloves, tools and instructions included.
All participants must sign a Waiver of Liability. Teens aged 16 and 17 years old may volunteer without adult supervision but they must bring a waiver found at this link, signed by a parent or guardian.
Minors under 16 years old must be accompanied by a parent or guardian or adult and bring the attached waiver signed by a parent or guardian. This waiver should be given to those at the registration table.
Please find a Liability Waiver for minors here: General Volunteer – Randall’s Island
Registration is required here.
Location: Meeting at Icahn Stadium
For inquiries about accessibility, to request an accommodation or for event information, please email publicprograms@randallsisland.org.

Winter Wreath Workshop
2025-12-13 12:00 - 14:00 | Icahn Stadium
Celebrate the season with a cozy, hands-on wreath making workshop! Guided by our Horticulture team, you’ll create your own one-of-a-kind wreath using seasonal greenery, dried flowers, and natural materials foraged from the Park’s landscape. All materials and instruction are provided. No experience necessary!
Registration is required here.
Location: The Classroom at Icahn Stadium
For inquiries about accessibility, to request accommodation, or for event information, please email publicprograms@randallsisland.org.

The 126th Annual Christmas Bird Count
2025-12-14 09:00 - 12:00 | Icahn Stadium
Join the NYC Bird Alliance at Randall’s Island Park for this popular and accessible community science tradition, conducted across North America every year since 1900. The long-term data collected by Audubon Christmas Bird Count volunteers provides a fundamental way to understand the long-term health of bird populations—and has contributed to several recent impactful reports on bird decline in North America.

The Christmas Bird Count is a way that everyone can contribute to scientific knowledge that can help us protect birds. Participants range from expert ornithologists to beginning birders, following established protocols to ensure consistent data collection. Kids are welcome!

Learn more and REGISTER HERE through the NYC Bird Alliance

Location: Icahn Stadium

Dress warmly and don’t forget your binoculars! For more information, email communityscience@nycbirdalliance.org.

For inquiries about accessibility, and to request an accommodation, please email publicprograms@randallsisland.org.

Please note that lunch will not be provided, so please bring your own!

Let's Go Birding Together (LGBT)
2026-03-28 10:00 - 11:30 | Icahn Stadium, East Entrance
Join an experienced guide from NYC Bird Alliance for a free spring birding tour at Randall’s Island Park! Let’s Go Birding Together is open to anyone who loves birds, is curious about them, or simply wants a fun outdoor experience. Participants can borrow binoculars and enjoy spotting seasonal feathered friends while contributing to real scientific research through our Park-as-Lab program. All are welcome, especially the LGBTQIA+ community, allies, families and all who want to connect with nature!
REGISTER HERE!
Location: Icahn Stadium East Entrance
For inquiries about accessibility, to request an accommodation or for event information, please email publicprograms@randallsisland.org

Seining Kickoff Party!
2026-04-09 11:00 - 13:00
Looking for something fun and educational to do with students during spring recess? Visit Randall’s Island and help us kick off our seasonal seining program! Grab a pair of waders and help us as we drag a 30-foot-long seining net along the shore of the Harlem River and discover the amazing biodiversity found in our waterways. Students and adults alike can learn how to seine, identify common organisms such as fish, crabs, and jellyfish, and participate in some water themed crafts and activities! All equipment is provided, wear clothes you don’t mind getting wet! You must be 12 years or older to seine, but all are welcome to come and observe.
Location: Water’s Edge Garden
For inquiries about accessibility, to request an accommodation or for event information, please email publicprograms@randallsisland.org.

Pressed Botanicals Workshop
2026-04-18 13:00 - 15:00 | Icahn Stadium
Join us for a relaxing, creative, free workshop where you’ll learn how to press and arrange flowers and leaves to create beautiful works of art hosted by RIPA’s Horticulture Team at Randall’s Island Park!
Whether you’re an experienced botanist, or someone who appreciates the beauty of a flower, this workshop is for you. We’ll provide all the materials you need, including a selection of plants harvested from the gardens around the park, and guide you through the process of making your own unique piece of botanical art to take home.
Registration is required; opens Saturday, April 4 at 1 PM
Location: Icahn Stadium Classroom
For inquiries about accessibility, to request accommodation, or for event information, please email publicprograms@randallsisland.org.

CANCELLED Earth Day Festival
2026-04-25 12:00 - 15:00 | Urban Farm
This event has been cancelled due to inclement weather.

