Volunteers have built birdhouses to help attract migrating birds to the Narrows Botanical Gardens in Bay Ridge.

"This is just wood that we found in the neighborhood, and we constructed birdhouses so that they can use them to make nests," Jimmy Johnson, the co-founder and vice president of the Narrows Botanical Gardens, said.

The gardens are located on a once neglected piece of parkland along the Belt Parkway that was transformed by volunteers starting in 1995. It is now home to wide variety of plants and wildlife, including birds.

"They need insects to eat and they need housing," Johnson said.

Even during the winter months, there is activity at the gardens. In the greenhouse, native plants are grown by Richard Haugland, and baby turtles are being raised too. It is all in anticipation of spring at Narrows Botanical.

Johnson says it will not be long before the gardens are bursting with color.

"I'm going to say one or two more weeks and this garden is going to explode with beautiful flowers," Johnson said.

Johnson says the nonprofit is always looking for volunteers to help in a variety of ways.