First big snow of the 25-26 winter season. And oh how sweet it was! After playing around in the snow (we even ended up on the news…) for a couple of hours, we gathered to make our way south to the Prospect Park lake in search of geese.

Along the way, we walked silently, observing the tranquil vibrancy of the park in snowfall. We honked like geese, waved hello to some ducks, and chatted about migration and seasonality. Finally, just when my toes were surely starting to turn purple, we spied our beloved geese! In one of the few non-frozen parts of the lake, a true gaggle of geese, ducks, swans, and coots all crowded in. While there, we chatted with someone from the wild bird fund about a recent dog attack and observed the water fowl in their habitat.

As we might expect, some geese migrate for the winter, but these ones are residents. Year-round, they honk around Prospect Park and neighboring areas, just like us. Thus concluded our fall-winter 2025 Monthly Molting series, in which we explored the urban ecology of NYC through practices of being in wonder and curiosity towards four fellow city-dwellers: the Eastern Gray Squirrel, American Persimmon, Ginkgo Biloba, and Canada Goose. In doing so, we came to more closely relate to the ways our urban ecology shifts with the seasons, and us alongside it.

Now it’s nearing the end of the year, and new explorations are on the horizon. But first, perhaps a lesson from the creatures all bundled up for the winter. As we move away from the longest night of the year, the winter solstice, these beings remind us that maybe end-of-year insanity is just that — insanity. Maybe we should be slowing down alongside our metabolisms, burying our nuts for the winter dark, shedding our leaves all at once, and honking together in the little patches of unfrozen ice around us.

Happy winter solstice, new year, and other holidays, to those who celebrate :) See you in 2026!