Latest Seasons

Sep
30
Three pumpkins, accompanied by autumnal mums and a decorative cabbage grace a doorstep under some waning potted plants.

Air Becomes Crisp, Pumpkins Appear

Pumpkins are appearing on stoops, balconies, and bodega storefronts.
3 min read
Sep
21
A rainbow's arc just clears the roof of a corner Brooklyn brownstone.

Poised Between Light and Dark

As the warmth fades from our streets, the light slowly ebbs from our sky.
2 min read
Sep
14
The snake-like s-shaped neck of a great blue heron is silhouetted against tall marsh grasses and the ocean behind.

Marsh Birds Wade On a Fragmented Shoreline

Some birds visiting the city may find a haven in acres that have been reclaimed for wetlands.
3 min read
Sep
09
A pier-like structure spirals out into the confluence of river and tide. A person looks out on skyscrapers across the water.

Our Shores Awash In Brine

Salt water meets fresh and their clenching embrace thrusts the saline line of the Hudson up and down from the Battery to Poughkeepsie.
3 min read
Sep
01
The tight spiral of a sunset-color-streaked shell pushes out of damp beach sand.

Beaches Are Strewn with Scraps from a Ravenous Feast

Witness the detritus of one of the city's most voracious predators, the moon snail.
3 min read
Aug
24
A vibrating green carpets the surface of Prospect Lake, with patches of varying vividness.

A Toxic Green Flourishes

A vivid suspension of green on green—antifreeze floating on Mountain Dew and swirled with slime. It is the time of Harmful Algal Blooms.
2 min read
Aug
18
Abandoned Lots Become Feral Gardens

Abandoned Lots Become Feral Gardens

It seems to be a no man’s land, a tiny, untended place that is unclaimed by either the office building or the grocery store alongside it.
3 min read
Aug
10
Window air conditioning units jut out in perpendicular cubes from the floors of a brownstone.

A Brigade of Precarious ACs Plays Its Droning Song

The heartbeat of the city is the steady drip-drip drip-drip of air conditioners.
3 min read
Aug
03
A monarch butterfly opens its wings while feeding from milkweed flowers, a fire hydrant looms in the background.

Milkweed Blooms Draw Monarchs

On a hill of former trash, monarch butterflies find a haven.
3 min read
Jul
27
A thick streak of lightning quivers between the top of the Empire State Building and the heavens above Manhattan's skyline.

Summer Lightning Strikes the Empire State Building

During a thunderstorm, the 1,454-foot tall Empire State Building often channels heaven’s fury.
3 min read