Two weeks ago, I had planned to wander Shirley Chisolm with my friend Noah and take in the beauty of a wintry ocean moment and hopefully see some creatures. But of course the day of our hike snowfall turned into sleet and so we ended up wandering a much shorter distance to Pier 6 of Brooklyn Bridge Park. The creatures here were largely hidden, their presence announced by prints or chittering choruses of song in snow-covered trees. But it was still a grand old time, and I enjoyed looking at the prints of non-dog creatures and guessing who they might belong to.

I quickly learned I knew nothing about tracking, because my only guess was raccoon. (If any track-knowers want to weigh in, I would love to know which little fellows were trekking across this beautiful blanket of snow.)

Luckily I saw one bird, this hermit thrush. When I saw them, I thought, I think that’s a hermit thrush. And then I double-checked with bird-knowers, who confirmed my ID. I suppose it’s a fairly easy bird to recognize — Jamie told me to look for the reddish tail — but I still felt proud that I knew a bird that, several years ago, I did not know.

In the weeks since this walk, the city has been unbearably cold, too cold to walk outside for any other reason than sheer necessity, which is why I am extra in awe of everyone marching in Minneapolis in sub-zero temperatures in protest of the government’s violent occupation of the city. I mourn the murders of Renee Macklin Good and Alex Jeffrey Pretti by the hands of federal agents, as well as Keith Porter Jr, Luis Gustavo Núñez Cáceres, Geraldo Lunas Campos, Víctor Manuel Díaz, and Luis Beltrán Yáñez–Cruz, all of whom died this year either by federal agents or while in ICE custody. (This Guardian story shares more about each of these people’s life stories.) I can’t stop thinking about Liam Conejo Ramos, the five-year-old who was kidnapped into ICE detention in his blue bunny hat.

I am once again feeling baffled by how to write about creatures at a time when everything really fucking sucks. This week, Dan McQuade, my friend and colleague at Defector, died at the age of 43, leaving behind his wife and young son. Dan was diagnosed with neuroendocrine cancer in 2024, and I can’t believe he’s gone. Dan was a legend, basically the mayor of Philadelphia, and one of the most curious and generous and deeply good people I have been lucky enough to know. I hope to care about the people around me and the place I live half as much as Dan did. I will miss him dearly. The Defector site is currently devoted to some of Dan’s favorite blogs. My favorite might be “Livvy Rizzing Up Baby Gronk, Explained,” which, more than two years later, still slays me.

I have a feeling no one is doing well right now, and I hope you’re all taking care of yourselves and each other. There’s an ICE OUT general strike today, and protests today and tomorrow. Here is a list of some mutual aids in Minnesota where I’ve been donating, which include organizations on the frontlines as well as rent and food relief.

I hope the city’s nature and wildlife can offer you a respite in the coming weeks, if you can brave the cold. There’s plenty of winter waterfowl walks, some seal sightings (by boat and by land!), a winter insect identification walk that I am very curious about (what insects can you see this time of year?), and even some Valentine’s Day excursions. If the weather cooperates, there may be a special seal-themed Creatures NYC dispatch in a few weeks, so watch this space. If you’re also grieving, I am with you, and I send all the warmth I can.

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February

🐦 Birding in Peace at Green-Wood Cemetery: Feb 1 @ 7am. Experience Green-Wood before our gates open to the public and discover some of the birds that call the Cemetery their winter home. For species that migrate south after breeding, Brooklyn is their Miami during the colder months. This winter tour offers the chance to spot waterfowl, nuthatches, woodpeckers, sparrows, finches, and other birds that stick around for the season. $20, $16 for members.

🌰 Family Workshop - Build a Winter Bird Feeder at Green-Wood: Feb 1 @ 1pm. Come pick a peck of pinecones at Green-Wood and transform them into delicious winter treats for our feathered friends! We’ll wander through Green-Wood’s conifers, gathering their fallen pinecones for a DIY bird feeder project. Along the way, we’ll learn what pinecones are, how they vary from tree to tree, and, if we’re lucky, maybe even spot some birds. $15 adults, $12 members, $8 kids

🐦 Winter Birds with the Young Conservationists: Feb 7 @ 10am. Winter doesn’t mean the birding has to stop! Discover the birds that spend the colder months with us. Join Young Conservation Council member Ryan Mandelbaum this winter in a three part series: finches, gulls, and ducks. Registration required.

🦆 Winter Waterfowl at Baisley Pond Park, Queens: Feb 7 @ 10am. Our Urban Park Rangers will guide you to the best viewing spots in New York City to see winter waterfowl. Birding programs are an all-inclusive safe space and appropriate for all skill levels and beginners are welcome. Join the Urban Park Rangers and learn to identify migrating waterfowl that overwinter at Baisley Pond Park.

