JBNHS strives to foster the study and enjoyment of natural history and to encourage conservation of natural resources. The organization reaches out to the general public via field trips, lectures, and a newsletter called The Chirp. Field trips, offered several times each month, cover a wide variety of interests including bird watching, flower identification, geology, insects, and herptiles. Walks take place throughout the county and adjacent areas, from the Hudson River to the Catskill Mountains.