Natural Areas Conservancy

Make your voice heard on the devastating impacts of the budget cuts to NYC Parks! Next Monday the New York City Council Committee on Finance will hold an oversight hearing to discuss the Mayor’s budget cuts. The public will have a chance to testify and express concerns about the budget cuts and their impact on parks and natural areas.

We urge you to attend the hearing, submit testimony, and directly address your elected officials. Now's the time to stand up for this urgent and vital issue.

Read more details on the hearing: https://bit.ly/3uNYppa

We said goodbye to our fall term interns from The City University of New York last week. This group of 9 interns worked across a variety of fields, including native seed collection, trail maintenance, forest management, and native species planting.

What an incredible group of passionate and determined students! Thank you for your hard work and for enriching the NAC with your expertise. 👏

Are you interested in exploring our internship program? Learn more: https://bit.ly/45f95tS

Did you know you can submit your NAC donation for an employer match? Double your impact on NYC and get your company involved! Learn more: https://naturalareasnyc.org/donate

Beautiful day in with volunteers and the New York City Department of Parks & Recreation Citywide Trails Team! We led volunteers through the installation of trail markers along 0.65 miles of the Siwanoy trail, and we also pruned invasive species on the trail corridor.

Trail markers are so important to increase access to our natural areas and ensure the safety of visitors. Thank you to our dedicated volunteers for coming out!

Sign up for our newsletter to stay in the loop on opportunities like this: https://bit.ly/3CiMIqQ

We're thrilled to announce our partnership with The Macallan as they celebrate the new , in collaboration with Stella and Mary McCartney. The collection will be unveiled at The Macallan Harmony Hideaway, a one-of-a-kind experience in the heart of New York City.

Marrying the exclusivity of an iconic supper club with the immersive nature-inspired setting of the brand's spiritual home in Speyside Scotland, the Harmony Hideaway will bring New Yorkers together this holiday season to toast one another.

As part of The Macallan’s sustainability commitments, the proceeds of each ticket will be donated to the in order to help preserve, protect and improve access to urban natural areas throughout New York City.

Join us from 12/7-12/9 at the Harmony Hideaway by purchasing a ticket: https://bit.ly/3RmW4dH

Photo credit: Mary McCartney

The citywide agency budget cuts are already causing irrevocable damage to NYC Parks and natural areas. Due to the cuts, the Parks Opportunity Program (POP) has been eliminated; a resource that was critical to thousands of New Yorkers each year who received career training, continuing education, and full-time employment placement within the Parks system.

Read this THE CITY NY article to hear from one POP participant, Cora Cofield, who credits the program with turning around her career: https://bit.ly/47QGUCT

Write to Mayor Adams and your local Council Member to reinstate the budget and save programs like these: https://bit.ly/3NDnFp3

Parks Jobs Corps to End Under Adams Budget Cuts For decades, the Parks Opportunity Program connected striving workers with employment. It’s being eliminated to help fill a $7 billion city budget hole.

If you’ve been in New York City’s parks this year, you know the value of . Whether you’ve hiked a trail, biked through your local park, or taken a stroll under tree canopy, you have experienced first-hand the myriad of physical and mental health benefits our forests and wetlands provide.

This , we ask that you give back to the city's nature by donating to the Natural Areas Conservancy.

The NAC works year-round to ensure the health of natural areas in NYC’s parks and provide critical services that improve the safety and accessibility of nature trails across the city.

This is the time to give back to support our efforts, and we deeply appreciate your generosity. Donate on our secure website: https://bit.ly/49ilAYx

Environmental justice and biodiversity conservation may seem like disparate fields, but a recent study suggests they are inextricably linked.

This The New York Times article breaks down how structural racism directly influences the ecology and biodiversity of a city's neighborhoods. Understanding this connection is crucial for policymakers and advocates alike if we want to make greenspace accessible to all and have thriving urban environments.

Read the full article:

Why Warblers Flock to Wealthier Neighborhoods In the unequal distribution of birds and other species, ecologists are tracing the impact of bigoted urban policies adopted decades ago.

