an aerial view of a tree with bursting orange and green leaves

Fall Forest Weekend

November 1 & 2, 2025

11 a.m. to 3 p.m. | At the Garden

Your local leaf headquarters!

The Thain Family Forest—New York City’s largest remaining tract of old-growth woodland—is your fall foliage headquarters. Leaf-watch locally and explore the Forest’s 50 acres full of vibrant fall color—a front row seat to the best views of the season close to home. This weekend offers activities, tours, and educational demonstrations by members of NYBG’s science and education teams. Get crafty and make your own tea bag or leaf rubbing; travel back in time 400 years ago to view your city block; learn the basics of fungi identification and foraging; participate in a robust guided walking tour; or win a prize with Tree Trivia! After a stroll through the forest, be sure to visit the Nolen Greenhouses to view Kiku: Spotlight on Tradition.

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Three people in orange hard hats pose for a photo in a green forest

NYBG Activity Hub

11 a.m. to 3 p.m.
Main Entrance to the Thain Family Forest

Meet NYBG staff alongside community partners as you explore our 50-acres.

NYBG Forest Staff
Learn about the trees found in the old-growth Thain Family Forest from the horticulturists who care for it: Forest Gardener Erica Deluca and Forest Botanical Garden Aide Judy Brenner. Erica and Judy share educational materials and natural curiosities that highlight their work within this protected site.

NYBG Scientists
Our diverse team of scientists represents centuries of combined knowledge across a wide variety of specialties. Get to know some of our staff in the field and the lab. On Saturday, meet and greet with Associate Curator Brad Oberle and Assistant Curator Aleca Borsuk, and Assistant Curator Kate Armstrong and Curator Ben Torke on Sunday.

Bronx Green-Up
Bronx Green-Up is the community outreach program of NYBG focusing on supporting urban gardening and sustainable practices in the Bronx. The program often holds workshops and events to engage the community in greening efforts, improve public spaces, and promote urban agriculture. Stop by their table to make your own tea bag!

NYBG Herbarium Staff
View herbarium specimens that represent centuries of botanical exploration and try a hands-on leaf rubbing activity. These specimens are used to study climate change and document biodiversity both locally and around the globe. Learn about the specimens and the Herbarium from Nicole Tarnowsky, Assistant Director of the Herbarium, and her team.

NYBG’s Center for Conservation & Restoration Ecology
Meet members of NYBG’s Urban Conservation Team at the Center for Conservation & Restoration Ecology. Explore their redesigned Welikia Map Explorer, a historical ecology mapping tool that reveals what the landscape, plants, animals, and people might have been like on your block in New York City, 400 years ago. NYBG’s research in urban conservation emphasizes the importance of nature to cities and the importance of cities to nature.

NYBG Library Staff
Get (temporary) tattooed by a librarian as you learn more about the Mertz Library’s collections and services. Browse the newest acquisitions and take home a Mertz collection-inspired coloring book!

A woman in a blue wrap dress and large shell earrings looks at the camera as she walks with a basket of foraged plants worn on her back

Foraged Flavors with Holistic Health Practitioner Journei Bimwala

Mitsubishi Wetland Trail

While the Thain Family Forest does not permit active foraging, holistic health practitioner Journei Bimwala presents an interactive display of pre-foraged fall bounty found in forests like ours. Sample a seasonal beverage and test your taste buds by identifying the foraged tasting notes within the drink.

A group of people walk through a forest full of yellow leaves

Guided Tours

Select dates and times
All tours meet at the Main Entrance to the Thain Family Forest

Explore Fall Forest Weekend with a walking tour through the Thain Family Forest! Please note that select tours require registration in advance. All remaining tours are first-come, first-served.

Saturday, November 1

Birding 101 with NYC Bird Alliance
11 a.m.
Join an expert bird guide from NYC Bird Alliance for a tour of NYBG’s diverse landscape to learn why this unique green space is such a vital haven for a great variety of species year-round. NYC Bird Alliance is a grassroots community that works for the protection of wild birds and habitat in the five boroughs, improving the quality of life for all New Yorkers.

