Wave Hill Weekly Events (May 15 – May 22) | Wings Over Wave Hill

Our trees sway in the wind and tell us ancient secrets in their spring blooms. A testament to the ongoing cycles of transformation and growth. Come to the gardens and walk along the woodland trail, curving and bending around the perimeter of Wave Hill. A slice of history lingers up here in the Bronx and the rings in the tree trunks and stumps long to share their wisdom with each and every visitor.   

 

Stop by this weekend and join in on the festivities for our feathered friends around the garden! Our New York native birds make their return while others simply pass through, big and small, Wave Hill is excited to honor the birds that sing their songs and are a staple in our communities.   

 

 

Wings Over Wave Hill 

Sun, May 18, All Day 

Join us for a full day of amazing bird encounters! Our popular annual falconry demonstration returns and there’s fun for all ages with hands-on activities, walks and presentations. Gain knowledge of these birds from our naturalists and expert birds to reveal and explain their activities. 

 

 

Nature: 

 

Intro to Spring Birding 

Sun, May 18, 9:30AM – 11:00AM  

Registration encouraged.     

Look for our residents and rare birds that flock to our gardens and woodlands for the season with birders Gabriel Willow and Ryan Mandelbaum guiding you through the grounds. Beginning birders are encouraged to join all levels are welcome!    

 

Garden Highlights Walk 

Sun, May 18, 1:00PM – 2:00PM  

Free with admission to the grounds  

Registration not required.     

Join a knowledgeable Wave Hill Garden Guide for a leisurely stroll in the gardens. Discuss topics of the upcoming season with the expertise of the Guide; each walk varies with the Guide leading it. This walk lasts a half-hour to 45 minutes. Public Garden Walks are most appropriate for adults or young adults. 

 

Falconry Presentation: Skyhunters in Flight 

Sun, May 18, 2:30PM – 3:30PM   

Registration encouraged 

Birds of prey (also called raptors) include hawks, owls, falcons and other birds that catch and kill their prey. See live raptors from around the world and hear about the adaptations that make them so amazing! Brian and Teddy Bradley introduce some of their favorite feathered friends! 

 

Documenting Urban Nature in support of Wild NYC 

Sun, May 18, 4:30PM – 5:30PM   

Free with admission to the grounds 

Registration encouraged 

Come join us for an introduction to thinking about New York City as nature—and how to document it. Nature educator and author Ryan Mandelbaum will teach us how to study New York’s critters using old and new tools given. Then we'll have an introduction to nature illustration with illustrator Chelsea Beck.   

 

 

Family:  

 

Family Art Project: Painting to Migratory Birdsongs 

Sat, May 17, 10:00AM – 1:00PM 

Sun, May 18, 10:00AM – 1:00PM   

Free with admission to the grounds  

Registration not required. 

Migrating birds pass over Wave Hill each spring, singing and warbling as they go. With the music of migratory birds for inspiration, sculpt and paint your own feathered friends. At 11:30am families can enjoy a storytime program in the Gund Theater for a special Mother’s Day reading. 

 

Meet the Raptors! 

Sun, May 18, 1:00PM – 2:00PM   

Registration encouraged 

Birds of prey (also called raptors) include hawks, owls, falcons and other birds that catch and kill their prey. See live raptors from around the world and hear about the adaptations that make them so amazing! Brian and Teddy Bradley introduce some of their favorite feathered friends! 

 

  

Wellness: 

 

Yoga in the Garden  

Sun, May 18, 10:00AM – 11:00AM  

Registration encouraged.     

Root your feet in the grass and look out upon the vistas as you enjoy a gentle beginner yoga class led by Susie Caramanica. 

 

 

Special Events: 

 

Afternoon Tea 

Thurs, May 15, 11:00AM – 1:30PM  

Tues, May 20, 11:00AM – 1:30PM 

7 Day Advanced Booking Required 

Every Tuesday and Thursday at 11:00AM or 1:30PM, enjoy delicious tea sandwiches and delectable pastries with a specialty tea selection served on our Kate French Terrace, weather permitting, or in our quaint Tea Room at the historic Wave Hill House. Provided by our exclusive partner Great Performances, the menu uses local and seasonal ingredients, inspired by their own organic farm, Katchkie Farm. Due to the nature of the event, no substitutions or changes are available. 

  

 

HOURS STARTING MARCH 15: 10AM–5:30PM, Tuesday–Sunday  

Shuttle Service Free from Subway and Metro-North, Saturday–Sunday 

Information at 718.549.3200. On the web at wavehill.org.   

