About
Alley Pond Environmental Center Youth Nature & Outdoor Education Programs take place at an environmental education center that includes an apiary, an outdoor classroom, the Douglaston Windmill, and an education building with classrooms and a collection of live animals. Public programs are available for visitors of all ages, from 18 months to seniors, and guests are welcome to attend nature-oriented programs and visit the center’s animal ambassadors. APEC is not a wildlife rescue or rehabilitator and is not licensed to handle wild animals or take in injured or orphaned wildlife.
• Ages: 1–18 years old
• Schedule: Most weekdays, Monday–Friday, 9:00 am to 4:30 pm, and most weekends, 9:00 am to 1:00 pm
• Price: Parking and entrance to the building and grounds is free, with a suggested donation of $5 per person
The Alley Pond Environmental Center was established within Alley Pond Park in 1972 and moved to its present location on Northern Boulevard in 1976. In 1974, the Parks Department created the Wetlands Reclamation Project, and in 1979, APEC was designated a National Environmental Study Area. APEC has been educating children and adults in the New York metropolitan area for over 50 years and now hosts over 60,000 visitors each year, with school programs serving students from the five boroughs of New York City as well as Nassau and Suffolk counties.
A group of determined educators and activists, led by Douglaston residents Hy and Joan Rosner, envisioned the damaged landscape as a wildlife refuge and living lab for environmental education. APEC was established as a result of grassroots organizing and a partnership with the New York City Department of Parks and Recreation, with much volunteer help by community activists and support by the Parks Department helping to make the center operational.
The Alley Pond Environmental Center, a nonprofit environmental education organization, is dedicated to educating children and adults in the New York metropolitan area, protecting and preserving Alley Pond Park, open spaces and waterbodies, and advocating for sustainable environmental policies and practices. The building is ADA accessible, and the building and animal room are open to the public 7 days a week, except for major holidays. The parking lot and walking trails are open from dawn to dusk year round, even when the center is closed.
Last updated April 17, 2026.
• Ages: 1–18 years old
• Schedule: Most weekdays, Monday–Friday, 9:00 am to 4:30 pm, and most weekends, 9:00 am to 1:00 pm
• Price: Parking and entrance to the building and grounds is free, with a suggested donation of $5 per person
The Alley Pond Environmental Center was established within Alley Pond Park in 1972 and moved to its present location on Northern Boulevard in 1976. In 1974, the Parks Department created the Wetlands Reclamation Project, and in 1979, APEC was designated a National Environmental Study Area. APEC has been educating children and adults in the New York metropolitan area for over 50 years and now hosts over 60,000 visitors each year, with school programs serving students from the five boroughs of New York City as well as Nassau and Suffolk counties.
A group of determined educators and activists, led by Douglaston residents Hy and Joan Rosner, envisioned the damaged landscape as a wildlife refuge and living lab for environmental education. APEC was established as a result of grassroots organizing and a partnership with the New York City Department of Parks and Recreation, with much volunteer help by community activists and support by the Parks Department helping to make the center operational.
The Alley Pond Environmental Center, a nonprofit environmental education organization, is dedicated to educating children and adults in the New York metropolitan area, protecting and preserving Alley Pond Park, open spaces and waterbodies, and advocating for sustainable environmental policies and practices. The building is ADA accessible, and the building and animal room are open to the public 7 days a week, except for major holidays. The parking lot and walking trails are open from dawn to dusk year round, even when the center is closed.
Last updated April 17, 2026.
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