Even with September arriving, there appears to be just a small respite from the heat of summer. Yet even as those hot days start to cool, wooded areas are teeming with life, and the trails of Van Cortlandt Park are no exception. more

Riverdale is full of parks. Some are quite large, like the 114 acres of Riverdale Park, while others are relatively small, like the less than 2 acres that make up Brust Park, probably known primarily by those who live in its proximity. more

Despite the soggy outdoor conditions on Feb. 11, dozens of journalists and other guests showed up for the media preview of the New York Botanical Garden’s annual orchid show. more

In that faraway time when Eospermatopteris and Archaeopteris were growing mere miles from Riverdale, there were many other critters living in the same neighborhood. more

There once was a bookstore on Riverdale Avenue that welcomed late novelist Toni Morrison. It was the same bookstore that sold Salman Rushdie’s “Satanic Verses” in the late ‘80s despite the dangers that involved (as evidenced by the firebombing of the offices this very paper). more

The past disappears rapidly, even when there is limitless visual and print media attesting to it. more

Fossils can be found everywhere, and we have our share here in New York. more

Humans have created art for a long time. For a very long time, particularly if your definition of art is “any embellishment that does not add to the functionality of an item.” more

When it comes to Riverdale’s Special Natural Area District, there’s no such thing as “it’s only a tree.” An attorney who says he represents those involved in chopping down a tree in a parking lot near Schervier Rehabilitation and Nursing Center on Independence Avenue near West 231st Street, says he’s heard that message loud and clear. more

When men with heavy equipment showed up in the parking lot of 714 W. 231st St., earlier this month, neighbors became wary. After all, the neighborhood lies within the Special Natural Area District. Most modifications to buildings and grounds must be cleared with the city before work begins — even if it’s a single, 6-inch diameter tree. more