🦅 Hudson River EagleFest Eagle Spotting Station: Feb 7 @ 10am. Learn all about the bald eagle and its winter migration as we celebrate Teatown Hudson River EagleFest®, an annual celebration of bald eagle winter migration along the Hudson River. Keep watch with Hannah Kirshenbaum and Megan Thorton of NYC Queer Birders in addition to fellow birding enthusiasts for bald eagles and other birds of prey soaring over the Hudson River from the Kate French Terrace. Tickets to EagleFest required I think? I’m confused.

🌲 Winter Adaptations Discovery Hike in Crocheron Park: Feb 7 @ 11am. While many of us retreat indoors, the city’s flora and fauna have their own unique ways of adapting to the chilly months. Join the Urban Park Rangers on a walk to learn the resiliency that plants and animals have during the winter season.

🦌 Living With White Tailed Deer in Deere Park, Staten Island: Feb 7 @ 11am. Oh deer! Learn more about this majestic species and explore the park in search of signs and traces of its presence.

🐦 Family Birding at Wave Hill: Feb 7 @ 1pm. Embark on an avian adventure with Hannah Kirshenbaum from NYC Queer Birders on this special family bird walk during our EagleFest® celebrations. Learn all about the different traits and behaviors that make bald eagles so special as you search the skies and trees for eagles and other winter birds. Ages five and older welcome with an adult. Tickets to Wave Hill required.

🦭 Seal Exploration at Pelham Bay Park: Feb 7 @ 1pm. New York City is home to an amazing abundance of wildlife. Our Urban Park Rangers will guide you to the best wildlife viewing spots in the urban jungle. The Long Island Sound is home to a vibrant harbor seal community that overwinters in the warmer waters. Join the Urban Park Rangers to witness the harbor seals in their natural habitat off the shore of Orchard Beach and learn about these incredible marine mammals and their fascinating behaviors.

🦆 Winter Waterfowl at Central Park: Feb 7 @ 1pm. Our Urban Park Rangers will guide you to the best viewing spots in New York City to see winter waterfowl. Birding programs are an all-inclusive safe space and appropriate for all skill levels and beginners are welcome. Join the Urban Park Rangers and learn to identify migrating waterfowl that overwinter at the Jackie Kennedy Onassis Reservoir. Bring binoculars if you have them!

🐦 Winter Birding at Brookfield Park, Staten Island: Feb 8 @ 8am. Discover a diversity of wintering birds with longtime birder and Staten Island resident Anthony Ciancimino. Expect to see a variety of species of waterfowl and raptors that utilize the important marsh habitat found at the park. Registration encouraged.

🐦 Intro to Birding at Prospect Park with NYC Bird Alliance: Feb 8 @ 9am. Join NYC Bird Alliance in Brooklyn's Backyard, Prospect Park.  You’ll learn the basics and spot the residents and wintering species calling NYC home. Registration required, waitlist only.

🌾 Volunteer Landscaping and Cleanup at Ridgewood Reservoir: Feb 8 @ 10am. Join NYC H2O and the NYC Parks Department as we remove invasive plants and plant native plants at Ridgewood Reservoir! Registration required.

🦆 Winter Waterfowl at Gravesend Bay: Feb 8 @ 11am. Our Urban Park Rangers will guide you to the best viewing spots in New York City to see winter waterfowl. Birding programs are appropriate for all skill levels and beginners are welcome. Come see the birds and boats of Gravesend Bay with the Urban Park Rangers. Learn about the wildlife that visit the waters of New York every winter and the ships that ply the waters.

🐦 All About Woodpeckers in Forest Park: Feb 8 @ 1pm. Our Urban Park Rangers will guide you to the best viewing spots in New York City to see birds. Join the Urban Park Rangers as they guide you through the trails of Forest Park while highlighting the signs and tracks of woodpeckers. There are many species that can be seen (and heard) on our trails.

🐦 Birding in Peace at Green-Wood Cemetery: Feb 11 @ 7am. Experience Green-Wood before our gates open to the public and discover some of the birds that call the Cemetery their winter home. For species that migrate south after breeding, Brooklyn is their Miami during the colder months. This winter tour offers the chance to spot waterfowl, nuthatches, woodpeckers, sparrows, finches, and other birds that stick around for the season. $20, $16 for members.

🐦💝 You've Gotta Love Birds in Pelham Bay Park: Feb 14 @ 10am. Did you know almost 90% of bird species share lifelong partnerships? Join the Urban Park Rangers to learn about mating and courtship behaviors of our feathered friends at Pelham Bay Park during this season of love!

