We have been celebrating the great outdoors throughout this show. While it's nice to have the time to travel to a classic pastoral setting to relax, urbanites want some nature, too, without all the packing and planning. If that's you, contributor Jim Metzner has a suggestion: bird watching in the big city.

Birdwatching in the Park

By Jim Metzner, 5/17/2002

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Call it a day trip, a cheap thrill, or a welcome respite. This month is the perfect time to journey to an unexpected realm that's filled with an ever-changing cast of colorful characters. It affords the opportunity to get a moderate amount of exercise and even learn another language. You could begin almost anywhere, from your own backyard -- or even from the heart of New York City, in Central Park, just a walk down the path from the boathouse, past the cyclists and the rollerbladers and the joggers...

Savvy Resources: Birding in New York http://www2.birdersworld.com/hotspots/NYcity/NYcity.html American Birding Association http://www.americanbirding.org/ Birdsource http://birdsource.cornell.edu/