NYC Microseasons
A catalog of NYC's un/natural seasons

Latest Seasons

Dec
22
A flock of hundreds of birds perches in the barren trees of a New York City backyard. A row of houses sits in the background.

Another Year Among the Rotating Spheres

The shortest day has yet again dawned in New York City and each hour in the sunlight feels hallowed.
1 min read
Dec
15
A squirrel nibbles a tidbit, perched on a bare winter branch.

Squirrels Are Inadvertent Arborists

Eastern gray squirrels have a whole constellation of hidden sustenance that they will recover by scent or memory.
3 min read
Dec
08
A group of ducks preens on the rocky side of a body of water. Others leave a v-shaped wake as the swim.

Ducks Arrive In Fantastic Feathers

Ducks are not like the rest of birds.
3 min read
Dec
05
The sun rises over Brooklyn brownstones. Trash awaits pick-up on the curb, and streetlights still pinprick the block.

A Lingering Blush of Cold Dawn

Our star now breaks above the horizon at eminently reasonable hours.
2 min read
Nov
26
Bundled Christmas trees are piled in stacks on a city street. A man in a suit navigates the green labyrinth on a cell phone.

Escape the City in Corridors of Fir and Pine

Like the Great Birnam Wood moving to Dunsinane Hill foretelling the downfall of Macbeth, a forest is invading New York City.
3 min read
Nov
17
A dragon kite tangled in the bare branches of a sweetgum tree.

Garlands of Aerial Flotsam

The now-naked forms of trees are revealing summer’s detritus in their twiggy grasp.
3 min read
Nov
10
Fallen leaves this week in Prospect Park, Brooklyn

A Tapestry of Trees at Your Feet

Midway through fall, there is a collage of local biodiversity in every park and neighborhood.
2 min read
Nov
03
Tennis ball-sized spheres with a broccoli-like texture litter the lawn around three large trees in Prospect Park.

The Hazardous Fall of the Osage Oranges

Softball-sized and abundant, they can bruise a head as they tumble.
3 min read
Oct
26
The greenish-gold fan of a fallen ginkgo leaf is surrounded on asphalt by three very smushed ginkgo berries.

Golden Carpet of Rancid Butter

The putrescence you hopscotch around is the smell of butyric acid, the smell of nausea.
3 min read
Oct
19
Camera trap image of an adult coyote at night as it walks through a woodsy space. Its eyes glow in reflected light

Yip-Howls Pierce the Night

For the next few weeks, coyotes will be particularly vocal—keeping track of their family members and warning off interlopers.
2 min read