Fall Fungi Foray
11:30 a.m. & 2 p.m.
Registration Required
Join the New York Mycological Society on a 30-minute, beginner-friendly guided walk throughout NYBG’s grounds to discover the fascinating world of fungi all around you—and learn about their important role in our ecosystem. Magnifying hand lenses will be on loan. This family-friendly event is open to all levels and recommended for children over the age of 12.

Pre-History of NYBG with Landscape Ecologist Dr. Eric Sanderson
12 p.m.
Registration Required
What was here before the Garden was here? Dr. Eric Sanderson, the best-selling author of Mannahatta: A Natural History of New York City, will take us back in time to the Bronx’s landscape before Broncks, immediately prior to European Contact. We will discuss matters relating to geology, ecology, nature, and culture as we stroll the Garden grounds, and preview some themes that relate to the next 400 years of the remarkable landscape we call New York City.

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Introduction to Tree Identification
1 p.m.
Learn to identify common trees in the Thain Family Forest from NYBG Forest staff, using (almost) all of our senses.

Forest Bathing with Treebath, Inc.
2:30 p.m.
Allow yourself to be fully present as you bathe your senses in the sights, smells, sounds, and sensations of the Thain Family Forest with forest bathing experiences, known as shinrin-yoku in Japan. In Japanese, shinrin means forest, and yoku means bath.

Sunday, November 2

Birding 101 with NYC Bird Alliance
11 a.m.
Join an expert bird guide from NYC Bird Alliance for a for a tour of NYBG’s diverse landscape to learn why this unique green space is such a vital haven for a great variety of species year-round. NYC Bird Alliance is a grassroots community that works for the protection of wild birds and habitat in the five boroughs, improving the quality of life for all New Yorkers. Participation is on a first-come, first-served basis.

Fall Fungi Foray
12 & 2:30 p.m.
Registration Required
Join the New York Mycological Society on a 30-minute, beginner-friendly guided walk throughout NYBG’s grounds to discover the fascinating world of fungi all around you and learn about their important role in our ecosystem. Magnifying hand lenses will be on loan. This family-friendly event is open to all levels and recommended for children over the age of 12.

Introduction to Tree Identification
1 p.m.
Learn to identify common trees in the Thain Family Forest from NYBG Forest staff, using (almost) all of our senses.

Forest Bathing with Treebath, Inc.
2:30 p.m.
Allow yourself to be fully present as you bathe your senses in the sights, smells, sounds, and sensations of the Thain Family Forest with forest bathing experiences, known as shinrin-yoku in Japan. In Japanese, shinrin means forest, and yoku means bath.

Tree Trivia

11:30 a.m. to 12 p.m. & 1:30 to 2 p.m.
Mitsubishi Wetland Trail

How well do you know the environment around you? Test your knowledge of the Thain Family Forest and the trees on your block with drop-in tree trivia! The winning team will receive a prize.

A parent and child walk through a yellow gate into a forested children's play area

Forest Fun for Families

Select dates and times below

Forest of Feelings with New York City Children’s Theater
Sunday, November 2; 1:30 p.m.
Everett Children’s Adventure Garden
This 40-minute interactive theater experience is designed especially for children ages 2 to 5, but is delightful for all ages. Commissioned by New York City Children’s Theater, this immersive production blends music, movement, and mindfulness to help young audiences explore their emotions in a playful, welcoming environment.

Tree Cookies & Leaf Rubbing Art
November 1 & 2; 11 a.m. to 5:30 p.m.
Everett Children’s Adventure Garden
Explore the trees that live here in the Thain Family Forest and throughout the Bronx. Learn how the Lenni Lenape people used these plants to help sustain their lives and ecosystems. Get creative by making your own tree cookie necklace and make your own leaf rubbing art all while learning how we can protect the trees that protect us!

Explore the Urban Canopy
November 1 & 2; 11 a.m. to 5:30 p.m.
Everett Children’s Adventure Garden
Celebrate the newest addition to the Everett Children’s Adventure Garden: the Treetop Walk!

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