Landscape Futures and the East River Esplanade
2014-12-03 18:30 - 20:00 (America/New_York) | National Academy Museum, 1083 Fifth Avenue, New York, NY, 10128 , United States
Co-organized by the National Academy and CIVITAS, Art, Design and the Urban Environment is a discussion series that explores how artists and architects—as well as activists, grassroots organizers, scientists, urban planners, and city agencies—can work together to improve urban environments in meaningful ways.
Themed topics, related to local issues facing the Upper East Side and East Harlem communities, serve as a catalyst for an interdisciplinary conversation that addresses concerns facing the New York community at large.
Landscape Futures and the East River Esplanade
Wednesday, December 3, 2014 / 6:30 PM, reception at 8 PM
Panelists: Laurie Olin, NA, founder and principal of OLIN Studio; Signe Nielsen, principal at Mathews Nielsen Landscape Architects; Vishaan Chakrabarti, principal at SHoP Architects and SHoP Construction.
Moderated by Mitchell Silver, Commissioner Dept. of Parks and Recreation.

Event is FREE, please register here: https://events.r20.constantcontact.com/register/eventReg?oeidk=a07e9vlpzbb7c43a390&oseq=&c=&ch=

Confronting Climate Change: Insights from the Nuclear Disarmament Movement
2014-12-04 18:00 - 19:30 | The Auditorium at The New School, 66 West 12th Street, New York, NY, 10011, United States
Confronting Climate Change: Insights from the Nuclear Disarmament Movement
Thursday, December 4, 2014 at 6:00 pm to 7:30 pm
The Auditorium at 66 West 12th Street, Alvin Johnson/J.M. Kaplan Hall 66 West 12th Street, New York, NY 10011

The Center for Public Scholarship presents a conversation that will focus on how to generate the political and social change necessary to confront climate change.
Robert Jay Lifton, author of many books, including, most recently, Witness to an Extreme Century (a memoir) and currently working on a book comparing nuclear and climate threats. (See his recent op-ed in the New York Times, “The Climate Swerve“)
Naomi Oreskes, Professor of the History of Science, Affiliated Professor of Earth and Planetary Sciences, Harvard University; author of many books, most recently The Collapse of Western Civilization: A View from the Future with Eric Conway (Columbia University Press, 2014).
Moderator: Tom Engelhardt, editor, writer, and author; creator of TomDispatch.com, a project of the Nation Institute, at which he is a fellow.
This event is free; no tickets or reservations required, but reservations are recommended.

Wreath Interpretations Holiday Exhibition
2014-12-05 09:00 - 17:00, 2015-01-05 09:00 - 17:00 | The Arsenal in Central Park, 830 Fifth Avenue , Manhattan, NY, United States
NYC Parks celebrates the holiday season with its 32nd annual exhibition of unique, unconventional wreaths. The Exhibition runs from Decemeber 5th, 2014 to January 9th, 2015, from 9:00am to 5:00pm every weekday.
A diverse selection of 56 fine artists, designers, and other spirited contributors enliven this ageless holiday symbol. Sponges, keys, Smarties, forged steel and insect specimens are among the many varied materials used to examine diverse themes ranging from drones to damaging debris in our waterways.
Watch the Youtube video, Ghosts of Wreaths Past, which gives you a taste of what is sure to be an imaginative and enjoyable experience this holiday season.
Please note: The Arsenal Gallery is closed on holidays.
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Weekly Tai Chi Class in Poe Park
2014-12-05 11:30 - 12:30 | Poe Park Visitor Center, 2640 Grand Concourse, Bronx
Photo Credit: Chinese Arts Alliance

Come to the Poe Visitor Center for a free weekly Tai Chi class on Fridays unitl December 26th, 2014. Learn the correct Tai Chi movements and walking and breathing techniques, with a professional Tai Chi instructor.

Photo Credit: Tai Chi Basiscs

Friday Evenings with Climate Scientists: Arthur Lerner-Lam
2014-12-05 18:00 - 19:30 | ICP Museum, 1133 Avenue of the Americas, New York, NY, United States
Arthur Lerner-Lam is a seismologist at the Earth Institute at Columbia University. He will talk about his research on explosions and earthquakes, and what they can tell us about the Earth’s Upper Mantle and Crust. He will focus on geographic regions included in the photos of the Salgado exhibit. The event is included in museum admission.

