Goodbye summer, and how glorious you were! Now it is fall, and I have been weary for reasons that are entirely my fault, so please accept my apologies that this dispatch will shorter than usual and devoid of my usually jaunty tone. I have been functionally a hermit for the last few weeks—sequestered in my apartment as I revise my book. I was supposed to go birding with a friend this week but I had to cancel because I’ve been so overwhelmed by my book, which is to say that I have been remiss in my enjoyment of the city’s nature.

But. BUT. I want to draw your attention to a rather sharp-looking pigeon I saw many months ago in my neighborhood. I thought they looked very distinguished, what with their jet-black body and pair of white wing tips. I took a photo to remember this pigeon and their style. And then, this week, who did I see again, on the very same block? Hello!

I think of all of the NYC’s wildlife as my neighbors, as we all eat and sleep and divert ourselves in the same city and under the same mayor. But I am always touched when I encounter, or maybe I should say recognize, one of my actual neighbors. This pigeon clearly lives on my block, and they’re always looking far more put-together than I am. This pigeon’s also got business to take care of in this big city. We’ve all got dreams, and there’s no better place to make them happen!

There’s always a lot happening in October, which might be my favorite month in the city. Fall migration is underway, and there are birding walks galore to peep whoever might be flapping overhead. The Dendro Lab is back with some new tree walks for beginners and experts alike. It’s festival season too, with Paw Paw fest on the Harlem River and Raptorama in Marine Park. And don’t miss the nature walk for Palestine. Enjoy the cool air, and take care until next month.

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October:

🐦 Community Birding with Patagonia Upper West Side: Oct 3 @ 9am. Join NYC Bird Alliance in partnership with Patagonia Upper West Side as we enjoy New York City's green spaces together. This free, family-friendly event will feature approximately 90 minutes of birding in The Ramble. Registration required.

🍄 Fungi Walk at Pugsley Creek Park: Oct 3 @ 10am. For City of Forest Day, join NYC Parks staff on a hike around Pugsley Creek Park to explore the diversity of fall fungi.

🌳 Forest Bathing at Marine Park: Oct 3 @ 10am. Certified Forest Bathing Instructor Tasha LaDonna leads participants through an intentional, nature-based healing practice rooted in mindfulness, breathwork, and sensory connection. 

🌳 Intro to Dendrology in Central Park: Oct 3 @ 10am. 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! Isn't learning the names of the trees around you one of the simplest, most pleasant, and most revolutionary things you could do with your time? Tickets $10-20 sliding scale, registration required.

🌳 Compound Leaf Tree Identification, Part I in Central Park w/Carey Russell: Oct 3 @ 10am. Rather than focusing on a particular genus or family of trees, on this walk we will dedicate our time to trees with compound leaves, or leaves that consist of multiple leaf blades called leaflets. Part I is dedicated to the legumes, including walnut and tree-of-heaven. Tickets $10-20 sliding scale, registration required.

🦅 Dinosaurs in Action - Green-Wood’s Birds of Prey: Oct 3 @ 10:15 am. Green-Wood is one of the best places in New York City to spot birds of prey—and not just soaring overhead! Here, you can witness raptors going about their daily lives: hunting and feeding, courting and nesting, learning to fly (a wobbly process!), and simply hanging out. Tickets $25 for non-members.

🌳 🍍 Paw Paw Fest: Oct 3 @ 11am. Join NYRP at Inwood’s Sherman Creek Park for a free community celebration of North America’s largest native fruit: the beloved pawpaw.

🦅 Hawk Watch at Pelham Bay Park: Oct 3 @ 11am. Join the Rangers as they hike up the hills of the Bronx-Pelham Landfill, a site closed off to the public. Once known as Tallapoosa Point, the decommissioned landfill is now home to an abundance of wildlife and a popular fly over for hawks and other raptors.

🐦 New York Botanical Garden Birding Tour: Oct 3 @ 11am. 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. Free with garden admission.

🦅 Fall Birding in Van Cortlandt Park: Oct 4 @ 9am. Join NYC Bird Alliance on a bird tour in one of the Bronx's largest green spaces. Registration required, capped at 20.

🌱 🇵🇸 Nature Walk for Palestine - Edible Plant Walk: Oct 4 @ 10am. Would you like to support Palestinian rights while learning about our amazing local and native American plants and animals?  Join Field Meridians and take a beautiful nature walk with us in Prospect Park and make connections between Native American people, plants, and Palestine in the process. Suggested donation $15, reservation required.

🐦 Intro to Birding at Owl's Head Park: Oct 4 @ 10am. Join us at one of Brooklyn’s scenic waterfront parks for a beginner-friendly outing with rolling hills, meandering pathways, and breathtaking views of the New York skyline and striking Verrazano Narrows Bridge. Registration encouraged.

