As NYers wait for Mayor Mamdani's preliminary #budget for FY27, it's clear #parks are a top priority! "Advocates have spent more than two decades trying to get mayors to spend more money on the city’s 1,700 parks," writes @elizabethkim.bsky.social for @gothamist.com. Read more: bit.ly/49TqzQm

Kick off your New Year with one of these #natureevents happening in #NYC! From spotting bald eagles and tracking white-tailed deer, to tending to trails and exploring #forests—there’s plenty to do this #winter. Register for these events: bit.ly/4sYZ4Og

It's a new era of leadership for @nycgovparks.org! Congrats to Tricia Shimamura on her appointment as NYC Parks commissioner! We look forward to working with Commissioner Shimamura on prioritizing our city's beautiful natural areas and green spaces. Learn more: bit.ly/4a4g3qE

Last week, @nytimes.com polled readers on how NYC could be improved— the top suggestion had 35,551 votes: increase funding to parks and public libraries. As the new mayoral administration takes office, it's clear NYers want cleaner, healthier, and more resilient green space: bit.ly/3ZerV3a

Last call for NYC high school students to apply to our SUN #internship program for summer 2026! 🚨The deadline for applications is this Wednesday, January 14, 2026, at 11:59 PM. Apply today: bit.ly/3MKGnNo

Don't miss a thing in 2026! The Natural Areas Conservancy is your source for all things urban forests, wetlands, and local environmental advocacy. Get all the necessary updates in your inbox once a month! Sign up for our mailing list: https://bit.ly/4dzji9V

Running into 2026 like... 🏃‍♂️🫶 ✨ Happy New Year from the Natural Areas Conservancy! 🎆 Who's ready to hit the trails in 2026?

Just TWO days left to make an impact! 💚 Before you ring in the New Year, help us forge the path ahead for urban forests, wetlands, and grasslands. Donate: https://bit.ly/4oHGE1M

☃️ Happy Holidays from the Natural Areas Conservancy! ☃️ Wishing you a cozy winter season with magical snowy vistas. Thank you for joining us to care for urban nature. We are grateful for each and every one of you! 💙

The #PlayFair Coalition's "First 100 Days for Parks" agenda outlines steps Mayor-elect Zohran Kwame Mamdani can take to reverse historic disinvestment in New York City Parks and immediately improve quality of life citywide. Read more in New York Daily News : bit.ly/48KCBuI#PlayFair#ParksPower #NYC

The federal gov proposed changes to the #EndangeredSpeciesAct, that would curb wildlife protections. "A plover without habitat cannot exist," Chris Allieri, founder of NYC Plover Project told The Revelator: https://bit.ly/48SEBkH. Sign NYC Bird Alliance's petition to oppose: https://bit.ly/491w3rT

Thank you @insideclimatenews.org for covering the impact of the Community Reforestation (CoRE) grants! “This funding is really filling a gap in NYC around urban forest and natural areas care,” said Clara Pregitzer, the NAC's deputy director of conservation science. Read more: bit.ly/4pyC8mJ

We're excited to announce the selection of Oded Holzinger as our new ED! He comes to us from Groundwork Hudson Valley, a regional environmental nonprofit whose mission and programming align with the NAC. We look forward to starting this next chapter with you, Oded! Learn more: https://bit.ly/4rQuWUx

Thank you to this jolly group for coming out to our Winter ID Walk in Inwood Hill Park last weekend! Participants had fun learning how to identify woody plants with our Community Engagement Coordinator Melissa, and soaked up the tranquil forest vibes! ❄️ Join us at an upcoming event: lnkd.in/eXdY8RcM

You can spot delightful birds in winter if you know where to look! Our latest blog post highlights 5 species to look for, and which natural areas you can find them: bit.ly/48yrtRx Ready to get out there? Join @nycbirdalliance.org for a #ChristmasBirdCount event on Dec 13 & 14: bit.ly/4axfjuR

On #GivingTuesday gifts to the NAC are doubled! 💚💚 Leanna & Giselle share highlights from our HS & fellowship programs. 2025 marked a special year, with our interns conducting the most projects ever and the fellowship completing its 1st year! Help us grow the next gen: bit.ly/4oHGE1M bit.ly/4rz1MJw

While most leaves have fallen off trees in NYC, we can still enjoy the crunch beneath our feet 🍂🍁… and test our #treeleaf ID skills 👀 In this one photo taken in Forest Park, Queens, there are at least 7 species on display! Can you identify them? Answers can be found on our IG stories: bit.ly/4rKrrz4