As fall becomes winter, you may be thinking that most of New York's wildlife is hunkering down for the cold months. But the city is not devoid of fauna you can still catch glimpses of! In our recent blog post, discover a list of mesmerizing animals you could spot this season in NYC natural areas: https://bit.ly/3QMEaQ5

🍂 Happy Thanksgiving! 🍁

We would like to give thanks to you, our supporters, who inspire us with your dedication and enthusiasm for NYC's natural areas.

As the year wraps up, we ask that you consider donating to our cause, so we can continue to protect our city's beautiful and vital forests and wetlands into the New Year and beyond.

Donate: https://bit.ly/49ilAYx

All last week, the NAC, with support from New York City Department of Parks & Recreation and , led a Trail Improvement Techniques training for practitioners across NYC.

In just a few days, they had some BIG accomplishments in Forest Park:

-Installed 4 check steps
-Constructed 2 water bars
-Established 24 ft of puncheon and 17 ft of turnpike
-Removed 1056 ft of invasive species
-Improved 125 ft of tread
-Closed 460 ft of desire lines

Incredible effort. 👏

Join us for our next trail maintenance event, where we will be trail-blazing in Pelham Bay Park. RSVP: https://bit.ly/3QFNRzw

With the 5% citywide agency budget cuts implemented last week, the state of our parks and natural areas are at risk—and park neglect could sadly become a reality. With fewer Maintenance and Operations staff, Trails crews, Urban Park Rangers, and Parks Enforcement Patrol, New York City Department of Parks & Recreation won't have the resources to keep up with the maintenance and oversight of our city's natural areas and greenspace, which will ultimately affect the safety of all New Yorkers.

This is a crisis and one that can be avoided. Call on Mayor Adams and your local Council Member to reinstate the budget: https://bit.ly/3NDnFp3

On November 9, we had a wonderful day planting trees in Alley Pond Park with volunteers from American Express and American Forests! NAC interns who have been working with the Greenbelt Native Plant Center also joined us for this AMEX and American Forest-sponsored project— "Taking Tree Equity to Scale – Every Tree Can Change a Life." Over the course of two years, in partnership with NYC Parks, we will be producing and planting 3,000 climate-adaptive trees in NYC.

Are you or your company interested in corporate volunteering with the NAC? Explore volunteer options with us: https://bit.ly/3SIgTBc

It was a busy week for trail maintenance at NAC! Our dedicated Super Stewards learned how to assess, plan, and install check steps in Van Cortlandt Park! We also hosted trails technique training days for practitioners across the city, including a session working on desire line closures and trail tread maintenance in Forest Park.

Are you interested in becoming a steward of one of NYC's many miles of trails? Join us for a trail marker installation event with Friends of Pelham Bay Park on December 2: https://bit.ly/3QFNRzw

We are excited to announce that not one, but TWO, cities are joining our Forests in Cities Network! Please join us in welcoming Portland and Boston! We now have 19 metro regions in our coalition that champions urban forests across America.

The teams from these cities are made up of practitioners from Mass Audubon, Boston Parks and Recreation Department, Portland Parks & Recreation, Bureau of Environmental Services, and the City of Portland, OR. They are all passionate about managing, studying, and advocating for forested natural areas.

Read our blog to learn more about the teams from Portland and Boston and why they decided to become members of FiC: https://bit.ly/3QDQFx7

NAC's Crystal Crown, Senior Manager of Data & Analytics, was recently profiled by Onset as a HOBO data logger Ambassador! For our Cooling Cities study, we used over 120 HOBO air temperature sensors to collect data from 12 urban centers across the US.

"I hope that the work I do will ensure that some of our wild heritage is preserved, even in unexpected places like cities," Crystal says.

Learn more about Crystal and the power of data science: https://bit.ly/46cP9YO

Crystal Crown | Onset's HOBO and InTemp Data Loggers With a background in ecology, conservation biology, data analysis, and project management, Crystal Crown worked on citywide tree inventory projects with New York City's Department of Parks & Recreation before joining the Natural Areas Conservancy.

