I'm nuts for chipmunks
Last month has made me feel like the universe is atoning for the fact that it rained nearly every weekend this summer. The sun has been Out. The sky has been Clear. And the leaves? The leaves have been Turning!! I grew up in northern California, which means I have absolutely no chill about fall in New York. I take long walks in my neighborhood and step on every leaf. A single visit to Prospect Park is enough to quench my parched psychic well. I am not a very good birder, so I haven’t really seen many of the birds that have been migrating through the city, but I’m sure I’ve heard them during walks along the park, and their songs have made my fall all the more beautiful.
The creatures I have seen this month are eastern chipmunks. They are another East Coast feature I have absolutely no chill about. I grew up seeing squirrels, thinking that chipmunks were fantastical creatures that existed in Disney movies like Sleeping Beauty. The first time I saw a chipmunk in New York, it was even cuter than I’d imagined it would be — a peanut-shaped critter in an incredibly rigid, alert stance. How could something so small and cute also be so serious? I swooned! Now, every time I walk in a woodsy area, my eyes are peeled for stripes of brown on logs and stones.
I was rewarded with one perfect chipmunk sighting a few weeks ago in Prospect Park. They were going about their daily routine, scampering, squeaking, etc. I stopped in my tracks to take a pretty terrible photo that does not do justice to the little rodent or the way the afternoon light dappled their beautiful coat. The chipmunk vanished a few seconds later, as an incoming dog crunched in the leaves, but I think of them often.
It’s the busiest time of year to be a chipmunk. Before the chill of late fall sets in, the chipmunks have to finish stowing all their food caches. They don’t hibernate in the winter, but instead subsist on these scattered, buried snacks, which they track down with their incredible spatial memory — much more impressive than me, a person who just opened a new bag of Pirate’s Booty only to learn there was a previously opened bag of Pirate’s Booty sitting in the snack cupboard. How many caches had this little chipmunk buried? They seemed very industrious, so I imagine quite a lot!
Looking ahead to November, we’ve some birds, including owls (!) to see, pumpkins to smash, and fall foliage to peep. I’ve been trying to learn Mandarin on Duolingo, so I’m personally looking forward to bilingual birding in Sunset Park next week. And there are also beautiful cultural workshops coming up with Field Meridians Nature School, an arts-based urban ecology curriculum with truly thought-provoking programming in Brooklyn, so please check those out. Thanks for reading!
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UPDATED Nov 5
November
🐦 RBESNA Birding with Russell Jacobs: Sat Nov. 2 @ 9:30am. Join NYC Bird Alliance to explore the Rockaway Beach Endangered Species Nesting Area (RBESNA). This stretch of beach becomes a vital foraging habitat in the fall for sandpipers and other shorebirds making their way south. Registration encouraged.
🪲 Insect Exploration Hike in Randall’s Island Park: Sat Nov. 2 @ 11am. As the largest and most diverse group of animals on earth, insects have found ways to live in nearly every habitat. Join the Urban Park Rangers for an insect exploration hike where you will learn about how many types of insects including mosquitos, dragonflies, moths and more.
🦉 Owl Pellet Discovery & Dissection: Sat Nov. 2 @ 11am. Join the Urban Park Rangers on a nature walk in search of owl pellets! Curious about what an owl’s favorite snack is? This is your lucky day - join the Rangers afterwards for an interactive owl pellet dissection after the walk! This event is best for kids.
🌳 A Tree Grows in Brooklyn in Brower Park: Sat Nov 2 @ 10am. Join Field Meridians Nature School and Michael Cafiero on a stroll through Brower Park to identify the trees that provide shade, ecologies, and homes for species of all kinds. We’ll practice our observational skills through writing and sketching and learn about our shared past and future with them in a time of unprecedented global ecosystems change. Pay what you wish, $15 suggested donation. Capped at 30.
🦇 Journal of Therolinguistics - Design and Nonhuman Languages in Brower Park Library: Sat Nov 2 @ 2:30pm. Join Field Meridians Nature School in an Ursula K. Le Guin-inspired workshop. We will immerse ourselves in the contemporary world of interspecies communication, from both scientific and poetic perspectives. Together we will attempt to visualize the language of other organisms, such as bacteria, trees, insects, or whales, as an act of decentering language and exploring interspecies kinship. Pay what you wish, suggested $25 donation.