🦅 Fall Migration at Pelham Bay Park: Oct 4 @ 10am. Join the Urban Park Rangers on a birding adventure around Pelham Bay Park to look for fall migrants that include warblers, raptors and more!

🌳 Conifers 1 in Central Park, the Pine Family: Oct 4 @ 10am. We've all heard of pines, spruces, and firs. Now let's learn to easily tell them apart, while learning a few species of each, including those pine species from Europe and Asia commonly found in urban green spaces. Tickets $10-20 sliding scale, registration required.

🌳 Conifers 2 in Central Park, the Cypress Family: Oct 4 @ 1pm. In the northern hemisphere, all conifers, or cone bearing trees, fall into one of two families. In Conifers, Part II we explore and learn to identify members of the cypress family. You likely have already heard of several, such as juniper (never to be called "cedar" again), bald cypress, and the now famous dawn redwood. Tickets $10-20 sliding scale, registration required.

🐀 The Big City Trio of Urban Wildlife: Oct 4 @ 1pm. Join the Urban Park Rangers for a lighthearted look at pigeons, rats, and squirrels, the everyday animals that give our neighborhoods a little extra personality. Learn how these clever creatures live, adapt, and thrive in the busiest city around.

🎣 Catch-and-Release Fishing in Brooklyn Bridge Park: Oct 4 @ 3pm. Join Brooklyn Bridge Park staff to learn about the ecology of the East River as you participate in a free catch-and-release fishing lesson at the Pier 5 fishing stations (at the end of the pier).

🐦 Evening Birding in Central Park with Gabriel Willow: Oct 5 @ 5pm. Witness the beauty of migration in Central Park with Gabriel Willow as birds travel along the Atlantic Flyway. We’ll search for warblers, thrushes, and other migratory species while learning how to identify them and exploring their ecology and behavior. Registration required, capped at 30.

🎣 Free Fishing Clinic at Canarsie Pier: Oct 6 @ 4pm. Whether you are an aspiring Jr. Angler or have dropped a line before, this hands-on program is the perfect way to experience the fun of fishing together. Discover local marine life, learn how to become an ethical angler, and practice dropping a cast. All fishing gear provided.

🐦 Morning Birding at Prospect Park with Gabriel Willow: Oct 9 @ 9am. Join NYC Bird Alliance to get to know the fall migrants of “Brooklyn's Backyard,” beautiful Prospect Park. The meadows, forests, and waterways of Prospect Park attract a variety of birds! Registration required, capped at 30.

🦅 Raptor Watching at The Met Cloisters & Fort Tryon Park: Oct 9 @ 1pm. The site of The Met Cloisters, overlooking the Palisades, is an ideal place to witness the fall migration of songbirds and birds of prey. Inspired by the raptors and winged creatures depicted in artworks at The Met Cloisters, join naturalist Gabriel Willow on a birding tour through scenic viewpoints within the Museum and through Fort Tryon Park. Tickets $40, registration required.

🦆 Early Morning Birding in Marine Park: Oct 10 @ 7am. Join us at for an early morning at 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. Registration encouraged.

🐦 Fall Birding in Conference House Park, Staten Island: Oct 10 @ 8am. Discover a diversity of spring migrants with longtime birder and Staten Island resident, Anthony Ciancimino. Expect to see a variety of species of songbirds, including warblers such as Pine & Palm, & Blue-gray Gnatcatchers. Registration encouraged.

🦅 Birding at Pelham Bay Park: Oct 10 @ 8:30am. Join NYC Bird Alliance to explore New York City's largest park! Pelham Bay Park's forested areas, salt marshes, and grassy meadows offer rich habitat for a variety of migrating birds.

🐦 Fall Birding at Kissena Park: Oct 10 @ 9am. Join us as we  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. Registration encouraged.

🐦 Bilingual Birding at Sunset Park Mandarin-English: Oct 10 @ 9:30am. Join bird guide Xinyi Zhang for a Mandarin-English bilingual bird outing in the small but beautiful Sunset Park. This green space is known to provide breathtaking views of Manhattan, especially at sunset. Registration encouraged.

🐦 Fall Birding in Morningside Park: Oct 10 @ 10am. Join NYC Bird Alliance and West Harlem Art Fund for a birding walk in historic Morningside Park. Registration encouraged.

🐦 Accessible Birding in Fort Tryon Park with Alex Wang: Oct 10 @ 11am. Fort Tryon Park features many well-paved walkways designed 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.

🍁 Catch the Colors - Fall at Green-Wood: Oct 11 @ 2pm. Autumn has arrived, and Green-Wood is ablaze with the vibrant hues of the season! Each year, the Cemetery transforms into a breathtaking canvas of fiery reds, oranges, and yellows as its thousands of trees showcase their seasonal splendor. Tickets $25 for non-members.

