Amanda Salazar

An iguana sits high on a thin branch. Schools of small, silver fish dart around a wide tank. And two North American turkeys stroll around a backyard pen. This is the backdrop that students who visit the Genovesi Environmental Study Center (GESC) in Bergen Beach learn against.

Around 30 Mill Basin residents crowded into the warm basement of Mary Queen of Heaven Church, at 1304 East 57th Street, to eat complimentary chocolate cheesecake and discuss community happenings at the November 12th meeting of the Mill Basin Civic Association (MBCA).

Fall is in full swing. Tree leaves are changing colors, and pumpkins line doorsteps. You can make your own fall scene. These clings use glue, dish soap, and food coloring to stick to windows!

November 11 is a day to remember. In the United States, it is Day. In Canada and other nations, it is Remembrance Day. It’s a time to thank veterans for their work. Red poppy flowers have been a symbol of veterans’ bravery since World War I in the 1910s. Poppies grew on battlefields. The red color represents the blood of war. It also shows that beauty can grow in scary times. “Grow” your own paper poppy for veterans.

As many local birders will tell you, birds are an integral part of the ecosystem. With cardinals, blue jays, sparrows, the classic New York City pigeon and many other species in the area, birds are as much a part of the local community as the residents are. The Salt Marsh Alliance hosted the Wild Bird Fund (WBF) on Sunday, November 3rd, for a presentation on the role birds play in the environment. The event was held at the Salt Marsh Nature Center, located at 3301 Avenue U.

Scholarships, crime and housing were the talk of the town at the Flatlands Civic Club, Inc.’s (FCC) Thursday, October 24th meeting over Zoom.

A face painter carefully painted an image on a child’s forehead. Toddlers ran around a makeshift pumpkin patch, looking for the perfect gourd. Two boys dressed as the mascots for the Captain Crunch and Lucky Charms cereals showed off their costumes to a crowd.

Bats are a sign of Halloween. From decorations to costumes, they pop up everywhere. You can make your own bat buddy. Learn to make bats out of coffee filters and clothespins!

A massive werewolf howls under a full moon. An army of skeletons reach over a balcony railing. An undead pirate steers a ship through a sea of blue lights. This is the scene at Brooklyn’s Home for the Holidays, a private home in Georgetown that goes all out for Halloween and every major holiday with huge decorations.

It’s no secret that western Queens is a hotspot for small businesses, especially food businesses. Restaurants, bars, ice cream parlors — these types of establishments are a specialty and a staple of the community. Yet another thing the area does well are coffee shops. Here are 10 coffee shops in western Queens for you to try.

Books, binders, and backpacks… and don’t forget your bookbag bling! With plastic lanyard string, you can make keychains for your bag. One pattern is the “Chinese staircase.” It looks like a spiral staircase. Read on to make your own staircase keychain!

As the summer heat turns on full blast this August, these western Queens ice cream shops are bringing the cool. Whether you’re a cup or cone person, a soft serve or hard scoop stan, or a float or milkshake afficionado, these eight local businesses have a sweet treat for every New Yorker.

Two decades in, there’s no evidence that school weigh-ins do anything but make kids uncomfortable. /// This article was originally published by Undark Magazine.

For years, evidence has grown that school BMI screenings aren’t helpful and can even be harmful. Why do they persist?

At the end of a long day at work, some people want nothing more than to order some takeout and eat dinner on the couch. Another breed of people, however, look forward to cooking a meal when they get home. For some, cooking isn’t a chore but something soothing, de-stressing, and creative.