As someone who grew up in northern California, I always envied fall in the Northeast, how the trees become a sunset. Now that I’m here, I try to fallmaxx whenever possible. I’ve been biking around the city and loving those little oblong yellow leaves that drop all at once from a tree whose name I don’t know. I’ve been strolling in my neighborhood and reveling in the orange canopy. But I had been craving a total immersion into fall, which is the promise of upstate. I hope you will forgive the following field trip out of NYC; these creatures also live in the city, but I did see them a little further north.
Last weekend I went to the Catskills. It was a little past-peak but the leaves were still gorgeous—yellow, orange, and red smears of color amid some appropriately spooky skeletal trees. I went on some beautiful hikes and then was dumped on the drive back, which will be funny when my heart no longer feels broken. But what I’m going to talk about now is this chipmunk.
Credit to my ex for spotting this little guy peeking out of this perfect little tree hollow. Have you ever seen a more perfect home for a chipmunk? Often when I am in nature and seeing animals in their various residences, I find myself evaluating them like some storybook real estate agent — if I were a chipmunk, would I like to live there? Yes. Yes I would.
We saw many other chipmunks on this hike, some bounding over fallen trees or leaf litter or a respectable sort of bramble. I don’t know about the residences of these chipmunks. Perhaps they were out on a jaunt, or perhaps they had a little tree tunnel of their own. But I found myself envying this chipmunk and its perfect little setup. And I remembered how much I appreciate chipmunks, how they are so small and cute and relatively easy to see, how they can make even the most hard-hearted of us coo a little. I love their cheek pouches and imagining them stuffing seeds and various nuts in there. At least this chipmunk will never know heartbreak!
This chipmunk was not eating, but rather defending its burrow with a recurring series of squeaks. I appreciated how fiercely this little guy was defending its burrow from a big and unwelcome intruder (me) and it’s probably for the best that the chipmunk did not understand how stinking cute its alarm system appeared to me.
November will bring evils such as the cold, but also joys such as the end of fall migration, fall foliage walks in the city’s many parks (don’t miss the combination foliage + tree ID workshops by the Dendro Lab!), and some chances to spy mushrooms and owls. And hopefully by the next time you hear from me I’ll be less of a wreck.
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🌱 Micro Hike at Van Cortlandt Park: Nov 1 @ 1pm. Honey, I shrunk the park! Join the Urban Park Rangers to discover the hidden wonders of the microscopic world!
🐦 Intro to Birding in Marine Park: Nov 7 @ 9am. Explore the beauty of Brooklyn’s largest green space, Marine Park! Consisting of grassland and salt marshes, this park is habitat for a variety of migratory songbirds and waterbirds.
🐦 Fall Migration at Marine Park: Nov 7 @ 10am. Join the Urban Park Rangers on a birding adventure around Salt Marsh Nature Trail to look for fall migrants that include warblers, raptors and more!
🐦 Intro to Birding in Crotona Park: Nov 7 @ 10am. Join NYC Bird Alliance this fall to explore beautiful Crotona Park. Its meadows, flowering trees, and sizable pool provide excellent habitats for a variety of birds, including woodpeckers, warblers, and wading birds.
🐦 Accessible Birding at Carl Schurz Park with Alex Wang: Nov 7 @ 11am. Found in the Upper East Side, Carl Schurz Park is a picturesque green space, with promenades, lawns, and peaceful sitting areas. Warblers, sparrows, raptors, and more also use this park as a stopover during migration. Led by birding guide and educator Alexandra Wang (Avian Alex), M.S. Ed., this inclusive outing offers specialized resources.
🦀 Discovery Hike - Waterfront Ecosystems: Nov 7 @ 1pm. Join the Urban Park Rangers for an ecology‑focused walk through the Randall’s Island salt marsh. Learn how tidal flows, native plants, and marsh habitats support wildlife and help sustain New York City’s coastline.
🐦 2nd Sunday Birding at Wave Hill: Nov 8 @ 9:30am. Fall is peak migration time along the Hudson River, and we have a front row seat! Join naturalist and bird guide Gabriel Willow as you explore Wave Hill’s gardens, woodlands and the skies overhead to look for resident and migrating birds. $20, registration encouraged.
🐦 Bilingual Birding at Kissena Park: Nov 8 @ 9:30am. Join NYC Bird Alliance's Xinyi Zhang, for a Mandarin-English bilingual bird outing! We will explore the beautiful Kissena Park in Queens. This green space contains a wide variety of trees as well as a lake that make great habitat for migrating and resident birds alike.