So Close 3D: Wild Dolphins, Human Dancers
2014-12-07 12:00 - 14:00 | SVA Visual Arts Theater, 333 W 23rd St, New York City
Truly unique and beautiful film from dancers and filmmakers Chisa Hidaka and Ben Harley, with showings this Sunday at noon and 2pm at the SVA Theater:
See Dolphin Dance in 3D
on The Big Screen in NYC!
Sunday, December 7th at noon and 2pm
Tickets HERE
We are excited to announce a unique opportunity to see our most recent 3D work projected in a big screen theater!
The program will include a pre-release preview of Dolphin Dreams* shot by Emmy Award-winning underwater cinematographer Howard Hall with an original score by Grammy Award-winning composer and cellist David Darling.
We will also preview several short 3D films featuring our full cast of beautiful dolphin dancers: Kathleen Fisher, Yuki Kusachi, Jillian Rutledge and Kayoko Sawamura.
Several talented members of our ‘pod’ of NYC dancers – Carly Czach, Elise Knudson and Tim O’Donnell – will grace the stage for a live performance amongst virtual dolphins.
Let’s fill the house! One of the most valuable things you can do to support us right now is to share this event with anyone you think might enjoy the show.
The one hour program will be presented twice:
SO CLOSE 3D: DANCE WITH WILD DOLPHINS
Sunday, December 7th
Screenings at NOON and 2 pm
SVA Theater
333 West 23rd Street
TICKETS are $10 in advance, $15 at the door. FREE for children under 16 when reserved in advance.

Madison Square Holiday 2014
2014-12-09 15:30 - 17:30 | Madison Square Park, between Madison Ave and 23rd St., Manhattan , NY, 10010, United States
As shown on the event website:
Join the Madison Square Park Conservancy in celebrating the holidays as they honor over 100 years of holiday tree tradition in Madison Square Park.
The countdown to the illumination of the Tree of Light begins at 5 p.m.
Free activities include horticultural instruction with Gardener Steph and Reading Rangers story time. Holiday treats will be provided by Hill Country Chicken and SD26 Restaurant and Wine Bar. Festive performances provided by Audra Rox and more.

Film Showing: Food Design
2014-12-09 19:00 - 20:00 | Park Slope Food Coop, 782 Union St, Brooklyn, NY, 11215, United States
Food Design
A Film by Martin Hablesreiter and Sonja Stummerer
The sound of sausage: When a bite produces a distinct crunch, they taste particularly good. Fish sticks, on the other hand, don’t make such great noises, but they can be arranged nicely in the pan. And is it merely a coincidence that bologna fits perfectly onto a slice of bread, and that when combined, they make up a popular snack?
Designers create clothes, furniture, cars and all kinds of useful items. So why not food? Food designers work on things to eat, giving them a certain style and function. They not only make sure that food and drink fill our stomachs, but also that the eating process is practical and appeals to all the senses – so that we’re hungry for more.
FOOD DESIGN takes a look at the secret chambers of a major manufacturer of food, where designers and scientists are defining your favorite mouthful of tomorrow. It shows how form, color, smell, consistency, the sounds made during eating, manufacturing technique, history and stories are all aspects of food and eating that both influence food design, and are created by it.
Free and open to the public. Healthy light snacks and refreshments will be served.
When: December 9, 2014 at 7:00P.M. Where: Park Slope Food Coop, Upstairs Meeting Room.