Natural areas have many benefits, climate mitigation being one of them. Our urban forests in NYC soak up as much stormwater as $580 million of new green infrastructure each year.

They account for nearly 70% of the carbon stored and 83% of carbon sequestered by trees across the city.

And as we found in our Cooling Cities report this summer, forests can be almost 10 degrees cooler than street trees during extreme heat events.

But natural areas can't take care of themselves. Care and management of these spaces ensure their long-term health and ability to provide these crucial climate benefits.

The city's decision to cut 5% of citywide agency budgets will have a dire impact on the New York City Department of Parks & Recreation and NAC's ability to continue protecting these spaces optimally.

Demand that Mayor Adams and your local Council Member reinstate the budget: https://bit.ly/46E05jd

Our fall interns from The City University of New York enjoyed some beautiful stewardship days last week in Marine Park! At the height of stunning fall foliage, they were surrounded by vibrant sumac, phrag, bayberry, and patches of goldenrod.

Interns joined a trails crew to help install trail markers and pruned existing trails to make them safer and more accessible to visitors.

Well done interns! 👏

Learn more about our internship program: https://bit.ly/45f95tS

We’re proud to announce we’ve been chosen as a recipient of Athletic Brewing Company’s grant program! Their love for the great outdoors inspired them to create this program, where they donate up to $2 million annually to help protect, preserve, and maintain local trails.

Their mission aligns perfectly with our work in trails. With these funds, we can continue to restore and care for NYC's 300 miles of trails and make them accessible to all New Yorkers!

Learn more about our Trails Maintenance Program: https://bit.ly/3PDuI2h

Athletic Brewing Company. Milford, CT and San Diego, CA. Near Beer

We had so much FUN(gi) last weekend with the New York Mycological Society! A group of curious foragers went looking for mushrooms in Highbridge Park and learned about local ecology along the way. Thanks to NYMS President Sigrid Jakob and NAC Senior Ecologist Helen Forgione for leading a great tour, and to all those who came out.

Interested in exploring some of NYC's natural areas? Sign up for our newsletter for all the latest updates: https://naturalareasnyc.org/

City and State NY's NYN Media just published an op-ed by our Executive Director Sarah Charlop-Powers that addresses the citywide 5% agency budget cuts. Sarah outlines the disastrous effects these cuts will have on New York City Department of Parks & Recreation and NAC. Read the article to gain a better understanding of what exactly this means for New York City's natural areas: https://bit.ly/40sZ7Eb

Please share widely with your network to get the word out and the attention of our elected officials.

Opinion: Why proposed cuts to NYC’s parks would be catastrophic Hard decisions must be made in difficult times, but not at the expense of our much-needed and shared natural resources.

Managing and protecting NYC’s 20,000 acres of forests and wetlands means our organization is an ecosystem full of symbiotic relationships. Through our research, education, trail maintenance, national network of practitioners, and advocacy, we create growth and catalyze change.

Much like the layers of a forest — understory, vine layer, midstory, and overstory—combine to create a healthy community, it’s critical we sustain and grow our organization at all levels to ensure our natural areas are thriving and accessible for all New Yorkers.

We couldn’t do this work without you. If you champion natural areas, wildlife and biodiversity, growing the environmental workforce, combating climate change, expanding access to green space, or you simply cherish the time you spend in forests and wetlands—we invite you to donate to our cause.

Explore each layer of our forest below and their connection to our tiers of giving.

Make your donations on our secure website: https://bit.ly/GTNNAC2

Curious to hear more about our forest growth? Subscribe to our newsletter: https://bit.ly/3CiMIqQ

Investing in NYC's natural areas means investing in the health of New Yorkers. But the city has made the decision to cut agency budgets by 5%, which will have a catastrophic impact on New York City Department of Parks & Recreation's and NAC's ability to care for and maintain these vital green spaces.