From Marsh to Meadow: A Spring Nature Walk Through Randall's Island Park
2026-05-01 13:00 - 14:30 | Icahn Stadium, East Entrance
This tour is a part of the 2026 Jane’s Walk NYC festival. Learn more about other available walks on their website at janeswalk.org. Join us for a guided nature walk of NYC’s largest salt marsh and our award-winning waterfront garden, where budding trees, blooming flowers, and returning wildlife mark the changing season. Begin at Little Hell Gate Salt Marsh to see how this vital ecosystem supports biodiversity, mitigates climate change, and serves as a nursery for local species. Learn about the island’s rich natural history and encounter some of the creatures that call it home. Then continue into the Waterfront Garden, where spring is in bloom. Explore a vibrant mix of native and ornamental plants alive with butterflies, and other pollinators. Experience the sights and sounds of spring as the island transforms into a thriving landscape.
From Marsh to Meadow: A Spring Nature Walk Through Randall’s Island – The Municipal Art Society of New York
Location: East Entrance of Icahn Stadium
For inquiries about accessibility, to request an accommodation or for event information, please email publicprograms@randallsisland.org.

Bird Bonanza
2026-05-09 10:00 - 13:00 | Urban Farm
Take flight at Randall’s Island Park’s annual Bird Bonanza, our celebration of World Migratory Bird Day! Spend the day exploring all things feathered with hands-on crafts, lively games, educational activities, and a guided bird tour with expert Gabriel Willow.
Discover local birds and Spring’s migratory visitors passing through NYC, and see how Randall’s Island provides a haven for birds of every kind. From herring gulls soaring over the Salt Marsh to songbirds flitting through the Urban Farm, we’re celebrating them all!
Schedule:

10 – 11 AM Spring Migration Bird Tour with Gabriel Willow: Discover the migratory birds that pass through the Island and explore how the park serves as a year-round haven for bird species in every season.
11 AM – 12 PM Educational Bird Presentation from Ravensbeard Wildlife Center: Get up close with birds of prey during this exciting meet-and-greet, and learn about their unique behaviors and habitats. Hear from Ravensbeard Wildlife Center about their vital rehabilitation work and the inspiring stories of how each bird came into their care.
12 – 1 PM Storytime Stretches with Lofty Heights Movement: Bird themed storytime stretches with Jazy

Registration for the bird tour is recommended but not required via Eventbrite.
Location: Urban Farm
For inquiries about accessibility, to request an accommodation, or for event information, please email publicprograms@randallsisland.org.

Big Truck Day
2026-05-16 12:00 - 15:00 | Asphalt Pad
Strap on your seatbelt and head over to Randall’s Island Park for our free, annual Big Truck Day celebration!
Get a close-up view of the large vehicles that keep New York City clean and safe. Learn how garbage truck drivers, police officers, farmers, and other big truck operators use these vehicles to drive our city forward. Visit each truck and learn from the operators themselves about how they use their truck every day. You might have the chance to sit in the front seat and pose for a photo!
We will have trucks from the FDNY, TBTA, DEP, DSNY, NYC Parks, RIPA, NYPD, as well as K9 units and horses from the Parks Mounted units!
Location: Asphalt Pad – Next to Icahn Stadium
For inquiries about accessibility, to request an accommodation or for event information, please email publicprograms@randallsisland.org.

World Fish Migration Day
2026-05-30 14:00 - 16:00 | Water’s Edge Garden
Join Randall’s Island Park Alliance to seine for fish in the Harlem River in celebration of World Fish Migration Day, part of the Columbia Climate School Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory’s Lower Hudson & Harbor Fish Count! Grab a pair of waders and help us as we drag a 30-foot-long seining net along the shore of the Harlem River and discover the amazing biodiversity found in our waterways. Learn about the many different species of fish found in the river and help us in the fish monitoring process by counting and measuring fish we capture in the net. All fish will then be released back into the river. All equipment is provided, wear clothes you don’t mind getting wet! You must be 12 years or older to seine, but all are welcome to come and observe!
Location: Rock Dock along Water’s Edge Garden
For inquiries about accessibility, to request an accommodation or for event information, please email publicprograms@randallsisland.org.

Salt Marsh Saturday
2026-06-13 09:00 - 12:00, 2026-08-08 09:00 - 12:00, 2026-09-26 09:00 - 12:00
Drop in to explore the Little Hell Gate Salt Marsh during Salt Marsh Saturdays! The salt marsh is one of our most beloved natural areas, and is a vital ecosystem that protects nearby areas from flooding and erosion and creates habitats for many different species of animals. From 9 AM – 12 PM, the marsh pathway gates on the boardwalk will be open and members of RIPA’s Natural Areas Team will be on site to answer questions, share interesting facts and show off some of the unique species of plants and animals that call this amazing and dynamic ecosystem home!
Location: Little Hell Gate Salt Marsh
For inquiries about accessibility, to request an accommodation or for event information, please email publicprograms@randallsisland.org.