Metropolitan Waterfront Alliance Annual Holiday Party
2014-12-11 16:00 - 21:00 | Manhattan Waterfront Alliance Homeport, 212 Water Street, Suite 300, New York, NY, 10038, United States
“The Manhattan Waterfront Alliance, an alliance of over 800 organizations with ties to our regional waterways. They believe that together, we can transform the waters of New York and New Jersey Harbor into clean and accessible places to learn, work and play, with inviting parks, dependable jobs, and reliable, eco-friendly transportation for all.”
Kayaking Source: Braniac37/Flickr
On Thursday December 11, 2014, they will be hosting their annual Holiday Party at the Manhattan Waterfront Alliance’s Homeport (217 Water Street, Suite 300, NY, NY 10038). To enter, the elevator is located at 133 Beekman Street. The event is meant to celebrate the waterfront and support the Alliance. It is free to attend, but they request that you RSVP before arriving. Also, please bring a dish, snacks or drinks to share.
RSVP on this Eventbrite page.
Source: Downtown Alliance

Friday Evenings with Climate Scientists: William D'Andrea
2014-12-12 18:00 - 19:30 | ICP Museum, 1133 Avenue of the Americas, New York, NY, United States
William D’Andrea studies global climate change, looking not only at current anthropogenic changes, but also historical changes. He will talk on how climate history can be constructed looking at core samples from lake sediments in Greenland and Norway. The event is included in museum admission.

Winter Wildlife Viewing
2014-12-13 09:00 - 12:00 | Albert H. Mauro Playground, Park Drive East and 73rd Avenue Terrace, Queens, NY, United States
Photo credit: Chiara Zaccheo
New York City is home to an amazing abundance of wildlife. From falcons and salamanders, to deer and seals, wildlife viewing opportunities exist year-round in all of our parks.
This time of year is perfect to spot migrating birds and waterfowl which will call our parks home for the winter. Wildlife viewing is a perfect activity for any age. Our Rangers will guide you to the best wildlife viewing spots in New York City. Birding programs are appropriate for all skill levels, and beginners are welcome. To enhance your experience we encourage you to bring binoculars and field guides, or ask a Ranger to borrow a pair.
Location

Albert H. Mauro Playground in Flushing Meadows Corona Park

Park Drive East and 73rd Avenue Terrace
Queens

Cost
Free
Event Organizer
Urban Park Rangers
Contact Number
(718) 352-1769

Volunteer Gardening at Stuyvesant Square
2014-12-13 10:00 - 13:00 | Stuyvesant Square, Gramercy Park, New York, NY, 10003, United States
Photo Credit: SPNA
Join Stuyvesant Park Neighborhood Association (SPNA)’s gardening party.

Meet fellow New Yorkers while chatting and beautifying our neighborhood park. Learn horticulture, weed, plant, mulch and sweep.
Location Details:
Saturday, December 13, 2014: 10:00 a.m.–1:00 p.m.
Join us near the Peter Stuyvesant Statue at the start time or join us anytime by looking for the group of volunteers.

Join the Grand Central Terminal official guided tour
2014-12-15 12:30 - 13:45 | Grand Central Terminal, 87 East 42nd Street , New York, NY, 10017, United States
Photo Credit: http://docentour.com/gct/
In celebration of Grand Central Terminal’s centennial year, MTA Metro-North Railroad has teamed up with The Municipal Art Society of New York (MAS) and Orpheo Inc. to provide new daily docent-guided tours of the terminal. The 75-minute tour, departing daily at 12:30 p.m. from the Terminal’s Main Concourse, is led by MAS-trained docents and highlights the history, architecture and operations of one of the world’s biggest train terminals. Tickets are $20 for adults and $15 for seniors, students, children under 10, members of the military, Metro-North riders bearing same-day ticket stubs, and MAS Members. Space is limited.

Frack Off!
2014-12-15 19:00 - 21:00 | ICP Museum, 1133 Avenue of the Americas, New York, NY, United States
Frack Off!
ICP Museum, 1133 Avenue of the Americas
Monday, December 15, 7:00pm