加入NYC Bird Alliance的张欣怡（Xinyi Zhang），参加一次中英文双语观鸟活动！我们将探索皇后区美丽的Kissena公园。这个绿地拥有多样的树木和一个湖泊，为候鸟和留鸟都提供了理想的栖息环境
🌲 Conifers II Tree Identification Walk: Nov 8 @ 10am. CONIFERS, Part 2: Cypress Family – This is #11 of 12 in a series of genus-specific tree tours sponsored by The Dendro Lab in Central Park. In Conifers, Part II we explore and learn to identifiy members of the cypress family. Registration required, tickets $10-$20.
🌾 Volunteer Landscaping and Cleanup at Ridgewood Reservoir: Nov 8 @ 10am. Join NYC H2O and the NYC Parks Department as we remove invasive plants and plant native plants at Ridgewood Reservoir!
🦉 The Owls of Staten Island: Nov 8 @ 10:30am. Join the educators for a fun filled program about owls. Learn about what type of owls live here and their fascinating adaptations. Then dissect an owl pellet and guess what it ate! Weather-permitting, we will take a short hike around the Nature Center trail in search of owl habitats and other fall wonders.
🍁 Fall Foliage Tree ID Hike at Forest Park: Nov 8 @ 11am. We will take in the scenic views of the season while learning the scientific processes of fall foliage. Maples, oaks and hickory are some of the most colorful species we will see. Rangers will share many useful tree identification tips which will make our appreciation for trees even greater.
🍄 Fantastic Fungi Mushroom ID Hike: Nov 8 @ 11am. This Urban Park Ranger led hike will take you through the forest to learn how to identify fungi. Participants will learn about the crucial role that mushrooms play in an ecosystem and how natural decomposition takes place.
🐦 Fall Birding in Alley Pond Park: Nov 14 @ 9am. 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.
🍁 Fall Foliage Tree Tour in Central Park: Nov 14 @ 10am. Why do leaves change color? Why are some more vibrant, while others remain green. Answers to all this and more as we walk among the trees. Spend two hours walking with local dendrologist, Carey Russell, while unpacking the what, where, and why of our local park and street trees. Registration required, tickets $21.
🍁 Fall Foliage Tree Tour in Central Park: Nov 14 @ 1pm. Why do leaves change color? Why are some more vibrant, while others remain green. Answers to all this and more as we walk among the trees. Spend two hours walking with local dendrologist, Carey Russell, while unpacking the what, where, and why of our local park and street trees. Registration required, tickets $21.
🍁 Fall Foliage Tree Tour in Prospect Park: Nov 15 @ 10am. Why do leaves change color? Why are some more vibrant, while others remain green. Answers to all this and more as we walk among the trees. Spend two hours walking with local dendrologist, Carey Russell, while unpacking the what, where, and why of our local park and street trees. Registration required, tickets $10-20.
🍁 Fall Foliage Tree Tour in Prospect Park: Nov 15 @ 1pm. Why do leaves change color? Why are some more vibrant, while others remain green. Answers to all this and more as we walk among the trees. Spend two hours walking with local dendrologist, Carey Russell, while unpacking the what, where, and why of our local park and street trees. Registration required, tickets $10-20.
🍂 Intro to Dendro in Central Park: Nov 15 @ 1pm. If you're ready to start learning how to identify the trees of our city's parks & streets with confidence, you've come to the right place! Registration required, tickets $10-20.
🌳 Native Planting at Forest Park: Nov 14 @ 10am. We'll be talking about the importance of forest restoration and monitoring forest health while working towards replenishing the forest understory with native trees and shrubs. Learn about our forest restoration efforts and what it takes to maintain a healthy canopy. All tools will be provided, and no prior experience is needed. Registration required.
🦷 Behind The Smile - Animal Adaptations Revealed: Nov 14 @ 11am. Come to Astoria Park for a hands-on exploration of animal adaptations and learn how different species use specialized teeth, jaws, and skull structures to find, catch, and eat their food. Through real specimens and interactive discussion, uncover the clues that help scientists understand an animal's diet and way of life.
🦀 Discovery Hike - Waterfront Ecosystems in Bushwick Inlet Park: Nov 14 @ 11am. Join the Urban Park Rangers for a look at the natural resiliency of Bushwick Inlet Park. Learn how native plants, shoreline habitats, and restored coastal features support wildlife and strengthen the East River waterfront against climate impacts.
🐛 The Secret Lives of Insects: Nov 14 @ 1pm. Join the Urban Park Rangers for a deep dive into the extraordinary world of insects — the tiny creatures that quietly run our ecosystems. On this adventure, we’ll uncover the surprising lives of pollinators, predators, decomposers, and parasites, and learn how each plays a critical role in keeping New York City’s natural areas thriving.
