Upcoming Tour

On Sunday, November 1, 2015, Newtown Historical Society will be offering a special nature and history tour of the Ridgewood Reservoir starting at 9am in the main parking lot on Vermont Place at Highland Park. We will view the historic structures in the recently renovated park, observe the natural world and discuss its future.

You can take public transportation to Highland Park. The B13 bus stops along Cypress Hills Street and the Q56 stops along Jamaica Avenue. The Cleveland Street stop on the J train is 3 blocks from the park. Or, you can drive or bike.

This tour will be led by special guest Rob Jett, author of The City Birder.

This tour is 100% FREE and will be a great experience for children and adults alike. For more info or to RSVP, write to NewtownHistory@gmail.com or call 718-366-3715.

You may wish to bring binoculars and cameras.


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Open House New York reservoir tours

In collaboration with NYC H2O, this year's Open House New York will feature tours of the reservoir. From their website:

Ridgewood Reservoir

Saturday, October 17: 10:00 am
Sunday, October 18: 10:00 am
Architect: City of Brooklyn, ca. 1850s.
Additional: NYC H2O

While the Central Park Reservoir was built in the 1850’s to supply the growing City of New York, the Ridgewood Reservoir was built to supply the rapidly expanding City of Brooklyn. It was supplied by reservoirs and wells further east on Long Island and connected via an aqueduct that ran under Conduit Avenue. The reservoir was made obsolete by the activation of the Delaware Aqueduct in 1955 and was drained in the 1980’s. Since that time proposals to develop the old reservoir basins were never realized. All the while nature worked its magic and grew a forest which is now a refuge to 200 species of birds.

Tour guides will include: Matt Malina, the Director and Founder of NYC H2O; Jonathan Turer, the School Program Manager for NYC H2O; Ken Chaya, an avid urban naturalist, educator, and designer and co-creator of the tree map of Central Park, "Central Park Entire;" http://www.centralparknature.com/; Rob Jett, the blogger behind "The City Birder", New York City's longest running birding blog; and Adam J Schwartz, an educator and NYC H2O advisor.

RESERVATIONS REQUIRED
Saturday: Reserve Tickets
Sunday: Reserve Tickets


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