Purchase tickets
$15 General Admission
$10 Students & ICP Members
There are 500,000 active gas wells in the U.S. Each well requires 8 million gallons of water per hydraulic fracturing (“fracking”). Each well can be fracked 18 times. Approximately 40,000 gallons of chemicals are used per fracturing, chemicals that include toxins and carcinogens like lead, mercury, hydrochloric acid, and formaldehyde. In sum: 72 trillion gallons of water and 360 billion gallons of chemicals are needed to run our current gas wells. Panelists discuss the environmental impacts of fracking and efforts to resist the industry at local and national levels. With photographer Nina Berman (Noor); Kate Hudson, environmental attorney and Watershed Program Director, Riverkeeper; and Anthony Ingraffea, Professor of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Cornell University. Moderator: Adam Harrison Levy.
Nina Berman is a documentary photographer, author, and educator whose photographs have received awards from the Open Society Foundation, World Press Photo, and Hasselblad. She is the author of Homeland (2008), which examines the aftermath of war and the militarization of American life. Berman is an associate professor at Columbia University and a member of the Amsterdam-based photo collective Noor. For several years, she has been documenting the impact of fracking in Pennsylvania communities along the Marcellus Shale formation. Kate Hudson is an environmental attorney and the Watershed Program Director for the environmental watchdog organization Riverkeeper. She joined Riverkeeper in February 2011 after nearly 25 years in New York state government with the state’s Department of Environmental Conservation and with the New York Attorney General’s Office of Environmental Protection Bureau. For the past three and half years, she has led her organization’s advocacy with respect to high volume hydrofracking in New York and the impacts that it could have on the drinking water of millions of New Yorkers.
Anthony R. Ingraffea, a professor in the Civil and Environmental Engineering Department and member of the Cornell Fracture Group (CFG) at Cornell University, co-authored the 2011 study that established the greenhouse gas footprint of fracking as being greater than that of any other fossil fuel including coal. Timemagazine named him one of the People Who Mattered in 2011 for his work on public education on shale gas issues. Adam Harrison Levy is a writer and documentary film producer and editor. He specializes in the art of the interview. For the BBC, he has conducted interviews with a wide range of artists, writers, and actors. He wrote catalogue essays for Hiroshima: Ground Zero 1945 and Saul Leiter: Retrospective. He teaches at the School of Visual Arts and in the Film Studies Department at Wesleyan University.
This event is part of the Fall 2014 programming series ICP Talks: Climate Change.

A Talk with R. Andreas Kraemer, Ecologic Institute, Germany, and Ecologic Institute, United States
2014-12-16 09:00 - 11:00 | Urban Future Lab, 15 MetroTech, 19th Floor , Brooklyn, NY, 11201, United States
A Talk with R. Andreas Kraemer
Urban Future Lab and NYC ACRE
Tuesday, December 16, 2014 from 9:00 AM to 11:00 AM

Active in the international and European dimensions of environment and resources, climate and energy, and sustainable development policies for 25 years, R. Andreas Kraemer has been Director of Ecologic Institute since its foundation in 1995. In April 2008, he became chairman of the Ecologic Institute in Washington DC, and on 1 July 2013 he was appointed Adjunct Professor of German Studies at Duke University.Since 1993, he is Visiting Assistant Professor at Duke University, lecturing on European integration and environmental policy in the Duke in Berlin Program. Andreas is Co-Chairman of the advisory board of OekoWorld, setting criteria for global investment for a group of ethical and ‘green’ investment funds or mutual trusts, and of Oekom Research, a rating agency specialising in corporate and governmental or ‘sovereign’ debtors’ ethics and sustainability. He also serves on the Board of Our Spaces in the United Kingdom, and is a coordinator of the British German Environment Forum. He is also a board member of Oekom Verlag, a publishing house dedicated to sustainable development, based in Munich, Germany.

This event is free.
Please register here: http://www.eventbrite.com/e/r-andreas-kraemer-founder-director-ecologic-institute-berlin-germany-chairman-ecologic-institute-tickets-14429712659?aff=es2&rank=13

Driving Change through Natural Capital Accounting
2014-12-17 17:30 - 19:30 | Interface NYC Showroom, 330 5th Ave #12th floor , New York, NY, 10001, United States
New York Area Sustainability Group
Wednesday, December 17, 2014 from 5:30 PM to 7:30 PM (EST)

