#NewsFlash | Learn About Butterflies, Oysters, Mugwort and Urban Nature in June – QEDC

#NewsFlash | Learn About Butterflies, Oysters, Mugwort and Urban Nature in June

BY QEDC It's In Queens

You’re never too old to learn and enjoy nature – and the Alley Pond Environmental Center is offering programs to facilitate both actions next month.

The Eastern Queens nonprofit’s virtual June Speaker Series features chances to learn about everything from shellfish to metamorphosis.

The first one-hour workshop is Bicycling with Butterflies: My 10,201-Mile Journey Following the Monarch Migration on Wednesday, June 2, at 7 pm.

Sara Dykman, who wrote Bicycling with Butterflies, will discuss monarch ecology, bike-touring basics, stories from the road, and how to help the species.

Another author, Thomas Hynes, will present The History of NYC and Oysters on Wednesday, June 9, at 7 pm.

Hynes, who wrote Wild City: A Brief History of New York City in 40 Animals, will discuss how oysters shaped the Big Apple and how the bivalve might be the best chance to ensure a clean and healthy tomorrow. When Henry Hudson arrived in New York Harbor, there were more than 220,000 acres of oyster beds below the water. The native Lenape people introduced European colonists to oysters whose popularity almost led to their extinction.

Jocelyn Perez, a naturalist who founded the nonprofit Herban Garden, will offer Mugwort: Their History and their Mystery on Thursday, June 17, at 7 pm.

Perez will inform on the Mugwort’s ecology, traditional uses, and associated herbal folklore — as people say the plant has a deep connection with the human psyche. As it’s considered to be invasive in New York City, she’ll also discuss how to mitigate its spread.

Susan Golden, a member of Hackensack Riverkeeper’s board of trustees, will present Environmental Issues of the 21st Century on Wednesday, June 23, at 7 pm.

The retired high school teacher will cover a variety of environmental issues and lead an interactive discussion on modern society’s relationship with the natural world. She’ll look at water pollution, invasive species, biodiversity, habitat, and other themes.

Presentations cost $10 each with the option attend all four of them for $35.