🐦 Queens Botanical Garden Birding: Sun Nov. 3 @ 9:30am. Explore Queens Botanical Garden in search of migrant songbirds and learn about the resources the Garden offers to birds and other wildlife. These outings are held in partnership with the Queens Botanical Garden. Registration required, capped at 25.
🐦 What is the Wild Bird Fund?: Sun Nov. 3 @ 1:30am. Welcome the Wild Bird Fund to Brooklyn as they prepare to open their second clinic location. Find out their mission and discover how you can help protect birds, not just in the park, but in your neighborhood. Learn about their new facility, coming soon to Park Slope, and the resources it will offer.
🐦 They Blinded Me With Science x Queer Birders present Bird Drag: Sun Nov 3. Come join us for a day of birding, science, and drag! Show host, Nic Comparato, will be hosting a guided birding get-together starting at 10 AM at Forest Park in Queens. Then, come to Flying Fox Tavern at 7:30 PM for the main event: an Ornithology presentation like you've never seen
🐦 Gull ID Study with the Linnaean Society at Coney Island: Sat Nov 9. Gulls are often one of the most challenging species to master as their plumage changes dramatically over the first several years of their life. This workshop will teach essential skills to identify common winter gulls in all their cycles and enjoy other wintering waterfowl, including dabbling and diving ducks, grebes, loons, Purple Sandpipers, and possibly alcids. This is a half-day trip, registration closes Nov. 6 and is required here.
🦅 Van Cortlandt Park Birding with Andrew Reiter: Sat Nov. 9 @ 9am. Join NYC Bird Alliance on a bird tour in one of the Bronx's largest green spaces. Participants will look for various species of resident and migrant birds and discuss a wide range of avian topics. Registration required, capped at 20. $10 admission.
🐦 Intro to Birding in Marine Park with Russell Jacobs: Sat Nov. 9 @ 9am. Join NYC Bird Alliance and explore the beauty of Brooklyn’s largest park, Marine Park! Consisting of grassland and salt marshes, this park is habitat for a variety of migratory songbirds and waterbirds.
🐦 Mandarin-English Bilingual Birding at Sunset Park: Sat Nov. 9 @ 9:30am. Join bird guide Xinyi Zhang for a Mandarin-English bilingual bird outing in the small but beautiful Sunset Park. A wide variety of birds have also been sighted here, including Brown-headed Cowbirds, Cedar Waxwings, and Common Nighthawks. 本次英语/普通话双语观鸟活动由和领队Xinyi Zhang（张心怡）带队，我们将一同探索小而美的日落公园。日落公园坐拥令人窒息的曼哈顿天际线景观，在日落时分更为动人。同时，我们能在日落公园看到为数众多的不同鸟类，包括褐头牛鹂、雪松太平鸟和美洲夜鹰。
🐦⬛ Draw Taxidermy at AMNH with Queer Birders: Sat Nov. 9 @ 10am. Join NYC Queers Birders for a fun Saturday morning sketching dead things from life at the American Museum of Natural History! We’ll enjoy each other’s company and collectively doodle as we browse the collections! BYO (dry) materials! Registration required here, suggested donation $5-$10. Capped at 12.
🐦 New York Botanical Garden Birding 101 Tour with Woo Sung Park: Sat Nov. 9 @ 11am. Join NYC Bird Alliance and the New York Botanical Garden for some fall birding! Part of Fall Forest Weekends, get to see some of NYBG’s diverse landscape and learn why this unique green space is such a vital haven for a great variety of species year-round. NYBG garden admission required, $35 for adults.
🐦 Accessible Birding in Brooklyn Bridge Park with Alex Wang: Sat Nov. 9 @ 11am. Accessibility is enhanced by birding guide and educator Alexandra Wang, M.S. Ed., who offers augmentative and alternative communication (AAC) pamphlets, Braille pamphlets and plush birds for an inclusive birding tour.