New York, NY
Join on Wednesday, December 17, from 5:30 to 7:30 PM, at the Interface NYC Showroom for a discussion on Driving Change through Natural Capital Accounting.
More and more firms are adopting natural capital accounting to deliver enhanced insights for risk management, sustainable product strategies, and stakeholder communications – and financial institutions are beginning to incorporate natural capital metrics in their own decision making.
Expert speakers will explain the concepts behind natural capital accounting and share their insights into how natural capital accounting can drive sustainable decision makingand how is it being applied in practice.What types of decisions can it inform? And what does it take to get started?
Hear from expert presenters on the topic, and join in the discussion:
Annabelle Bennett, Account Director at Trucost
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/pub/annabelle-bennett/9/9a8/a79
Annabelle joined Trucost in June 2006 after studying Business Management at the Oxford Business & Media School. She is responsible for managing Trucost’s key corporate client relationships and business development in the UK and Europe. Since joining Trucost she has been involved in a number of major projects including BSkyB, Mecom and Thomson Reuters, specializing in the carbon and environmental footprinting of companies’ direct and supply chain emissions.
Stathis Gould, Senior Manager at the International Federation of Accountants (IFAC)
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/pub/stathis-gould/1/7a/440
Stathis leads the development of international services for professional accountants at IFAC working in commerce, industry, and the public and not-for-profit sectors. A key element of his work has been to support professional accountants in facilitating sustainable organizational success, including providing leadership on how organizations can incorporate sustainability factors into their decision making. Before moving to IFAC, he was at the Chartered Institute of Management Accountants (CIMA) responsible for planning and overseeing a program of thought leadership and research for management accountants.
Interface’s Showroom is located at 330 Fifth Avenue (the corner of 5th Ave and 33rd Street) 12th Floor.Visitors must comply with Interface’s attendance policies.
$12 Admission includes the Eventbrite processing fee, drink and snack.
Please register here: http://www.eventbrite.com/e/driving-change-through-natural-capital-accounting-tickets-14576329193?aff=es2&rank=6

Folks, This Ain't Normal, Joel Salatin on Sustainable Food Systems
2014-12-19 12:00 - 13:00 | Bard MBA Classroom, 1150 6th Avenue, Floor 5, New York, NY, 10036, United States
Image source: www.maisontuckerhouse.ca
JOEL SALATIN, OWNER/OPERATOR POLYFACE FARMS IN VIRGINIA
FRIDAY, DECEMBER 19, 2014
Joel F. Salatin (born 1957) is an American farmer, lecturer, and author whose books include Folks, This Ain’t Normal; You Can Farm; and Salad Bar Beef.
Salatin raises livestock using holistic management methods of animal husbandry, free of harmful chemicals, on his Polyface Farm in Swoope, Virginia, in the Shenandoah Valley. Meat from the farm is sold by direct-marketing to consumers and restaurants.
For more information, call 845-758-7900, e-mail ebangood@bard.edu,
or visit http://www.bard.edu/mba.

The Gaits: A High Line Soundwalk
2014-12-21 17:00 - 18:30 | High line, 14th st 10th ave, Manhattan, NY, United States
As shown on the event website:

The Gaits: A High Line Soundwalk is a free, downloadable smartphone application that features a score of electric guitar chords, zen gongs, and more composed by Lainie Fefferman, Jascha Narveson, and Cameron Britt. As participants walk along the High Line, footsteps are turned into twinkling metallic sounds, electric guitar chords, dulcimer notes, water splashes, car horns, and applause. Produced by Friends of the High Line in association with Make Music New York; software development by Daniel Iglesia and with special thanks to MATA.
To join the fun, download the iPhone or Android application and arrive promptly at 5:00 PM. The walk begins on street level below the High Line at Gansevoort and Washington Streets, moves through the park, and ends at West 30th Street.
If you own a small portable speaker, bring it along to use during the soundwalk, or be one of the first 100 participants to arrive at the meeting location to borrow a free, wearable speaker for the duration of the event.
This High Line Program is free and open to visitors of all ages. No RSVP required, and this event will be held rain or shine.
LOCATION
The walk begins on street level below the High Line at Gansevoort and Washington Streets, moves through the park, and ends on the High Line at West 30th Street.
For those who need elevator access, enter the High Line via the elevator at Gansevoort and Washington Streets.
ABOUT MAKE MUSIC WINTER
Make Music New York’s third annual Make Music Winter features twelve participatory, musical parades throughout New York City on December 21st, the first night of winter. Inspired by composer Phil Kline’s annual Unsilent Night, which has drawn thousands of participants since its launch in 1992, Make Music Winter includes innovative projects for bells, brass bands, electric guitars, iPhones, percussionists, singers, strings, and more. Like its summer counterpart, Make Music Winter is free, outdoors, and profoundly participatory. All are invited to join in. Details are available at makemusicny.org.
ABOUT THE COMPOSERS
New York composer Lainie Fefferman has written music for voices, orchestral instruments, banjoes, bagpipes, shawms, car parts, and electronic media. Her music draws inspiration from the rigorous, the gorgeous, the nasty, and the zany. She began her studies as a math major, but ended up a composer at Yale and is now working toward a PhD in composition at Princeton. Her recent collaborators include Newspeak, JACK Quartet, So Percussion, and electric guitar quartet Dither. She has sung at the United Nations, been a rehearsal pianist at Westminster Choir College, and performed on kazoo with the Bang on a Can All-Stars.
Jascha Narveson was raised in a concert hall and put to sleep as a child with an old vinyl copy of the Bell Laboratories mainframe computer singing “Bicycle Built for Two.” Awash in the sounds of chamber music recitals in his parents’ house-concert series from an early age, he spent his high-school years playing in improvisatory un-music bands and listening to increasingly esoteric music from various corners of the globe and subcultural strata of the industrialized world. These influences mixed with intensive traditional training in North and South Indian rhythmic traditions, a summer residency with Bang On A Can, and degrees in acoustic and electronic composition from Wilfrid Laurier University, Wesleyan’s MA in experimental and world music, and Princeton’s doctoral program. His music is a vibrant testament to these influences, combining the Western composer’s love of novelty with an unshakable devotion to rhythm, physicality and “flow” inherited from everywhere else. His music has been played in many places by many people, some of them famous, others deserving of fame, all of them deserving of thanks.
N. Cameron Britt is a percussionist, composer, and instrument builder. He invented the EMvibe, an electromagnetically actuated vibraphone. As a percussionist he has performed extensively with the North Carolina Symphony and is active as a creator and interpreter of new music. His compositions have been performed by the Brentano String Quartet, So Percussion, Ensemble Klang, janus, NOW Ensemble, and the electronica duo Matmos. He has worked with the laptop ensembles Sideband and PLOrk and is interested in creating new electronic instruments in both hardware and software. He received his PhD in Composition from Princeton University and currently teaches percussion at Duke University.
Daniel Iglesia creates music and media for humans, computers, and broad interactions of the two. His works have taken the form of concert works for instruments and electronics, live audio and video performance, generative and interactive installations, and collaborations with many disciplines such as theater and dance. He co-led PLOrk (the Princeton Laptop Orchestra) for three seasons. He plays with Spirograph Agnew and Sideband. He made MobMuPlat. He currently works at Google.

Weekly community composting in Red Hook, Brooklyn
2014-12-26 09:00 - 12:00 | Red Hook Community Farms, 580 Columbia Street, Brooklyn, 11231
Join Added Value, the Red Hook Community Farm in Brooklyn to compost weekly on Fridays from 9:00am to noon and Saturdays from 10:30am to 1:00pm.
“Added Value is a non-profit organization promoting the sustainable development of Red Hook by nurturing a new generation of young leaders. We work towards this goal by creating opportunities for the youth of South Brooklyn to expand their knowledge base, develop new skills and positively engage with their community through the operation of a socially responsible urban farming enterprise.”

