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These amazing creatures have been around longer than dinosaurs! Horseshoe crabs are prehistoric arthropods. They are a vital keystone species because their presence is vital to maintaining the balance and survival of coastal and estuarine ecosystems.

It was an honor to spend time with some horseshoe crabs on the coast of Jamaica Bay, a wildlife refuge in NYC managed by the National Park Service.

It’s so important that we preserve their ecosystems and utilize alternative research methods that don’t use their blood.

Horseshoe crabs are truly a site to behold if you have the opportunity to see them on the shores.

#horseshoecrabs #conservation #jamaicabay #horseshoecrab #keystonespecies

You’ll never have to recycle the plastic your food comes in, if your food doesn’t come wrapped in plastic ✨

At @maisonjar.nyc you don’t have to worry about plastic waste. Bring your own jars, buy some there, or fill a brown paper bag that you can compost later.

It’s such a joy to have the experience of tracking the journey of the food you buy with @farmsdirectory ! They really deepen the food shopping experience. We especially love collecting stamps from everything we scan in @maisonjar.nyc

Food systems are changing shape and once again becoming something you can feel connected to, rather than separated from through layers of plastic.

Join the refillery movement and follow your foods journey ✨ 🍲 🍚

#refillery #zerowaste #sustainableliving #foodsystems #masonjar

The perfect date night doesn’t exist…

Until you and your partner are standing in front of a forge, signing a waiver, wondering what you’ve gotten yourselves into.

We’ve done the dinner thing. A lot. So we decided to actually do something - and ended up at @craftsmanave making a survival knife from scratch. 🔪 🔥

Turns out knife making requires a shocking amount of upper body strength, genuine focus, and one very patient instructor named Gerard. We learned more in 4 hours than we have on any dinner date, and we came home with something we actually made with our hands.

If you’re looking for a date night that’s more than just a meal — try learning something together. Something hands-on. Something that might require safety glasses. 🥽

📍 @craftsmanave | NYC
🔪 survival knife making workshop

💡 date night ideas NYC | couples activities NYC | things to do in NYC | hands-on date night | learn a new skill | knife making class | creative date night | unique date night ideas | date night 2026 #datenight #skillbuilding #nycdatenight #knife #crafting

Got our hands in the dirt with @astoriaparkalliance and remembered how to slow down and be with the land

Tending to a part of our neighborhood that we spend time in and feel connected to changed something in us. Even in the city, the land needs our attention and time. We’d been wanting to get closer to the land, right in our own neighborhood.

Community matters more than ever right now. One way to find it is to show up and get dirty with your own local land or park organization, and if you’re in Astoria- check out APA.

#astoriapark #volunteering #gardening #community #landstewardship

Went to the park to bird and the next thing you know, we’re filling trash bags with empty @hippeas_snacks bags. It’s a shame that so many single use food wrappers were scattered around the park because of the wind, full barrels, and lack of volunteers. We’re honestly wondering what the solution is and who should be responsible to fix this?

Thankful for the amazing crew of the @nycparks department to get this sea of trash cleaned up before sundown.

The blame shouldn’t be projected at the bikers, but at the single use containers themselves.

#sustainability #trash #nyc #communityaction #environmentalism

George Lucas created these legendary worlds through @starwars These worlds bring us into far off galaxies to route for the light, the Jedi, the resistance. But the real fight is here, on earth. These imaginary worlds are based off of our own world. The fight for climate justice, for humanity is right here. Not some imaginary world.

#starwars #starwarsday #climatejustice #maythe4thbewithyou #sustainability

@dirtmagic_medicinals told us about what a seedling exchange is, the specific seedlings he had on hand, and even what those plants were used and known for medicinally in some cases, at @earth.convergence

There’s a huge effort beyond just Sebastian to bring these seedlings to the community, as they are grown in the outdoor spaces of multiple partners and collaborators locally.

It can be intimidating to start from seed, but when you’re handed a seedling a world of possibility opens. A seedling exchange is about empowering communities to grow their own food, which is an act of resistance in and of itself.

🎥 @camthecreatrix @deeperimpactproductions

#earthday #earthmonth #gardening #homegrown communitygarden

we’re @chateaulewoof ✨ your friendly neighborhood dog café + shop here in Astoria.

stop by for a coffee, pet some dogs, and Shop Small this weekend @shopsmallastoria 🌱🐶✨

The clothes we wear should reflect our lifestyles. That’s why it’s important to me to choose clothes made in collaboration with nature, not against it. @seedpants always delivers ethically crafted pants that are made with high quality, natural fibers.

Sacred seed collection just dropped ✨🌱

@deeperimpactproductions

#naturalfibers #naturalist #nature #ethicallymadeclothing #organicmaterials

Trash clubs are SO in!! Have you heard of a Trash Club? We took to the streets with @eastwburgtrashclub to understand them better. It’s a small act of local community service but it does make a difference.

With cigarette butts being the most frequently picked up item, it’s impressive to see what one hour of picking them up looks like dumped into a trash bag.

More community action and less littering!! 🗑️ ✨

#trashclub #communityaction #sustainability #trashcleanup #ecofriendlyliving

It’s amazing what you can find when you start looking more closely around you. Volunteering with @allianceforfmcp gave me the opportunity to do trail maintenance, something I never really thought about in the city before hand. We learned about phragmites and now I’m identifying them left and right.

This earth month, I’m dedicated to learning more about the ecosystems around me and lending a hand when I can.

We pruned back overgrown trees, removed invasive Phragmites, leveled the trail, and walked it after. It was quiet and grounding in a way I didn’t expect from a park sitting right off the Grand Central Parkway.

You don’t have to leave the city to find nature worth taking care of. If you’ve been looking for a way to show up this Earth Month, volunteering at your local park is easier than you think - and honestly really fun.

#earthfocus #EarthMonth #volunteer #landstewardship #natureinthecity

Is it just me or are there more and more people getting into birding these days? As someone that’s getting a little more serious about their birding in NYC I thought it might be useful for others who may be also just dipping their toes in, to point out the best way to start birding.

First of all, you need to go where the birds are! I mentioned parks in the video but honestly just walking down the street you’re bound to come across some bird friends (pigeons are pretty and they count)

Once you go where the birds are, open up the @merlin.bird.id app and get an ID on the bird calls you hear around you

Next, you’ll want to extend your vision somehow, using binoculars is a great way to start. If you’re a photographer or a videographer like me, you’ll probably want to get your hands on a telephoto lens so you can snap the birds in action!

If you want to get really into it, get yourself a birding guide book and you can log the birds you’ve Identified with the @merlin.bird.id app.

If you’re in NYC in the next month, go birding in Central Park to get some views of the spring migratory birds. Some great locations according to @centralparknyc are:

• North Woods
• The Ramble
• Hallett Nature Sanctuary
• The Pond

Remember to always respect wildlife and to find yourself lost / found in radical presence. ✨💚

#Birding #nycbirds #birdlover #birdwatching #centralparkbirds