Getting to Know Central Park’s Squirrels
Central Park is located in New York City, and stretches from 59th Street to 110th Street, between Fifth Avenue and Central Park West.
The North Woods and the landscapes around the Harlem Meer are home to a collection of New York City’s most showstopping trees—many of which are over 100 years old! Explore the Central Park Conservancy’s guide to the area’s best longtime leafy residents, curated by our expert arborists.
Editor’s Note: Squirrels are a familiar sight in Central Park, energetic and busy ambassadors to our shared greenspace. While the nature here is indeed “natural,” it takes intentional, proactive work to keep the Park a welcoming environment to wildlife like the Eastern gray squirrel. The Central Park Conservancy, including its Natural Areas, Tree Care, and Gardens teams, ensures the health and sustainability of the Park’s ecosystems and landscapes. We prioritize native plant species that nourish our wild residents, remove invasive species, and leave snags (dead or dying trees) in the woodlands—all in order to cultivate a habitat in which the Eastern gray squirrel, and many other species, can find sustenance and shelter. Although we share this space with them in our year-round care of the Park, perhaps no one is more familiar with their playful personalities than the data scientists and squirrel aficionados behind the Squirrel Census.
As anyone who has visited Central Park knows, there are a lot of squirrels therein, and the Park is big—well over 800 acres. That didn’t stop the Squirrel Census, an organization I created in 2012, from leading a count of the Eastern gray squirrels (Sciurus carolinensis) in the Park in 2018. Our six-person team clearly needed help with the endeavor, and we got it from the Central Park Conservancy, The Explorers Club, New York University, NYC Parks, a tweet from the mayor’s office, and 323 “Squirrel Sighter” volunteers.