New York City Freight: From our shores to our stores
2014-12-29 18:30 - 20:00 | Brooklyn Brainery, 190 Underhill Ave, Brooklyn, NY, 11238, United States
On December 29, 2014, Brooklyn Brainery is presenting a class on NYC’s supply chain via freight shipping. The course will be taught by Inna Guzenfeld, a planner and urban historian trained at Pratt Institute. They request that you sign up online.
Course Description:
“East of the Hudson River lies the biggest consumer market in the United States. Yet many New Yorkers are unaware of how the things we buy, from produce to luxury goodsmake their way to our shores and stores.
This class will illuminate the often invisible world of goods movement, and the interaction of ship, rail, air, and truck freight in New York City’s logistics network. We’ll take a close look at New York’s ports and terminals and learn about what’s being done to improve the flow of goods in the region.”
Brooklyn Brainery is “accessible, community driven, crowd-sourced education.” They host classes on topics suggested by their attendees with teachers from all over Brooklyn and New York City. Classes usually cost a small fee to cover the overhead costs of booking space, but they also host free events.
Sign up for the class.
Source: Betsy Haggerty

Morning Fitness at Fort Tryon Park
2015-01-01 07:30 - 08:30 | Fort Tryon Park Heather Garden, Cabrini Boulevard & Ft Washington Ave, New York City
Come to Fort Tryon Park and try something new. Join us on Saturdays, Tuesday, and Thursday mornings for one hour of walking, stretching, and strengthening exercises.
All of our fitness programs are free, led by trained professionals, and suitable for all levels. Wear comfortable clothing and bring water. Please check back for rain and weather/air advisory cancels. Fitness programs are canceled if the weather is lower than 20 degrees.
For a breath of fresh air, take your workouts outdoors. Parks are becoming a logical alternative environment for those who want to add variety to their work outs, or who just don’t like the gym. And, it’s an affordable way to increase physical activity opportunities, because there’s nothing special to build.
Exercise with a view, in natural sunlight, with green scenery all around bestows health benefits that can’t be found indoors. Scientific studies have shown that the pleasure of being outdoors for example gives your brain, psyche, and immune system an extra boost.

First Friday Ride - Time's Up
2015-01-02 19:00 - 21:00 | Union Square North, Broadway and E. 17th, New York, NY
Join other cycling enthusiasts for the monthly First Friday Ride, coordinated by Time’s Up. Meet at Union Square North, where participants will congregate and agree on a route for a leisurely ride through the city.

Central Park Moonlight Ride - Time's Up
2015-01-02 22:00 | Columbus Circle, 59th St. and Central Park West, New York, NY
Join other cyclists for a moonlit ride through Central Park coordinated by Time’s Up. Participants will meet at Columbus Circle, at the SW corner of the park and leave from there.

Garden Walking Tour in Fort Tryon Park
2015-01-04 13:00 - 14:00 | Heather Garden in Fort Tryon Park, Cabrini Boulevard & Ft Washington Ave, Manhattan, NY, 10040, United States
Photo credit: Fort Tryon Park Trust
Take a tour of the “Park for All Seasons.” Take a walking tour of the Heather and Alpine Gardens of Fort Tryon Park. Discover which plants are in bloom in each of the seasons, even in the dead of winter. Learn about the gardens’ history, future, and secrets from a member of Fort Tryon’s expert horticulture staff.
These tours are wheelchair accessible but persons with mobility issues may find them challenging because of the park’s many steep paths.

Freshkills Park: A Model for New York Recycling and Environmental Justice
2015-01-07 18:30 - 20:00 | National Academy Museum, 1083 Fifth Avenue, New York, NY, 10128 , United States
Co-organized by the National Academy and CIVITAS, Art, Design and the Urban Environment is a discussion series that explores how artists and architects—as well as activists, grassroots organizers, scientists, urban planners, and city agencies—can work together to improve urban environments in meaningful ways.
Themed topics, related to local issues facing the Upper East Side and East Harlem communities, serve as a catalyst for an interdisciplinary conversation that addresses concerns facing the New York community at large.
Freshkills Park: A Model for New York Recycling & Environmental Justice
Wednesday, January 7 2015 / 6:30 PM, reception at 8 PM
Event is FREE, please RSVP here: https://events.r20.constantcontact.com/register/eventReg?oeidk=a07e9vlrtyp7f873393&oseq=&c=&ch=