🍁 Fall Foliage Hike in Inwood Hill Park: Sat Nov 9 @ 11am. Discover the beauty of Inwood Hill Park on a colorful autumn hike with the Urban Park Rangers. We will take in the scenic views of the season while learning the scientific processes of fall foliage.
🍁 Fall Foliage Hike at Lincoln Terrace: Sat Nov 9 @ 11am. Discover the beauty of Lincoln Terrace / Arthur S Somers Park on a colorful autumn hike with the Urban Park Rangers. We will take in the scenic views of the season while learning the scientific processes of fall foliage.
🍁 Gone Til November Hikeish: Sun Nov 10. Outlandish, a Black-owned outdoors store in Brooklyn, is hosting a hike in November to the 15,000-acre Fahnestock State Park, where we’ll explore the notorious Appalachian Trail, traverse along the edges of Lake Canopus, ascend up Mt Shenandoah (don’t worry, it’s a gentle ascent ⛰️), and soak in the fall foliage from the Connector Trail Overlook. This hike will be an easy to moderate 4 mile loop and includes complimentary demo boots from Salomon.Shuttles leave from Outlandish at 9a and return around 6p. Registration required here.
🦆 Canarsie Park Birding with the Young Conservationists: Sun Nov. 10 @ 9:30am. Join NYC Bird AllianceYoung Conservationist Council member, Ryan Mandelbaum, and visit the coastal woodlands, tidal channel, and one of the only freshwater ponds in Brooklyn. Expect to see herons, shorebirds, flycatchers, vireos, warblers, and sparrows. All birding levels welcome! Registration encouraged.
🦆 Alley Pond Park Birding with Ronnie Almonte: Sun Nov. 10 @ 9:30am. Alley Pond Park is an ecological treasure. Containing both fresh and saltwater wetlands, forests, tidal flats, meadows, and glacier-formed landscape, this park supports a vast array of birds. Join NYC Bird Alliance to discover this green space for yourself! Registration encouraged.
🌴 Prehistoric Plant Hike in Alley Pond Park, Queens: Sun Nov 10 @ 10am. What do ferns, mosses, and lichen have in common? They’re all older than the dinosaurs! Join the Urban Park Rangers on a hike to observe some of Earth’s oldest residents and learn about their often-untold history.
🌾 Volunteer Landscaping and Cleanup at the Ridgewood Reservoir: Nov 10 @ 10 am. Join NYC H2O and the NYC Parks Department as we remove invasive plants and plant native plants at Ridgewood Reservoir! Registration required.
🐦 New York Botanical Garden Birding 101 Tour with Joe McManus: Sun Nov. 10 @ 11am. Join NYC Bird Alliance and the New York Botanical Garden for some fall birding! Part of Fall Forest Weekends, get to see some of NYBG’s diverse landscape and learn why this unique green space is such a vital haven for a great variety of species year-round. NYBG garden admission required, $35 for adults.
🎃 LES Ecology Center Pumpkin Smash 2024: Sun Nov 10 @ 12pm. Don't let your pumpkin haunt a landfill! Smashed pumpkins will be turned into compost to help rejuvenate soils in parks and green spaces. If your pumpkin is still edible, we encourage you to find a tasty recipe that utilizes the entire pumpkin! Can’t make it? Bring your jack-o-lanterns to one of LES Ecology Center's food scrap drop-off sites. Registration recommended.
🐳 Discovery Hike-Marine Mammals at Rockaway Beach: Sun Nov 10 @ 1pm. Rockaway Beach has recently been a prominent site to view marine mammals such as whales and seals. Learn more about the different types of marine mammals that can be seen off the shores of the Atlantic Ocean. While we are not guaranteed to see any marine mammals, we will discuss some of the historical significance of whales and what you can do if you spot one in distress.
🐦 Snug Harbor Birding with Russell Jacobs: Tues Nov. 12. Join NYC Bird Alliance bird guide Russell Jacobs at Staten Island's beloved Snug Harbor. This botanical garden and cultural center is sure to be teeming with avian visitors during fall migration.
