Van Cortlandt Park, at the northern end of the 1 line in the Bronx, has a full week of hands-on programs coming up, and every one of them is free. Volunteers can plant native trees along Turtle Creek or repair the park's trails, a beginner running group is building toward a 5K, and the Urban Park Rangers are teaching families how to build a fire.

Floodplain Forest Fridays: native trees along Turtle Creek

The Van Cortlandt Park Alliance is running volunteer tree plantings on Friday mornings, starting Friday, Nov. 13, from 9 a.m. to noon. Volunteers plant native trees supplied by NYC Parks along Turtle Creek and cut back invasive phragmites, the tall reed that crowds out native plants in wet ground, by hand.

The group meets outside the Alliance's offices at the Golf House, next to the bathrooms, at 9 a.m. and heads to the worksite by 9:15. Tools, gloves and guidance are provided and no experience is needed. Expect mud: the Alliance asks volunteers to wear long sleeves, long pants, boots that can get dirty and warm layers, and to bring water. Further sessions run Nov. 20 and Dec. 4, 11 and 18. Sign-up is through the Alliance's volunteer page.

Trail Work Thursdays

On Thursday, Nov. 12, and again on Nov. 19, volunteers work on the park's trail network from 9 a.m. to noon: clearing debris and overgrowth, closing unofficial paths and doing erosion control. The meeting point is the Alliance's Learning Garden at 9 a.m., with a hike to the site at 9:15. Tools and gloves are supplied; sturdy closed-toe shoes are required. Questions go to the Alliance at 718-601-1460.

A running group for people who are not runners yet

Shape Up NYC's running group meets Friday, Nov. 13, from 10 to 11 a.m. at Broadway and 251st Street. It is set up for beginners and uses walk and run intervals, adding running time at a comfortable pace each session, with a 5K as the goal. Instructor Tonya Montero leads it. It is free, with registration through NYC Parks.

Outdoor Skills: fire building with the Rangers

On Saturday, Nov. 14, from 11 a.m. to noon, the Urban Park Rangers lead a session at the Van Cortlandt Nature Center on what can be used to build a fire and the different ways to put one together. The program is family-friendly and recommended for ages 8 and up. No registration is needed; the Rangers can be reached at 718-548-0912.

Getting there

The 1 train ends at Van Cortlandt Park-242nd Street, across Broadway from the park's southwest corner. The running group's meeting point at Broadway and 251st Street is a short walk north along Broadway. For the tree planting and the trail work, the Alliance's sign-up pages give the exact meeting spots; arrive a few minutes before 9 a.m., since both groups leave for their worksites at 9:15.

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