Van Cortlandt Nature Group Walk

Take a slow walk in the park and learn about our local flora and fauna from naturalist Debbi Dolan. Debbi has a wealth of knowledge about nature that she enjoys sharing with everyone.

Walk will meet in the parking lot of the Riverdale Stables.

Space is limited.

What to expect in October:

Autumn arrived right on schedule this year with crisp days and tinges of fall color. The warblers are passing through the park and the raptors are crossing the skies of Van Cortlandt Park. Hummingbirds have been filling up on jewelweed nectar in preparation for their southern migration. The Tibbett Meadow is looking glorious with asters and goldenrod that are providing sustenance for the hungry migrant species and our resident birds.

Celestial events
The Full Hunter's Moon will reach peak illumination on Monday, October 6, and it's a SUPERMOON. it’s the first of three Supermoons in 2025, making it the largest and brightest full Moon of the year. Rising low on the horizon, it will appear bigger, brighter, and more golden than any other Moon this year, casting long, glowing light across autumn fields, landscapes, and evening skies. Gardeners, photographers, and stargazers alike will find it a sight to remember.

According to the Almanac, this full Moon came to be called the full Hunter’s Moon because it signaled the time to go hunting in preparation for the cold winter ahead. Animals are beginning to fatten up ahead of winter, and since farmers had recently cleaned out their fields under the Harvest Moon, hunters could easily see the deer and other animals that had come out to root through the remaining scraps (as well as the foxes and wolves that had come out to prey on them).

Host or Publisher Van Cortlandt Park Alliance