Pollinator Palooza
2026-06-27 12:00 - 15:00 | Urban Farm
Celebrate Pollinator Week at the Randall’s Island Park Alliance’s Pollinator Palooza!
Buzz over to the Urban Farm for a colorful afternoon of pollinator-themed afternoon of activities, games, crafts, and garden tours. Learn from our expert Horticulturalists about the work they do to plant and maintain the park’s gardens, and stroll through the Urban Farm on a self-guided tour of what’s growing. We will be joined by Boogie Down Bronx Honey, The Bee Conservancy, and Drag Story Hour.
Schedule:
1:00 – 1:45 PM: Bee Conservancy walk
2:00 – 3:00 PM: Bilingual Drag Story Hour
Location: Urban Farm
For inquiries about accessibility, to request an accommodation or for event information, please email publicprograms@randallsisland.org.

Catch & Release: Fishing Series (Morning Event)
2026-07-11 09:00 - 11:00 | Living Shoreline
Join the Randall’s Island Park Alliance for a morning of fishing along our peaceful shoreline!
Whether you’re brand new to fishing or looking to brush up on your skills, this hands-on event will introduce the basics while exploring the ecology of the NY/NJ Harbor Estuary. Learn about local fish species, urban waterways, and how our harbor supports diverse wildlife—all while enjoying time by the water. All supplies are provided.
Please register with the Recreational Marine Fishing Registry prior to the event; we are also available to help register people on site.
Registration is required here; opens June 30 at 4 PM
Location: Living Shoreline/Ferry Dock
For inquiries about accessibility, to request an accommodation or for event information, please email publicprograms@randallsisland.org.

CANCELLED Waterfront Festival
2026-07-18 12:00 - 15:00 | East River Picnic Area
UPDATE: This event has been cancelled due to inclement weather.

Salt Marsh Saturday: City of Water Day Seining in the Harlem River
2026-07-25 11:00 - 14:00
Have you ever explored the Harlem River? Randall’s Island Park Alliance will host a free seining program on City of Water Day!
Grab a pair of waders and help drag a seining net along the shore of the Harlem River to discover the amazing biodiversity in our waterways. Learn how to identify fish, crabs, and jellyfish. All equipment is provided, but wear clothes you don’t mind getting wet! You must be 12 years or older to seine, but all are welcome to participate in our shoreline activities.
Now in its 19th year, City of Water Day — taking place this year on Saturday, July 25 — is a region-wide day organized by Waterfront Alliance and New York–New Jersey Harbor & Estuary Program (HEP), to champion a climate-resilient New York and New Jersey harbor.
From 11 AM – 2 PM, our Natural Areas staff will assist you in bringing a 30-foot net into the river to find some unique species of plants and animals that call this amazing and dynamic ecosystem home!
We will also have part of our beloved Salt Marsh brought to the beach! RIPA’s team will bring some of the area’s wildlife and teach you about the vital ecosystem that protects nearby areas from flooding and erosion and creates habitats for countless creatures.
Here is a map of all of the City of Water Day events in the area!
Location: Water’s Edge Garden Beach at The Rock Dock
PLEASE PLAN TO USE PUBLIC TRANSPORATION TO GET TO THE PARK.
PARKING WILL BE EXTREMELY LIMITED DUE TO LARGE EVENTS OCCURING AT RANDALL’S ISLAND PARK ON SATURDAY. BIKING AND WALKING ON OUR MANY RAMPS TO THE ISLAND IS ALSO A VIABLE OPTION!
For inquiries about accessibility, to request an accommodation or for event information, please email publicprograms@randallsisland.org.

Birding Adventure at Randall's Island Park
2026-08-04 10:30 - 12:00, 2026-08-18 10:30 - 12:00 | Harlem River Picnic Area, near ferry dock
Come discover Randall’s Island Park! At the Living Shoreline birdwatchers will see swallows catching insects and returning to their nest boxes to feed growing fledglings.
We will watch songbirds nibble on fruits and forage for invertebrates in the brush. In the Harlem River we’ll see cormorants, gulls, and ducks, herons, and egrets in the water or flying overhead.
Location: Ferry Dock and Living Shoreline
Go to this website to register!
For inquiry about accessibility, to request an accommodation, or for event information, please email publicprograms@randallsisland.org

Catch & Release: Fishing Series (Afternoon Event)
2026-08-15 13:00 - 15:00 | East River Picnic Area
Join the Randall’s Island Park Alliance for an afternoon of fishing along our peaceful shoreline!
Whether you’re brand new to fishing or looking to brush up on your skills, this hands-on event will introduce the basics while exploring the ecology of the NY/NJ Harbor Estuary. Learn about local fish species, urban waterways, and how our harbor supports diverse wildlife—all while enjoying time by the water. All supplies are provided.
Please register with the Recreational Marine Fishing Registry prior to the event; we are also available to help register people on site.
Registration is required; opens August 1 at 1 PM
Location: East River Picnic Area
For inquiries about accessibility, to request an accommodation or for event information, please email publicprograms@randallsisland.org.