🌲💝 Valentines Day Love in Nature Hike in Blue Heron Park: Feb 14 @ 11am. Join the Urban Park Rangers in learning about the courtship habits of our local wildlife while taking a scenic stroll on the nature trails of Blue Heron Park.

🌲💝 Winter Tree ID: Feb 14 @ 11am. In this workshop, participants will learn key strategies for identifying trees during the winter months by focusing on branching patterns, bud structure, and bark. We’ll introduce some of the most common tree genera found throughout New York City’s streets and parks—such as Acer (maple), Tilia (linden), Quercus (oak), and Fraxinus (ash)—and explore how to recognize them without their leaves. Location TBD.

🐦💝 You Gotta Love Birds in Kissena Park: Feb 14 @ 12pm. This Valentine's Day, let's take a deeper look into the love lives of birds. Learn about courtship rituals, nest-building, parenting and other things birds do to attract and keep their mates.

🐦 Birding in Peace at Green-Wood Cemetery: Feb 15 @ 6:45am. Experience Green-Wood before our gates open to the public and discover some of the birds that call the Cemetery their winter home. For species that migrate south after breeding, Brooklyn is their Miami during the colder months. This winter tour offers the chance to spot waterfowl, nuthatches, woodpeckers, sparrows, finches, and other birds that stick around for the season. $20, $16 for members.

🦀 Exploring Wetlands at Floyd Bennett Field: Feb 15 @ 10am. Join us for Park Pals, a free early childhood family program for children ages 0–6 and their caregivers! This month’s session introduces little ones to salt marshes, estuaries, and the amazing animals that call them home, from horseshoe crabs and fiddler crabs to ducks, egrets, herons, osprey, and the mussels and marsh grasses that help hold the shoreline together. Families will enjoy a range of hands-on activities, including a themed read-aloud, eco-crafts, a guided nature walk to our shoreline, and playful sensory exploration inspired by the wetlands’ creatures and sounds.

🐦 Bald Eagle Watch in Riverdale Park: Feb 15 @ 11am. New York City is home to an amazing abundance of wildlife. Our Urban Park Rangers will guide you to the best wildlife viewing spots. Winter is a spectacular time for observing bald eagles in New York City parks. See if you can spot any on this adventure with our Urban Park Rangers.

🐦 Winter Birding at Rockaway: Feb 16 @ 11am. Join NYC Bird Alliance to explore the Rockaways with bird guide Russell Jacobs. Winter is a perfect time to get an upclose look at these beaches often closed during the summer months for breeding birds. Registration encouraged.

🐍 Meet the Critters at Inwood Hill Park: Feb 16 @ 1pm. Even when school's out, our parks are still the city's natural classroom! Bring your kids to parks throughout the city for Kids Week during Mid-Winter Recess. With programs led by our Urban Park Rangers, kids will get to experience nature in a hands-on and fun way. From stick bugs to snakes, meet the animals that call the center their home. Best for kids.

🐦 Winter Birding for Kids in Central Park: Feb 17 @ 1pm. Bring your kids to parks throughout the city during Mid-Winter Recess. With programs led by our Urban Park Rangers, kids will get to experience nature in a hands-on and fun way. Bird watching can be fun, especially during the winter season. Learn all about different ways to identify birds in our parks.

🐿️ Hibernation Staycation in Fort Greene Park: Feb 20 @ 11am. Bring your kids to parks throughout the city during Mid-Winter recess. Animals are going to sleep for the winter— gather around the fire and hear their stories. Where do they go? How do they stay warm? Bring your curiosity and find out with the Urban Park Rangers. Best for kids.

🦇 Bat Sanctuary Maintenance Day: Feb 21 @ 10am. Join Gotham Bat Conservancy in person for a hands-on volunteer day to inspect, clean, and prepare urban bat boxes, ensuring safe and welcoming homes for bats returning this Spring. Location, registration coming soon.

🌳 Bushwick Street Tree Care with Super Stewards: Feb 21 @ 10am. Come work with NYC Parks Stewardship and your friendly neighborhood Super Steward to care for local street trees! Volunteers will learn how to aerate, cultivate, mulch, and identify street trees. They will also learn about the important roles street trees play in New York City. Registration required, space limited.

🐿️ Winter Wildlife at Kissena Park: Feb 21 @ 1pm. Hundreds of animal species spend their winters in New York City parks. Learn how animals such as birds, squirrels, chipmunks and others survive the cold and the snow in this educational wildlife viewing adventure.