In our beautiful city, forested natural areas prevent $4.8 million in hospital bills from pollution-induced illness annually. They provide $2.2 billion in recreational value and $1.1 billion in public health value.

Natural areas convey all of these benefits but have suffered decades of disinvestment. The impacts of climate change combined with the ongoing lack of proper funding to care for our urban forests and wetlands means we are at risk of losing these crucial public health benefits altogether.

We need you to join us! Call on Mayor Adams and your local Council Member to reinstate the 5% budget cuts and prevent further cuts in the future: https://bit.ly/46E05jd

A study from The University of Melbourne reveals the power of small green spaces in urban environments. By increasing the variety and complexity of plant species, researchers found that insect biodiversity surged.

What's exciting is that the methodology of their study could be applied to many cities that are looking to enhance biodiversity and mitigate the negative effects of urbanization on the environment. Read more:

Small greening projects can dramatically boost urban biodiversity In the heart of Melbourne, a small green oasis stands as a testament to the potential power of urban greening

Happy Halloween from NAC! 🎃

One way to celebrate this holiday is by foraging for oddities on the forest floor. This bright yellow specimen is aptly called “Witch’s Butter Fungus” and can be found peeking out of fallen logs. 🧙‍♀️🧈

Slimy to the touch, and especially jelly-like after rainy days, this parasite fungus feeds on wood, breaking it down into soil. Spooky indeed!

Want to discover more fungi? Join us for a mycology and botany guided walk on Sunday. Register while there’s spots left: https://bit.ly/46KS63C

🌳 Giveaway Alert! 🌳

The NAC wouldn't be what it is today without you— our supporters, champions, and natural areas enthusiasts! Together, we've accomplished significant milestones in 2023— we trained our 100th CUNY intern, improved trails across the 5 boroughs, published our Cooling Cities report, expanded our national coalition, and advocated for natural areas in city legislation.

We wanted to give back to YOU, our passionate natural areas community, by offering a chance to win some NAC prizes!

What you could win:

🦉 A private tour of Inwood Hill Park for you and four friends!
- This in-depth tour will showcase one of the hidden gems of New York in all its beauty. Learn about the park's ecologic and geologic history; local plant identification; and spot natural phenomena such as vernal pools, fungi, and migrating birds!
(Tour will take place Spring 2024)

🧢 NAC swag bundle
- Includes NAC T-shirt, tote, baseball cap, jacket, and more surprises!

How to enter:
1. Visit the NAC Instagram page and follow our account: https://www.instagram.com/naturalareasnyc/
2. On Instagram, like our giveaway contest post from October 30, 2023
3. Tag 2 friends in the comments you'd want to be in your tour squad!

Contest closes Friday, November 3, 2023 at 11:59 pm ET. Good luck!

Spend your Monday lunch hour with NAC Deputy Director of Conservation Science Clara Pregitzer and New York City Department of Parks & Recreation's Chief of Natural Resources, Kristy King, for a talk in the Yale School of the Environment Forest Forum speaker series. They’ll be discussing the management and restoration of forested natural areas and the role these areas have in climate mitigation. Register for the talk: https://bit.ly/3Mj6h85

It's time to get Fungi! Chantarelles, Hen of the Woods, Morels, and Trumpets are calling your name. Join us for a botany and mushroom-filled guided walk with the New York Mycological Society along the nature trails at Highbridge Park. Led by expert mycologists and botanists, you will learn about community forestry, forest ecology, and mycology and how they all relate.

We will conclude the day with an evaluation of mycological and botanical samples collected during the walk. All ages are welcome! Sign up to reserve your spot: https://bit.ly/46KS63C

Urban forests are the lungs of New York City. They make our air cleaner by removing particulates that can cause pollution-induced illness, saving millions in hospital bills.

The health benefits of forested natural areas to New Yorkers are undeniable. Read more about the value of our city's forests: https://bit.ly/495xYe3

We are gutted by the recently announced 5% citywide budget cuts. This means critical new funding for our parks and natural areas has disappeared, and we are at risk of losing more.