🐦 Birding at Floyd Bennett Field with Jamaica Bay-Rockaway Parks Conservancy: Nov 15 @ 9:30am. This former airfield-turned-natural haven offers a variety of habitats, from marshes to meadows, making it the perfect place to spot visitors like shovelers, scoters, and mergansers.
🐿️ Discovery Hike - Urban Mammals in Staten Island: Nov 15 @ 12pm. Join the Urban Park Rangers to explore the wide variety of mammals that live in New York City. Learn how these animals adapt to urban environments, uncover surprising behaviors and habitats, and gain a better understanding of the species commonly found in our parks—including those that can serve as rabies vector species.
🐦 NYCHA in Nature-King Towers Houses: Nov 18 @ 10am. NYCHA residents and nearby community members are invited to join NYC Bird Alliance for a morning of beginner-friendly birding to look and listen for birds! We'll slowly stroll to the Harlem Meer in Central Park, focusing on easy ways to notice birds around us.
🐦 Birding at Silver Lake Park, Staten Island: Nov 21 @ 8am. Join us at Silver Lake Park, one of Staten Island’s beautiful urban green spaces. As migration gets underway, we’ll explore the park’s wooded trails, lake, and surrounding habitats in search of migrating and resident birds.
🐦 Fall Birding in Van Cortlandt Park: Nov 21 @ 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.
🐦 Accessible Birding in Van Cortlandt Park with Alex Wang: Nov 21 @ 11am. Join us at one of the Bronx's largest green spaces and a popular birding hotspot for an accessible outing. This outing is formated to accommodate a wide range of mobility needs for birders with stroller, wheelchair, walker, cane, and other mobility aids. Led by birding guide and educator Alexandra Wang (Avian Alex), M.S. Ed., this inclusive outing offers specialized resources.
🦉 Owls at Pelham Bay Park: Nov 21 @ 11am. Our Urban Park Rangers will guide you to the best bird viewing spots in New York City. Learn more about the various species of owls found in our parks and hopefully be lucky enough to spot them. Join the Urban Park Rangers and learn about the behavior and diet of New York City’s most mysterious raptors: owls!
🌳 Forest Park Super Hike: Nov 21 @ 11am. Urban Park Ranger hiking guides will introduce you to the hidden gems of New York City. Explore nature, discover our city's urban forests, and unplug from the world to clear your head. Join the Urban Park Rangers on this lengthy hike of Forest Park. Dress warmly, put on your hiking shoes, and head to the park.
🍁 Falling for Nature Hike in Central Park: No 21 @ 1pm. Celebrate the beauty of late autumn on a guided nature walk through Central Park. Discover how plants and animals prepare for the winter season, explore the park's colorful fall landscape, and learn about the natural changes taking place all around us.
🍄 Autumn Mushroom ID Hike: Nov 22 @ 11am. Autumn brings big changes to the forest floor and many fungi are active in our parks! Join the Urban Park Rangers on a hike on the Kieran Trail to explore seasonal mushrooms.
🐿️ Hibernation and Brumation Hike: Nov 22 @ 1pm. Hundreds of animal species spend their winters in New York City parks. Some hibernate and others brumate. Learn the difference between the two terms and the species of animals that lay dormant for the winter.
🦭 Seal Exploration: Nov 22 @ 2:30pm. 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.
🌳 Post-Thanksgiving Day Hike - The Alley Giant: Nov 27 @ 10am. On this Friday, work off your Thanksgiving feast while enjoying the great outdoors. Join the Urban Park Rangers for a hike! This hike will take you to the oldest living organism in New York, the Alley Giant. Comfortable walking footwear highly recommended.
🍁 Hibernation Hike in Pelham Bay Park: Nov 28 @ 10am. Autumn is falling, and winter will wake soon. Join the Urban Park Rangers on a hike around Pelham Bay Park. Learn about the amazing adaptations and behaviors different species rely on to prepare for and survive the upcoming winter months.
🐦 Winter Birds at Fort Greene Park: Nov 29 @ 11am. Join us on this Ranger led walk along the park identifying various birds that stick around for the winter and some that might fly through on their journey south.
🦭 Marine Mammals at Rockaway Beach: Nov 29 @ 1pm. Rockaway Beach has recently been a prominent site to view marine mammals such as whales, dolphins 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 what you might see and what you can do if you spot one in distress.
🍄 Fantastic Fungi Mushroom ID Hike: Nov 29 @ 1pm. Prepare to be amazed by the wonders of the forest and the incredible diversity of fungi waiting to be discovered. Don't miss out on this opportunity to connect with nature, expand your knowledge, and make lasting memories. Join us for this adventure you won't want to miss!
Ongoing:
🦪 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.
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