Cameroonian Man Indicted for Conspiring to Provide Material Support to Armed Separatist Fighters to Murder, Kidnap, and Maim Individuals in Cameroon and For Making Threats

 

Raised Funds to Supply AK-47s to Separatist Groups

A federal grand jury in Baltimore returned an indictment charging a Cameroonian national residing in Maryland, Eric Tataw, also known as “the Garri Master,” 38, of Gaithersburg, Maryland, with conspiring to provide material support to armed separatist militias in Cameroon and threatening violence against Cameroonian civilians. He surrendered and will make his initial court appearance before U.S. Magistrate Judge J. Mark Coulson.

According to court documents, multiple armed and violent secessionist groups in the Northwest and Southwest regions of Cameroon are fighting to form a new country called “Ambazonia.” The armed separatist militias sought to achieve secession by not only attacking the Cameroonian military, but also intentionally attacking the civilian population in Cameroon in an attempt to force the Cameroonian government into allowing these regions to secede. These separatist fighters are frequently referred to as “Amba Boys.”

“The defendant is alleged to have ordered horrific acts of violence, including severing limbs, against Cameroonian civilians in support of a violent secessionist movement,” said Matthew R. Galeotti, Head of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division. “This indictment represents the Justice Department’s commitment to hold accountable human rights violators who direct brutal political violence and fundraise for armed militias from the comfort of the United States.”

“The Justice Department will not tolerate those who help murder, maim, and kidnap,” said Sue J. Bai, Head of the Justice Department’s National Security Division. “We will continue to hold accountable those who aim to turn American soil into a staging ground for political violence abroad.”

“Tataw and his co-conspirators masterminded and financially supported a vicious scheme to overthrow a foreign government. They resorted to an unthinkable level of violence while instilling fear in innocent victims to advance their political agenda,” said U.S. Attorney Kelly O. Hayes for the District of Maryland. “We, along with our law enforcement partners, are committed to relentlessly pursuing anyone who attempts to inflict mayhem on others. Tataw and his co-conspirators demonstrated a total disregard for human life so now they must pay the price.”

As alleged in the indictment, Tataw was a citizen of Cameroon living in Maryland and was a member of the Cameroonian diaspora with a large social media following. Beginning in April 2018, Tataw and others sought to raise funds for the Amba Boys to finance violent attacks in Cameroon. Tataw also allegedly called for the murder, kidnapping, and maiming of civilians and the destruction of public, educational, and cultural property in Cameroon. Tataw and his co-conspirators allegedly directed the maiming of Cameroonian civilians by severing their limbs, a practice Tataw called “Garriing.” Tataw allegedly used the phrase “small Garri” to refer to removing fingers or other small appendages and the phrase “large Garri” to refer to removing large limbs or killing people. Additionally, Tataw allegedly referred to himself as the “Garri Master,” or master of mutilation.

Tataw and his co-conspirators allegedly targeted those believed to be working for or collaborating with the government, including municipal officials, traditional chiefs, and employees of the Cameroon Development Corporation (CDC), a public company that grew, processed, and sold bananas, palm oil, and rubber. As alleged, Tataw personally wrote hundreds of social media posts on Facebook, YouTube, and Twitter calling for attacks against Cameroonian civilians, seeking to raise funds to arm Amba Boys, and threatening those he viewed as cooperating with the government of Cameroon. These social media posts were regularly viewed by tens of thousands of people, including Amba Boys and their leaders, and were often further disseminated by third parties allegedly acting at Tataw’s direction or encouragement.

Tataw is charged with one count of conspiracy to provide material support and four counts of interstate communication of a threat to harm. If convicted, he faces a maximum penalty of 15 years in prison on the material support count and five years in prison on each count of communication of a threat to harm. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.

Matthew R. Galeotti, Head of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division; Sue J. Bai, Head of the Justice Department’s National Security Division; U.S. Attorney Kelly O. Hayes for the District of Maryland; and Special Agent in Charge Michael McCarthy of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement Homeland Security Investigations (ICE HSI) Maryland made the announcement.

HSI and the U.S. Department of State’s Diplomatic Security Service, with assistance from the FBI, are investigating the case.

Trial Attorney Chelsea Schinnour of the Criminal Division’s Human Rights and Special Prosecutions Section, Assistant U.S. Attorney Christina Hoffman and Joseph Wenner for the District of Maryland, and Trial Attorneys Michael Dittoe and Andrew Briggs of the National Security Division’s Counterterrorism Section are prosecuting the case, with assistance from the Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs.