🌳 Community Ecology Reading Group: Trees, Wildlife, and Waterways Walk: Thurs Nov. 14 @ 6pm. In the past year, the Community Ecology Reading Group has explored trees, wildlife, and waterways and compiled a reading list on community ecology. In this meet-up, we'll culminate these themes with a group walk. We’ll meet at Collect Pond Park, follow Minetta Creek, and end at Washington Square Park where we'll meet the oldest trees of the park.
🦆 Linnaean Society Trip to Shirley Chisolm State Park and Jamaica Bay Wildlife Refuge: Sat Nov 16. This trip features visits to several coastal sites ringing Jamaica Bay, including Shirley Chisholm State Park and Jamaica Bay Wildlife Refuge. The bays and salt marshes offer many waterbirds, woodland, and brush-loving birds. This is a full-day trip. Registration is required here and closes Nov 13.
🐦⬛ Birding, Poetry, and Power: Fall Migration, Part 3: Sat Nov 16 @ 10am. Join Field Meridians and poet, writer, and birder Indigo Goodson-Fields on a community bird walk. Participants will become familiar with our local “backyard birds” and migratory birds and be able to identify them with sight and sound. We will discuss community and bird behavior across themes of migration, symbolism, and more. Each walk will end with a moment of reflection and journaling. Pay what you wish, $25 suggested donation. Capped at 40.
🍁 Fall Foliage Hike in Van Cortlandt Park: Sat Nov. 16 @ 1pm. Discover the beauty of Van Cortlandt Park on a colorful autumn hike with the Urban Park Rangers. We will take in the scenic views of the season while learning the scientific processes of fall foliage.
🌳 Nature Exploration-The North Woods of Central Park: Sat Nov 16 @ 1pm. Join the Rangers on a nature walk into the North Woods of Central Park to learn about the ecology and wildlife that inhabits this magical woodlands habitat. To enhance your experience, please bring your own binoculars and field guides.
🦉 Nighthunters - Meet the Owls at Wave Hill: Sat Nov 16 @ 5:30pm. Join Wave Hill for a special after-hours experience with falconers Brian and Teddy Bradley and their spectacular live owls. Feel the wind brush your face as they fly and get an intimate look at their adaptations and hunting techniques. Bring your cameras! There is an optional nighttime nature walk with local NYC naturalists Gabriel Willow, and Ryan Mandelbaum to observe for nocturnal creatures in the shadowy nighttime gardens.
🐦 Familiar Backyard Birds at Kissena Park, Queens: Sun Nov 17 @ 11am. Join the Rangers on this kid-friendly program as we teach beginner birding for all ages. Learn why many underappreciated, common birds like American Robins, Mourning Doves, and White-throated Sparrows are far more interesting than you ever realized.
🐦 Birding at Wolfe's Pond Park with Anthony Ciancimino: Sat Nov. 23 @ 9am. Expect to see a variety of migrant songbirds in the wooded areas of the park. We will also check the pond and beach for shorebirds, terns, and other waterbirds. Registration encouraged.
🦆 Winter Waterfowl Workshop at Jamaica Bay with Don Riepe: Sat Nov. 23 @ 10am. Meet at the Jamaica Bay Wildlife refuge for a hike around the east and West Ponds to look for migrating and wintering waterfowl with the Littoral Society's Jamaica Bay Guardian Don Riepe. Don will talk about the biology and behavior of the many species of ducks and geese that spend winter in NYC. Easy hiking, kids welcome. Please RSVP here.
🌾 World's Fair Marina Wetland Restoration: Sat Nov 23 @ 10am. Volunteer with the Stewardship Team to protect wetland areas in Worlds Fair Marina! Volunteers will contribute to ongoing restoration work and learn the importance of species diversity to ecosystem health, as well as remove debris in order to help restore the wetland and create a healthier ecosystem.
🐢 Staten Island Nature Spotlight - Pond Habitats: Sat Nov 23 @ 11am. Lakes and ponds are thriving habitats to various species of birds, invertebrates, fish, reptiles, amphibians and plants. Explore this aquatic habitat with the Urban Park Rangers, as we highlight the importance the lakes and ponds have on wildlife and the surrounding neighborhood on Staten Island.