🐦 Birding in Peace at Green-Wood Cemetery: Feb 22 @ 6:45am. Experience Green-Wood before our gates open to the public and discover some of the birds that call the Cemetery their winter home. For species that migrate south after breeding, Brooklyn is their Miami during the colder months. This winter tour offers the chance to spot waterfowl, nuthatches, woodpeckers, sparrows, finches, and other birds that stick around for the season. $20, $16 for members.

🌲 Advanced Winter Tree ID in Forest Park: Feb 22 @ 11am. Trees have a special place in our environment. Join us for a hike of Forest Park and take a deeper dive into learning the intricacies of winter tree identification.

🦆 Winter Waterfowl at Pelham Bay Park: Feb 22 @ 1pm. Winter is a great time to learn more about our migratory duck species! Join the Rangers on a walk around Orchard Beach Boardwalk to explore the unusual world of winter waterfowl!

🐛 Winter Insect Scavenger Hunt in Idlewild Park, Queens: Feb 22 @ 1pm. Ever wondered where insects go in the winter? Curious about bugs even though they give you the heebie jeebies? Take advantage of the unique opportunity that winter provides to learn about bugs while they’re inactive. Join the Urban Park Rangers on a hands-on exploration into the secret life of bugs. Learn about the work of Black scientists who saw beauty in even the lowliest of critters.

🦉 Owls at Blue Heron Park, Staten Island: Feb 22 @ 5pm. Discover how owls have adapted to thriving in the nocturnal environment. This program is sure to be a hoot!

🦆 Winter Birds with the Young Conservationists, Ducks: Feb 28 @ 10am. Join Young Conservation Council member Ryan Mandelbaum this winter in a three part series: finches, gulls, and ducks. This outing, we'll focus on the ducks found at Jamaica Bay. Winter is a great time to spot migrating ducks as they gather on the open water making it easy to spot! Registration required.

🌳 Greenpoint Street Tree Care with Super Stewards: Feb 28 @ 10am. Come work with NYC Parks Stewardship and your friendly neighborhood Super Stewards to care for local street trees!  Volunteers will learn how to aerate, cultivate, mulch, and identify street trees. They will also learn about the important roles street trees play in New York City. Space is limited and registration is required.

🌳 West Harlem Street Tree Care with Super Stewards: Feb 28 @ 10am. Come work with NYC Parks Stewardship and your friendly neighborhood Super Steward to care for local street trees! Volunteers will learn how to aerate, cultivate, mulch, and identify street trees. They will also learn about the important roles street trees play in New York City. Space is limited and registration is required.

👣 Animal Tracking in Central Park: Feb 28 @ 1pm. Join the Rangers to unravel the mysteries of wildlife behavior, migration patterns, and ecological interactions. As humans, we have been captivated by the footprints, scat, and other traces left behind by animals, using these clues to gain insights into their secretive lives.

🐦 Birding in East Harlem Esplanade with EsplanadeFriends: Feb 28 @ 10am. Join NYC Bird Alliance and EsplanadeFriends to discover the East Harlem Esplanade and its adjacent green spaces. Expect to see many water birds right off the coast. Registration required.

Ongoing:

🦭⛵ Classic Harbor Line Seals, Seabirds, and Winter Wildlife Ecocruise: On this NYC boat ride, our expert tour guides and renowned Urban Naturalists, Gabriel Willow or Russell Jacobs, will regale you with fascinating tales of these iconic islands and historic waterways. They'll illuminate the stories of the migrating birds who inhabit the harbor this time of year. Once used as islands for quarantining immigrants with contagious diseases in the 19th century, Swinburne and Hoffman are modern day 'abandoned islands', reclaimed by nature as a breeding ground for birds, and a winter 'haul out' destination for Gray Seals and Harbor Seals. (This is an affiliate link, so if you buy a ticket I will receive a commission.)

🪼 Open Hours at the Environmental Education Center at Brooklyn Bridge Park: Get to know Brooklyn Bridge Park with monthly educational themes, a 250 gallon aquarium filled with critters from the East River, a 10’ scale model of Brooklyn Bridge Park, crafts, a reading corner, and much more. Open weekly on Thursdays 3-5 PM, Fridays 3-5 PM, and Saturdays 1-5 PM.

🦪 Shoreline Cleanup with the Billion Oyster Project: On Thursdays at 2pm, loin us in collecting debris from New York City's shorelines to prevent it from re-entering the waterways when the tide returns. This is important in achieving our goal of protecting the biodiversity that lives near our reef sites.

🌹 New York Restoration Project: Everyone deserves access to high-quality public green space. If you’re interested in forest stewardship, volunteer with the NYRP in the parks of northern Manhattan clearing invasive plants, mulching, and clearing litter. Volunteer dates listed in the link above. Registration required.