Take a (First Day) Hike

Mark your calendars—the First Day Hike Program is back, and DEC encourages all outdoor enthusiasts to join in the fun of this growing New Year’s Day tradition of welcoming in the new year with a hike. Since its inception in 2012, tens of thousands of people have made First Day Hikes an annual custom, heading outdoors on January 1st to enjoy the beauty and wonders of nature. Each year offers exciting new destinations—the number of participating sites has grown from 18 in 2012 to 60 in 2018, and even more are planned for Tuesday, Jan. 1, 2019. No matter where you live, you can find a First Day Hike to start off your New Year in style. Visit DEC’s website or the State Parks website for times and locations, and then get ready to have fun on New Year’s Day.

Watchable Wildlife: Prospect Park

Brooklyn

One of the most diverse parks in New York City, you can enjoy numerous recreational and cultural attractions at Prospect Park, as well as view dozens of forest and water bird species in this unique mixture of woods and waters created by the same team that designed Central Park. Look for migratory hawks and waterfowl, and listen for forest songbirds and woodpeckers. The park has the only remaining chipmunk population in Brooklyn. The park encompasses several habitats, including freshwater wetlands, forests and meadows, and glacial kettle ponds and a lake. Visit the Prospect Park Zoo and Botanical Garden for even more wildlife viewing.

Small Game Hunting in Stewart State Forest

Orange County

Stewart State Forest (6,700 acres) is one of the most popular hunting destinations in the state. Each year, thousands of hunters flock to Stewart to take advantage of its diverse habitats and abundant game populations. While white-tailed deer and ring-necked pheasants are the most commonly pursued game species at Stewart, the area also provides high-quality turkey, waterfowl, rabbit, squirrel and furbearer hunting.

December is right in the middle of small game season, and you'll find plenty of opportunities to hunt for pheasants, squirrels and cottontail rabbits.

Winter Camping in a Lean-to!

If the thought of trekking into snowy woods on a cold winter’s day and setting up camp in a rustic log shelter appeals to you, then you may be one of those hardy souls who would enjoy winter camping in a lean-to. Gone are the crowds, rain and bugs of summer, replaced by sparkling mantles of white snow, welcome solitude and the pristine beauty of winter woods.

New York State offers hundreds of lean-tos in the Adirondack and Catskill mountains for adventurers who enjoy the challenges and rewards of primitive winter camping.

Nature Notes

Although it prefers to gather food in trees, once nuts and other seeds drop, the gray squirrel is forced to forage on the ground where it becomes more vulnerable to predation by coyotes, foxes, hawks and great horned owls.

Upcoming DEC Events

Guided Walk: Sleepy Time, 12/8 at 10 a.m., Five Rivers EEC

Family Snowshoe Walk at Iroquois National Wildlife Refuge, 12/8 at 10 a.m., Reinstein Woods EEC

Woods Walk - Migrate, Adapt or Die, 12/15 at 1 p.m., Reinstein Woods EEC

Family Fun: Fur, Fluff and Fun, 12/22 at 2 p.m., Five Rivers EEC

Small Game Hunting Seasons -- more on the DEC website:

• Cottontail Rabbit – Northern Zone (Oct. 1 – Mar. 17), Southern Zone (Oct. 1 – Feb. 28)
• Squirrel – Northern and Southern Zones (Sept. 1 – Feb. 28)
• Pheasant – Eastern NY (Oct. 1 – Feb. 28), Long Island (Nov. 1 – Dec. 31)
• Ruffed Grouse – Northern Zone (Sept. 20 – Feb. 28), Southern Zone (Oct. 1 – Feb. 28)

December Conservationist

Check out the December issue of Conservationist to learn about the black-capped chickadee, a true “Winter Warrior,” and how other reptiles, amphibians and even insects have adapted to survive our cold winters. You can also read about efforts by teachers and students to raise quail in the classroom to bolster the northern bobwhite population and help fight Lyme disease in the process. Enjoy beautiful photographs of snowy owls, and read a firsthand account of how a group of young people is working (literally) to conserve the Adirondacks and create more user-friendly experiences for visitors. These stories, and more, are only in the December Conservationist.

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