These cuts will cause immense strain on both NYC Parks and NAC resources. For one, the already minimal pool of green jobs has shrunk further. Crucial positions in trail maintenance and formalization are no longer moving forward, meaning our goal for increased public access to NYC's 10,000 acres of natural areas will become more challenging, and will place the health of our forests and wetlands at risk.

Passionate STEM students in our CUNY internship program, whom we have trained in field ecology, data management, and ecological surveying methods, will be looking toward a job market with limited prospects during a climate crisis when good, green jobs are needed more than ever.

We are calling on our elected officials to restore the 5% budget cuts, and prevent further cuts next year! Join us and add your voice to the cause by sending a letter directly to Mayor Adams and your local Council Member: https://bit.ly/46E05jd

For Open House New York's recent weekend festival, we led a tour of Inwood Hill Park, at one of the most beautiful times of the year. Under fall foliage, attendees had the chance to learn about the park's rich ecological and social history as well as enjoy sweeping views of the Hudson River.

Thanks to all who came out for this special day! Interested in exploring more NYC natural areas? Visit our list of upcoming events: https://bit.ly/3PDuI2h

Last week, our staff took a trip to D.C. for the World Forum on Urban Forests! Organizations from 63 countries attended to share their approaches for more sustainable and greener models of urban development.

It was fantastic to hear from passionate advocates on urban forestry, and we were grateful for the chance to share our work championing and protecting NYC !

Curious to see more from the conference? Check out our WFUF 2023 highlights reel on Instagram: https://bit.ly/405N2nW

Leaves are starting to change color across NYC! Are you on the hunt for more golden foliage moments this weekend? We’ve compiled a list of the top 5 natural areas for viewing autumn leaves!

Read our latest blog for our recommendations in each borough, specific lookout spots, and what makes each natural area special: https://bit.ly/3MvSlrx

Last Saturday, we celebrated with Forest for All NYC and organizations across the city! A mighty group of four New Yorkers didn't let the drizzle stop them from enjoying a hike along the shoreline trail of Jamaica Bay Park.

Thanks to our Trails Program Manager, Josh, and shout out to Ijeoma, Guerda and Mike for coming out! It's always a pleasure to share the beauty of Jamaica Bay's maritime coastal forest and the park's wildlife and flora.

Interested in stepping into one of NYC's beautiful natural areas? Check out our list of upcoming events: https://bit.ly/42JDsXR

Driving along the Long Island Expressway, you likely haven't thought much about the grassy median on the side of the road. But this green space is vital habitat for monarch caterpillars before they become butterflies! Wild milkweed that often grows in these areas is the only source of nutrition for these caterpillars.

This incredible story from the The New York Times follows three New Yorkers who became monarch caterpillar habitat activists — succeeding in preventing milkweed from being mowed across the city. We're inspired by this example of community activism and individuals' power to positively impact the environment. Read the full story:

To Save Monarch Butterflies, They Had to Silence the Lawn Mowers An unlikely group of New Yorkers is winning small victories in the battle to protect butterfly habitats.

Oh glorious trees! Standing under their beautiful canopies or marveling at their far-reaching branches, trees can inspire a deep love for the environment and nature's endless beauty.

Has a tree ever made you feel that way? Now you can share that moment of awe by nominating a "Great Tree" in NYC! New York City Department of Parks & Recreation is calling for submissions to their Great Tree search, where you can nominate a tree of historical, botanical, or cultural significance: https://on.nyc.gov/3rUT7XL

Submit your Great Tree, and also let us know in the comments where to find it!

We had a blast on Staten Island last week for an NAC team field trip! First, we visited Freshkills Park, formerly a landfill that has been completely transformed into an engineered landscape rich in environmental habitat and biodiversity. We finished the day at Greenbelt Native Plant Center for a tour of their greenhouse, nursery and seed bank.

Thank you to the wonderful staff at both facilities who led tours for us. We're inspired by the work you do for habitat restoration, which has countless positive effects on NYC natural areas!