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Even though we call them “crabs,” horseshoe crabs are not true crabs. They have a hard shell, many legs underneath, and a long tail called a telson. The tail may look dangerous, but it is not a weapon. Horseshoe crabs use it for balance and to help turn themselves over if they get flipped upside down.

Hi, my name is Sare. I am a young wildlife ambassador, and I studied Monarch butterflies and milkweed. Monarchs are easy to recognize because of their beautiful orange-and-black wings, but what interested me most was not their color. It was their journey—and the one plant they cannot live without. Every year, Monarchs from the eastern United States and Canada make an incredible migration toward the mountains of central Mexico. Some travel thousands of miles. In New York, we c

Black Skimmers are very interesting birds because they catch fish in a way that almost no other bird does. Their lower beak is longer than the upper beak. When they fly over the water, they put the lower part of their beak into the water and skim across the surface. When the beak touches a fish, it quickly snaps shut. That is how they catch their food!

An oyster can spend almost its entire adult life sitting in one place... and still do an incredible amount of work. It can filter water, create habitat for other animals, and even help protect shorelines. That made me wonder: Could oysters actually help New York Harbor?

Before I started learning about menhaden, I had never really thought about them. They are small, silver fish. They do not have giant teeth. They are not colorful like tropical fish. Most people probably would not stop and say, “Wow, look at that menhaden!”

Hi, my name is Izabella. I am a young wildlife ambassador, and I studied sandpipers. At first, a sandpiper might look like just a little brown bird running along the edge of the water. But the more I learned about them, the more amazing they became. Some sandpipers travel thousands of miles every year. They cross beaches, wetlands, bays, and even countries just to find food, rest, and eventually reach the places where they raise their babies. For such tiny birds, that is a ve

Piping Plovers are tiny shorebirds with sandy-colored feathers, orange legs, and a small black band around their neck. They are only about the size of a sparrow. Their color helps them hide on the beach, which is great for staying safe—but it also makes them very hard for people to see.