150 Years in Hiding: The Story of a New Frog Species in New York City
2015-01-07 18:30 - 20:00 | Brooklyn Brainery, 190 Underhill Ave, Brooklyn, NY, 11238, United States
New York City is probably the last place you’d expect to find a new species of frog, but that’s exactly what Jeremy Feinberg and a group of colleagues discovered in 2012.
This unexpected discovery is the first of its kind for a New York State amphibian since 1854 and has received worldwide attention from scientific and general-interest communities alike. In this talk, Jeremy will share his tale of two species – about the new frog and the look-alike species it was previously thought to be.
This class will cover the circumstances behind this ‘fortunate accident’ and examine key characteristics of the new species. We will also touch on conservation concerns and explore how a large, conspicuous vertebrate remained misidentified over several centuries despite occurring in and around one of the largest human population centers on earth.

Taught by Jeremy Feinberg
Jeremy Feinberg is a doctoral candidate at Rutgers University and a guest researcher at the Brookhaven National Laboratory. He has been spent his career focusing on amphibian and reptile ecology and conservation, mostly in the New York metro area. Jeremy is specifically interested in unraveling the reasons behind species declines and local extinctions and has been sharing the story of the new species discovery to academic and non-academic groups around the country for the past two years.
Please register here: http://brooklynbrainery.com/courses/150-years-in-hiding-the-story-of-a-new-frog-species-in-nyc

Short Story Fiction/Non-Fiction Writing
2015-01-09 13:30 - 15:00 | Poe Park Visitor Center, 2640 Grand Concourse, Bronx
Work on your fiction/non-fiction short story-writing with an established writer. Get to know your character and create your scene. Use timed writing exercises to flesh out your story idea and develop an interesting character.
This class is for adults.

Lower East Side Ecology Center: Mulchfest 2015
2015-01-10 10:00 - 14:00 | Tompkins Square Park, East 9th Street between Avenues A & B, New York, NY, 10009, United States
Photo credit: Loisaida Nest
Mulchfest 2015
Saturday, January 10, 2015 @10:00am – 2:00pm
Tompkins Square Park, East 9th Street between Avenues A & B, New York, NY 10009
info@lesecologycenter.org
Come recycle the holiday cheer with the NYC Compost Project Hosted by the Lower East Side Ecology Center at this season’s Mulchfest, located at Tompkins Square Park. We will be prepping trees for the chipper by removing ornaments and then spreading the freshly chipped mulch on street trees surrounding the park. You can even take home a bag of mulch to prep street trees on your block for winter! This is a rain or shine event, so dress warmly and be prepared for any weather.
Registration is required, please e-mail: info@lesecologycenter.org to sign up.

Watershed Relief Map Presentation
2015-01-10 13:00 - 15:00 | Queens Museum, Flushing Meadows Corona Park, Queens, NY, 11368, United States
Watershed Relief Map Presentation
Saturday January 10 at 1pm
Queens Museum of Art
New York City hosted the 1939 World’s Fair in Flushing, Queens. To show off the city’s water system that tapped mountain springs as far as 100 miles away, the Cartographic Survey Force, a branch of the Works Progress Administration, constructed a 3-dimensional model of the system out of wood and plaster for @ $100,000 (about $1.5 million in today’s dollars).
Measuring 32 feet by 20 feet it never made it to the Fair and instead was put into storage; some said it because it was too big, but others have said it was to protect the City’s Water system from spies as the country was beginning to contemplate war. It was shown once in 1948 – at the city’s Golden Anniversary Exposition – and then forgotten. In 1991, DEP’s chief architect Michael Cetera discovered it sitting in the Jerome Avenue Pumping Station (built 1906) when he was charged with renovating the landmark building. The map was in rough shape after 40 years of neglect. In 2006, it was restored by McKay Lodge Conservation Laboratory in Ohio and has been on display at the Queen’s Museum since 2008.

You can now see the map for yourself and hear about its story from NYC water educator Matt Malina.

This is a family friendly event organized by NYC H2O and the Queens Museum.
The Queens Museum also has a scale model of the entire city that is not to be missed. This event is free with a suggested $5 entrance fee to the museum.