🦃 Happy Thanksgiving! 🍁 We're grateful for so much—our dedicated staff, supporters, and the beautiful natural areas in NYC we strive to protect. Show your gratitude for NYC's green spaces by signing on to the #PlayFair Coalition's #Parks2030 mayoral platform at https://bit.ly/3XNGOsu#PlayFair#Parks2030

We're disappointed in the EPA's planned rollback of protections for nearly 85% of the country's wetlands. The value of our wetlands is immeasurable. Clean water should be the standard for every community nationwide. Read more about the ruling: bit.ly/3X9K0yx Contact your local rep: bit.ly/4plWsqM

On beautiful fall days like this, we're reminded of the value of parks and urban forests! We're proud to support the #PlayFair's "Parks 2030" platform—which outlines what the City could achieve by allocating 1% of NYC's budget to Parks. Are you with us? Sign on to the platform at playfair.nyc!

Do you know a rising high school junior or senior with an interest in #urbanecology? We are now accepting nominations for the Natural Areas Conservancy's Student Urban Nature (SUN) Program, and we would love your help in identifying strong candidates. 🌞 Nominate a student: lnkd.in/et9Ps2rr

We’re honored to be a grantee of NYS DEC’s #CoRe grant program. $7M has been awarded to NYC orgs, making it possible to plant over 21k trees across the city! Today, we celebrated this significant win for our city by planting the first trees in Forest Park! Learn more: bit.ly/3LHndri

Congrats to @zohrankmamdani.bsky.social on the mayoral win! We look forward to working with Mamdani's administration to prioritize NYC's parks and natural areas. We're proud to amplify the #PlayFair coalition's #Parks2030 platform. Sign on here: bit.ly/47YTZN6

Join our team! 💚 The NAC is #hiring two full-time positions: 🌱 Restoration Ecologist 🌳 Senior Manager of Applied Science and Partnerships Learn more and apply for these positions: bit.ly/NAC-jobs

Horseshoe crabs are a vital species that support vulnerable birds—but they are at risk! Help us turn a proposed protections bill into law. Urge Governor Kathy Hochul to pass legislation through @nycbirdalliance.org's campaign: bit.ly/47Mw2Zs

Fall migration is happening right now in NYC, and many #birdwatchers have flocked to the city’s natural areas to glimpse our feathered friends. We've put together a blog post of tips for #birding in the city's natural areas: bit.ly/478vUTS

Congrats to our intern alumni and NAC staff who presented at the Student Conference on Conservation Science at @amnh.org! 👏 Learn more about our Urban NEST internship programs: naturalareasnyc.org/internships/

Great feature by @johnsurico.bsky.social of @nycfuture.bsky.social and Nick Underwood in @nytimes.com that explores NYC's flood resiliency. Our #stormwater report, outlines how natural areas capture 17% of runoff in the city! Learn more: bit.ly/3LkkvHT Revisit the stormwater report: bit.ly/4qz3MB4

We are thrilled to have Ethan Crenson, President of @newyorkmyc.org as an expert guest writer for NAC's Understories blog! 🍄 Ethan shares 5 of his favorite NYC tiny fungi and provides tips for identifying each; where you might spot them; as well as detailed insight into their biology: bit.ly/473stfK

#DYK each year, New Yorkers get to decide how capital dollars are spent in their neighborhoods? Through a process called #ParticipatoryBudgeting, the power to propose and vote on infrastructure projects across the five boroughs is placed directly in the hands of residents. Learn more: bit.ly/48qbOpd

It may be surprising NYC is home to 20k acres of natural areas. Along with parks, these spaces provide substantial climate benefits and respite. But our precious green spaces are chronically underfunded. We're fighting for #1Percent4Parks: bit.ly/4qgClvN Read the NYT article: bit.ly/48Tj3WP

The hottest ticket of the year just dropped! 🐸🦎 Join us next Wednesday for "Herp Happenings" at Cunningham Park for a walk led by NYC Parks’ Wildlife and Fisheries Ecologist Neha Savant to learn about herpetology in NYC. RSVP (it's free!): https://bit.ly/48d6d5A

From cooling our streets to creating community, New York City Parks are essential infrastructure for a livable city. 📰Read about the #Parks2030 platform in City & State NY#Parks2030 bit.ly/4nrmOas ✍️Learn more and add your name: playfair.nyc #ParksPower #NYC

This past summer, the NAC's Urban NEST fellows completed research projects which marked the end of an impressive year-long effort! Fellows conducted intensive research, data collection, and analysis in a wide array of topics. Read our summary blog post to learn more: bit.ly/4mExv8g