🦃 Wild Turkeys of Staten Island: Sun. Nov 24 @ 10am. Join the Urban Park Rangers and learn about the wild turkeys that are seen on Staten Island. Learn about their habits, history, significance to the ecosystem, and ways we can coexist with our feathered friends.
🌳 Winter Tree ID in McCarren Park: Sun Nov 24 @ 11am. Trees have a special place in our environment. Join us for a walk of McCarren Park in search of different tree species and learn some ways to identify these trees during the changing season.
🦌 Deer Exploration Hike in Pelham Bay Park: Sun Nov 24 @ 1pm. Oh deer! Learn more about this majestic species and explore the park in search of signs and traces of its presence.
🦃 Post-Thanksgiving Day Hike in Prospect Park: Fri Nov 29 @ 1pm. Join the Urban Park Rangers for a post-Thanksgiving hike from the south end of Prospect Park all the way up to Grand Army Plaza at the north end.
🦃 Post-Thanksgiving Day Hike in Alley Pond Park: Fri Nov 29 @ 1pm. Join the Urban Park Rangers for a post-Thanksgiving hike to the oldest living organism in New York, the Alley Giant.
🦃 Post-Thanksgiving Day Hike on Cass Gallagher Trail: Fri Nov 29 @ 1pm. Join the Urban Park Rangers for a post-Thanksgiving hike along the trails of Van Cortlandt Park.
🦃 Post-Thanksgiving Day Hike in Northern Manhattan: Fri Nov 29 @ 1pm. Join the Urban Park Rangers for a post-Thanksgiving hike through the hills of Inwood Hill and Fort Tryon and Parks.
🐿️ Winter Wildlife in Powell’s Cove Park: Sat Nov 30 @ 10am. 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.
🍂 Native American Heritage Month - The Siwanoy: Sat Nov 30 @ 11am. Pelham Bay Park was once inhabited by small camps of coastal native people loosely referred to as the “Siwanoy” or “Southern People”. The Siwanoy traded along a route similar to the path of the Siwanoy trail. Hike with the Urban Park Rangers along this historic route and learn about the Siwanoy’s history and way of life.
🦅 Accessible Birding in Fort Tryon Park on World Migratory Bird Day: Sat Nov 30 @ 11am. Enjoy the beautiful Fort Tryon Park as it commands sweeping views of the Palisades and the Hudson River. Past encounters include a variety of birds such as Bald Eagles and Ruby-throated Hummingbirds. Accessibility is enhanced by birding guide and educator Alexandra Wang (Avian Alex), M.S. Ed. Registration encouraged.
Ongoing:
🐋 Whale-watching on the American Princess: The American Princess is a ferry vessel with indoor/outdoor seating that departs from Pier 3 in Sheepshead Bay, Brooklyn in the waters around NYC on Weds-Sun. You might see humpback whales, pods of bottlenose dolphins, and seabirds diving for prey. American Princess partners with Gotham Whale, a nonprofit dedicated to the study, advocacy for and education about the whales and marine mammals of New York City. Adult tickets are $69, special pricing for seniors and kids. The last American Princess cruise of the season/year will be on Dec. 1, so now is the time to go!
🍁 Classic Harbor Line NY Harbor Eco-Cruise: Join urban naturalist Gabriel Willow for a captivating cruise up the Hudson. Admire the Palisades of the Hudson River through the skylights of the ship’s heated and enclosed observatory, or while catching the breeze on her bow. Observe New York's most dramatic natural wonders and foliage as the seasons change. This is a spectacular season for cruising the Hudson River north of NYC, and will be a true delight for you and your guests. $118, registration required.
🦪 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.
🐟 Open Hours at Brooklyn Bridge Park Environmental Education Center: Visitors of all ages can get to know Brooklyn Bridge Park with rotating 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. New 2024 hours are Thursdays 3-5 PM, Fridays 3-5 PM, and Saturdays 1-5 PM! All sessions are free and drop-in.
Thanks for reading! As always, you can view this email online for potentially updated list of events.