🌳 Indigenous People Day in Pelham Bay Park - The Siwanoy: Oct 12 @ 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

🐦 Evening Birding in Central Park with Gabriel Willow: Oct 12 @ 5pm. Witness the beauty of migration in Central Park with Gabriel Willow as birds travel along the Atlantic Flyway. We’ll search for warblers, thrushes, and other migratory species while learning how to identify them and exploring their ecology and behavior. Registration required, capped at 30.

🎣 Free Fishing Clinic at Canarsie Pier: Oct 13 @ 4pm. Whether you are an aspiring Jr. Angler or have dropped a line before, this hands-on program is the perfect way to experience the fun of fishing together. Discover local marine life, learn how to become an ethical angler, and practice dropping a cast. All fishing gear provided.

🐦 Intro to Birding in Crotona Park: Oct 17 @ 10am. Join NYC Bird Alliance this spring 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. Registration encouraged.

🐢 West Pond Living Shoreline Tour: Oct 17 @ 10am. Come on a guided nature tour of the West Pond Living Shoreline project at the Jamaica Bay Wildlife Refuge. You'll get an exclusive, up-close look at this innovative shoreline restoration, a nature-based solution to coastal erosion and wetland loss.

🦆 Birding in East Harlem with EsplanadeFriends: Oct 17 @ 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.

🦅 Raptorama!: Oct 17 @ 12pm. See live birds of prey up close at the Salt Marsh Nature Center at Marine Park with NYC Bird Alliance, American Littoral Society, and the MPA Forever Wild Committee.

🐦 Intro to Birding at Owl's Head Park: Oct 18 @ 10am. Join us at one of Brooklyn’s scenic waterfront parks for a beginner-friendly outing with rolling hills, meandering pathways, and breathtaking views of the New York skyline and striking Verrazano Narrows Bridge. Registration encouraged.

🐦 New York Botanical Garden Birding Tour: Oct 18 @ 11am. 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. Free with garden admission.

🐦 Birding on the High Line: Oct 20 @ 8:30am. Join NYC Bird Alliance and The High Line for a bird outing along this iconic stretch of green space. As we stroll the park, we’ll look for fall migrants found on and around the High Line and learn how the habitat supports birds. Registration required, capped at 25.

🎣 Free Fishing Clinic at Canarsie Pier: Oct 20 @ 4pm. Whether you are an aspiring Jr. Angler or have dropped a line before, this hands-on program is the perfect way to experience the fun of fishing together. Discover local marine life, learn how to become an ethical angler, and practice dropping a cast. All fishing gear provided.

🐦 Morning Birding at Prospect Park with Gabriel Willow: Oct 23 @ 9am. Join NYC Bird Alliance to get to know the fall migrants of beautiful Prospect Park. Registration free but required.

🐦 Birding along the QueensWay: Oct 24 @ 9:30am. Join NYC Bird Alliance and The Trust for Public Land as we explore the QueensWay through birding! The QueensWay is an intiative to transform the LIRR Rockaway Beach Branch that cuts through Forest Park into a new green space. Registration highly encouraged.

🌳 Intro to Dendro in Prospect Park w/ Nicole: Oct 24 @ 10am. Spend two hours walking with local a trained dendrologist, while unpacking the what, where, and why of our local park and street trees. Seriously...isn't learning the names of the trees around you one of the simplest, most pleasant, and most revolutionary things you could do with your time. Let me help you get started. Tickets $10-20, sliding scale.

🐦 Meet Green-Wood’s Sparrows: Oct 24 and Oct 25 @ 10:15am. Think all sparrows look the same? Guess again! Small, speedy, and often overlooked, sparrows can be some of the trickiest birds to identify, but with a few helpful tips in this two-session class, you’ll soon be telling your Song Sparrows from your White-throated Sparrows. Tickets $30 for non-members. 

🍁 Maple Identification in Prospect Park w/Nicole: Oct 24 @ 1pm. Learn to identify our 5 native maple species, 3 non-native maples, and a few trees and shrubs commonly confused with maple. Tickets $10-20, sliding scale.

🐦 Accessible Birding in Fort Tryon Park with Alex Wang: Oct 24 @ 11am. Fort Tryon Park features many well-paved walkways designed 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.

🐦 Fall Birding with Gabriel Willow at Hunters Point Parks Conservancy: Oct 24 @ 4:30pm. Join us for a bird walks with seasoned birder and naturalist, Gabriel Willlow!

🐦 Birding at Mount Loretto Unique Area, Staten Island: Oct 25 @ 8am. Join Staten Island resident and longtime birder, Anthony Ciancimino, as we explore the diverse habitats found at Mount Loretto Unique Area. With 200 acres of land, this is a one of the best places to spot migrating birds in the area. Registration highly encouraged.

