Join NYC Bird Alliance (formerly NYC Audubon), Bronx River Alliance, and Billion Oyster Project for a special event featuring not only birds but also oysters! This guided tour takes paddlers through the lower saltwater portion of the Bronx River (to the river mouth and back), featuring a duality of estuarine and urban habitat that is also home to an oyster bed regularly monitored by Billion Oyster Project and Bronx River Alliance. Come and learn how birds, oysters, and other wildlife coexist and depend on the Bronx River for resources. Binoculars and other equipment will be provided. 

Paddlers will have the option of a canoe (for doubles and families) or a single-person kayak. Solo paddlers will be given priority for our limited number of kayaks. The Bronx River Alliance will provide boats, paddles, life jackets, and a basic paddling safety orientation prior to getting on the water. We ask that participants wear appropriate athletic clothing that may get wet, including closed toe shoes! A ziploc bag to protect phones or other essentials is also a great idea. We strongly recommend that participants bring a reuseable water bottle and a snack for their time out on the water.

This is a paid event. Register here. This event will start and end at the Concrete Plant Park Boat Launch, located at Westchester Ave, Bronx, NY 10472. All participants must fill out and sign a separate release waiver from the Bronx River Alliance before getting on the water.

Accessibility and Directions:

Concrete Plant Park consists of a paved greenway with a slight incline. There are NO restrooms or parking on site. Stops for the 6 subway line and Bx4 bus are nearby

Please note that the section of the river on which we will travel is influenced by tides, current, and winds. Due to variable river conditions and the possibility of encountering some boat traffic, we limit this paddle to participants aged 14 years or older. This is an intermediate level paddle and we recommend that paddlers have some basic canoe or kayak experience for this particular trip.

Photo: Paddlers spot a Great Blue Heron on the shore of the Bronx River during a 2023 Birding by Boat event. Credit: Christian Murphy/Bronx River Alliance.