Long Island Sound Exploration Day In NYC
2026-08-22 10:30 - 12:30 | Harlem River Picnic Area, near ferry dock
Join us here at Randall’s Island Park and explore NYC’s Long Island Sound by boat, with local experts sharing its wildlife, history, restoration, and waterfront stories.

Experience New York City’s waterfront from a whole new perspective during a free, family-friendly boat tour of the western Long Island Sound.

Click here to reserve a spot on the tour!

Hosted by the Long Island Sound Partnership, coordinated through New York Sea Grant, in collaboration with Randall’s Island Park Alliance, NYC Water Taxi, and regional partners, this guided tour will travel from Randall’s Island toward Throgs Neck and back.

Along the way, local experts and community partners will share engaging stories about the Sound’s wildlife, ecology, history, restoration projects, and waterfront access along the Bronx and Queens shorelines. Participants can also enjoy interactive activities, including a scavenger hunt and Long Island Sound trivia designed to deepen understanding and spark curiosity.

This program advances the Long Island Sound Partnership’s goal of fostering an informed and engaged public by connecting participants directly with the Sound’s natural and cultural resources. It also highlights broader efforts to improve water quality, restore and conserve habitats, strengthen coastal communities, and expand opportunities for public access and engagement.

Whether you are a longtime waterfront enthusiast or exploring the Sound for the first time, this program offers a fun and welcoming way to connect to one of New York City’s most important waterways.

Location: Living Shoreline/Ferry Dock

For inquiries about accessibility, to request an accommodation or for event information, please email publicprograms@randallsisland.org.

Femme Fishing: Fishing Series
2026-09-12 11:00 - 13:00 | East River Picnic Area
Join the Randall’s Island Park Alliance for an afternoon of fishing for women, femme, and gender-nonconforming folx!
Grow your own fishing skills, share with other folks in and around the NY/NJ Harbor Estuary, on our serene shoreline at the meeting of the Harlem and East Rivers. We strive to make spaces where other educators and anglers can hang out, build community, and create a vibe that works for us in what is a typically male-dominated activity. All supplies are provided.
Please register with the Recreational Marine Fishing Registry prior to the event; we are also available to help register people on site.
Location: East River Picnic Area
For inquiries about accessibility, to request an accommodation or for event information, please email publicprograms@randallsisland.org.

Natural Dyeing Workshop
2026-09-26 13:00 - 15:00 | Horticulture Compound, 132 Hell Gate Circle, New York, NY, 10035, United States
Join us for a hands-on workshop where you’ll create beautiful, eco-friendly dyes using natural materials from our gardens!
Then, we’ll transform textiles into works of art. This class is open to all ages; perfect for beginners and those looking to expand their crafting skills.
Registration is required; opens 9/12 at 1pm
Location: Horticulture Compound
For inquiries about accessibility, to request an accommodation, or for event information, please email publicprograms@randallsisland.org.

Harvest Festival
2026-10-04 12:00 - 15:00 | Icahn Stadium
Step into autumn at the free Randall’s Island Harvest Festival! Celebrate the end of the growing season with a family-friendly day of outdoor fun. Explore our pumpkin patch, watch seasonal cooking demonstrations, enjoy live performances, get creative with face painting, and discover nature through hands-on activities with local partners. With crisp air and golden leaves all around, it’s the perfect way to embrace the season and enjoy the outdoors in the heart of New York City.
There will be a free Bike Valet provided by Transportation Alternatives so you can safely park your bikes and enjoy the festivities with ease of mind.
With crisp air and golden leaves all around, it’s the perfect way to embrace the season and enjoy the outdoors in the heart of New York City.
Location: Urban Farm + Fields 62/63
For inquiries about accessibility, to request an accommodation or for event information, please email publicprograms@randallsisland.org.

Wild Oyster Survey
2026-11-04 14:00 - 16:00 | Little Hell Gate Salt Marsh
Wild oysters are a key indicator of ecosystem health in the New York Harbor!
The Randall’s Island Park Alliance is partnering with the Billion Oyster Project to conduct a wild oyster survey in the Little Hell Gate Salt Marsh.
Volunteers will have the opportunity to identify oysters and take multiple parameters to determine the abundance, size, and health of the wild oyster population.
Location: Little Hell Gate Salt Marsh
For inquiries about accessibility, to request an accommodation or for event information, please email publicprograms@randallsisland.org.