🐦 Fall Birding in Van Cortlandt Park: Oct 25 @ 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.

🐦 Bilingual Birding at Seward Park Mandarin-English: Oct 25 @ 10am. Join bird guide Xinyi Zhang for a Mandarin-English bilingual bird outing in Seward Park, and discover the resident and migratory birds that rely on small urban green spaces like this one! Registration encouraged.

🌾 Volunteer Landscaping and Cleanup at Ridgewood Reservoir: Oct 25 @ 10am. Join NYC H2O and the NYC Parks Department as we remove invasive plants and plant native plants at Ridgewood Reservoir!

🌳 Preserve Your Street Trees, Pt. 1: Oct 25 @ 11am. Who are our tree neighbors, and how do we care for them in our harsh urban environments? Join Field Meridians for a stroll down President Street to identify the trees that provide shade, beauty, and habitat for species of all kinds. Through observational writing and sketching, we’ll sharpen our attention to detail. $15 suggested donation, reservation required.

🦪 Wild Oyster Survey at Little Hell Gate: Oct 26 @ 3pm. Wild oysters are a key indicator of ecosystem health in the New York Harbor. Randall’s Island Park Alliance is partnering with the Billion Oyster Project to conduct a wild oyster survey in the Little Hell Gate Salt Marsh. Volunteers will have the opportunity to identify oysters and take multiple parameters to determine the abundance, size, and health of the wild oyster population. Registration required, opens 10/8 at 1pm.

🎣 Free Fishing Clinic at Canarsie Pier: Oct 27 @ 4pm. Whether you are an aspiring Jr. Angler or have dropped a line before, this hands-on program is the perfect way to experience the fun of fishing together. Discover local marine life, learn how to become an ethical angler, and practice dropping a cast. All fishing gear provided.

🦅 Birding at Pelham Bay Park: Oct 31 @ 8:30am. Join NYC Bird Alliance to explore New York City's largest park! Pelham Bay Park's forested areas, salt marshes, and grassy meadows offer rich habitat for a variety of migrating birds.

👣 Animal Tracking at Pelham Bay Park: Oct 31 @ 12pm. Join the Urban Park Rangers for a guided hike focused on beginner wildlife tracking and species identification. Discover how to spot and interpret the subtle clues animals leave behind — from tracks and trails to feeding signs and habitat patterns. Learn which curious creatures call Pelham Bay Park home and how to read the landscape to find them. Costumes welcome!

Ongoing:

🛳️ Urban Naturalist Tour: Abandoned Islands of the East River at Sunset: Join Classic Harbor Line Join aboard a cozy, elegant, 1920s-style Manhattan yacht -- as we travel past abandoned islands rich with history and modern day wildlife! Throughout the journey, our knowledgeable naturalist-guide (Gabriel Willow or Russell Jacobs) will share insights into the conservation efforts aimed at preserving these precious ecosystems. Bring binoculars! (This is an affiliate link!)

🏳️‍🌈 🐦 Queer Birders Fall Migration Walks: Join NYC Queer Birders between September 9th - October 22nd in Brooklyn and Manhattan. Prospect Park: Wednesdays 7am, meet at The Boathouse. Central Park: Thursdays 7am, meet at W 103rd St entrance.

🐦 Governors Island Bird Tour: Saturdays @ 2:15pm. Did you know that nearly 240 bird species have been spotted on Governors Island? Whether you’re an expert birder or a beginner, these tours will help you discover what makes this island an excellent place for birding. Registration not required but HIGHLY encouraged.

🐦 Tuesday Evening Fall Migration Walk in Prospect Park: Join urban naturalist Gabriel Willow on fall migration walks in Prospect Park on Tuesdays from Sept 15 to Oct 20 at 5pm. $30 per walk, capped at 15.

🐦 Tuesday Evening Fall Migration Walk in Central Park: Join urban naturalist Gabriel Willow on fall migration walks in Prospect Park on Wednesdays from Sept 16 to Oct 21 at 5pm. $30 per walk, capped at 15.

🐦 Fall Birding Tuesdays in Bryant Park: Tuesdays, Sept 1-Oct 6 @ 8am. Discover the surprising diversity of birds that call Bryant Park home during migratory season with guided tours by environmental educator and urban naturalist Gabriel Willow.

🌠 Stargazing on the High Line: Tuesdays from 8:15pm to 10pm. Immerse yourself in the wonders of the night sky every Tuesday on the High Line! The friendly team from the Amateur Astronomers Association—with whom we’ve been partnering since the park’s opening—will be there with high-powered telescopes, ready to reveal the secrets of the cosmos.

🦪 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.