Listen to a clip from yesterday evening’s segment of #CityWatch on @wbai.org. Our Senior Manager of Applied Research Jeffrey Clark spoke to host Jeff Simmons on our recent publication of the #stormwater report and how natural areas benefit run-off capture. Listen to the full episode: bit.ly/4my61B9

NAC is proud to have contributed to the development of the #PlayFair coalition's mayoral platform "Parks 2030"—which outlines what a future mayor could achieve by allocating 1% of New York City's budget to Parks. Read the @cityandstateny.bsky.social article to learn more: bit.ly/3IFhkJX

Catch the NAC's Senior Manager of Applied Research Jeffrey Clark live on air this Thursday at 5 pm on #CityWatch on @wbai.org. They'll be chatting with Jeff about the NAC's stormwater report, as well as connecting with Julie Tighe, President of @nylcv.bsky.social. Listen at wbai.org.

A vibrant fall color display is happening in NYC's #saltmarshes. Salt marsh plants are preparing for winter by losing their green chlorophyll and unmasking the hidden red, orange, and yellow pigments. Read our latest blog post for the top 4 natural areas to view fall salt marshes: bit.ly/4mpkvDC

It's not easy work building rock steps! ⚒️🪨👷‍♀️ This past Saturday, the NAC hosted its first Pathkeeper rock step training at Seton Falls Park! 5 enthusiastic volunteers joined us to learn surveying, moving rocks, excavation and setting the steps. Learn more: bit.ly/3VSx9jw

Our NYC Nature 5k is coming up on Oct 4! Grab your running or walking shoes, and hit the trails with us in Forest Park. All proceeds from this fundraiser will directly support the NAC’s mission. 🏃‍♀️ Sign up and start fundraising with just a few clicks: naturalareasnyc.org/nyc-nature-5k/

#ClimateWeek is coming up from Sept 21-28! With 100+ events across the city, it can be hard to pin down your itinerary. We've created a curated list of 10 free events across the 5 boroughs that center natural areas and stewardship. Read our blog post for more details: bit.ly/467Ypzb

Mayor Adams promised 1% for NYC Parks but never delivered. “That’s been, for a lot of us in this sector, one of the most disappointing outcomes of the past almost four years now,” Emily Walker, NAC's senior manager for external affairs told @insideclimatenews.org. Learn more: bit.ly/41Es55J

Join @srijb.bsky.social for a webinar on Monday exploring monitoring protocols for natural and nature-based features in NY State! Presenters Cate Collinson & NAC intern alum Caitlin Lynch will share their experiences using the protocols for ecological function assessment. Register: bit.ly/4g9OBsY

The @naturalareasnyc.bsky.social report is the first to quantify the stormwater capture capacity of the city’s forests, wetlands, and grasslands—helping prevent untreated sewage from overflowing into local waterways. bit.ly/4p1jVOG

In NYC, there are over 5,000 acres of wetlands! What makes the city unique is the various types of wetlands within the five boroughs. Read our recent blog post to learn more about what kinds of wetlands you can visit in the city and specific recommendations on where to go: bit.ly/3JyvoVU

What was once known as a dumping ground for NYC's trash is being transformed into beautiful #FreshKillsPark! @newyorker.com chronicles how this 2,200 acre urban park is already offering habitat for a slew of species like foxes, deer, and grasshopper sparrows: bit.ly/4fXERlR

“If we wait for things to degrade, we wait for trees to start to die, then the amount that we'll need to invest is going to be a lot greater than if we start working right now,” Jeffrey Clark (NAC), told @gothamist.com. Read the article for insights into a study from Yale and NAC: bit.ly/4lNi4KJ

Urban heat is delaying spring in NYC's parks. ☀️ 🌳🌆 Researchers from the NAC and @yalee360.bsky.social, published a study that proves warmer winters reduce what is called 'chilling accumulation' in trees, an important step that triggers the transition from dormancy. Learn more: bit.ly/41ggolE

Last week, our high school SUN interns presented their research at the @amnh.org as part of the NYCSRM Consortium's research symposium. Over 500 students from 25 programs participated from across the city! Our interns shared how they employed inquiry-based methods to assess urban forest health.

Excited to announce that FIVE new cities have joined the Forests in Cities Network in 2025: 👏 -Cleveland, Ohio -Detroit, Michigan -Kansas City, Missouri/Kansas -San Antonio, Texas -Syracuse, New York Read more about these cities and their organizations in our recent blog post: bit.ly/3JkROcV