An indictment is merely an allegation. The defendant is presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.

DEC and Adirondack Mountain Reserve Announce Start of 2025 Parking Reservation System

 

Parking Reservations Required May 1 to Oct. 31

The New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) and Adirondack Mountain Reserve (AMR) announced the parking reservation system to promote safe access to trails in the Route 73 corridor will resume May 1. Based on improved safety conditions in the corridor and positive user experiences, the ongoing reservation system is no longer considered a pilot, with features being adaptively managed to help further enhance its effectiveness as needed.

“DEC remains committed to partnering with the Adirondack Mountain Reserve to offer safe and accessible entry to this busy Adirondack corridor,” Regional Director, Joe Zalewski said. “This system improves public safety and public access – making it a win-win for those travelling to explore the unparalleled natural beauty of the Adirondacks.” 

Alongside the active pilot program, researchers Dr. Jill Weiss and Deanna Sullivan of SUNY College of Environmental Science and Forestry (WeissLab) gathered data from 2021 to 2023 about the system and recreational users accessing the AMR lot using the parking reservation system. Their final report and recommendations can be read here.

The AMR lands in the town of Keene, Essex County, are not owned by the State of New York. However, DEC and AMR have a long-standing conservation easement agreement that allows public access for hiking. To support public access and recreation on the privately owned 7,000-acre property, AMR voluntarily expanded its parking lot from the 20 spots originally noted in the easement agreement with the State to 70 spots. This parking expansion allowed DEC and AMR working in partnership to develop a parking reservation system that provides for sufficient and safe public parking at this popular hiking destination. 

From May 1 through Oct. 31, reservations are required to access the parking lot, trailheads, and trails located on the AMR property. Parking reservations are available at no cost and must be obtained for single-day or overnight use. Seventy reservations, including overnight reservations, are available per day.  

Walk-in users without a reservation are not permitted. Reservations are also required for access to the Noonmark and Round Mountain trailheads located on AMR property. The reservation system is now open for new bookings for the 2025 season. Users can make a reservation as far as two weeks in advance on a 24-hour rolling basis. 

Each year since the program began in 2021, DEC and AMR have adapted it to better accommodate visitor needs. New this year, same day reservations can be made up to 4 a.m. instead of 12 hours prior to the reservation time. Reminder emails go out to reservation holders in advance of their designated time asking them to confirm or cancel. If a reservation is cancelled, the reservation immediately becomes available on AMR’s website. Reservations open frequently, so users are encouraged to check hikeamr.org often if reservations are not available on their chosen date. Additionally, to respond to concerns about empty parking spaces as a result of no-shows, this year AMR and DEC will accept reservations slightly beyond lot capacity to help offset the no-shows. DEC and AMR continue to evaluate ways to comprehensively accommodate more users in the event of no-shows. 

More than 65,000 users have registered at AMR’s website to make parking reservations since the system’s launch. In 2024, the reservation system accepted 16,918 reservations. There were 4,531 reservation cancellations, and of that 4,088 were rebooked through AMR’s updated system.

DEC and AMR continue to work together to adaptively manage the program to improve public safety, ensure equitable access, and promote sustainable use of this popular hiking destination. Learn more about the Adirondack Mountain Reserve tract on DEC's website. For a list of frequently asked questions and to register, visit hikeamr.org.

Trails Less Traveled 

While there are many popular hiking trails in New York State, there are also many hidden treasures just waiting to be visited. These are places that you won't see all over social media, and you won't have trouble finding a place to park when you arrive. Check out DEC’s website to find Trails Less Traveled and alternate hiking locations for all abilities.  

State lands are shared by all New Yorkers. When in the woods, remember to Love Our New York Lands by recreating responsibly, planning ahead, and practicing Leave No Trace™. 

Hike Smart and follow these safety guidelines: 

• Be aware of changing weather conditions - if the weather worsens, head out of the woods. 

• Choose trails that provide high water bridges or avoid stream crossings all together. 

• Stream levels can drastically change from the morning to the afternoon. The stream you cross at the start of your hike may be impassable when you return. Carry a pack with all 10 hiking essentials. Pack multiple headlamps with extra batteries.  

• Carry plenty of food and water. Eat, drink and rest often. Being tired, hungry or dehydrated makes you more susceptible to hypothermia. 

• Know the terrain and your physical capabilities. 

• Never travel alone and always inform someone of your intended route and return time.