Central Park is near its peak fall color this week, and two free NYC Parks programs at opposite ends of the park are built around its trees: a group art exhibition about trees on the third floor of the Arsenal, the Parks Department's headquarters inside the park at Fifth Avenue and 64th Street, and an Urban Park Rangers hike through the North Woods on Sunday, Nov. 8.

New Dendrology, at the Arsenal Gallery

Dendrology is the study of trees, and New Dendrology is a group show of eleven artists whose work approaches the city's trees as neighbors rather than scenery. The exhibiting artists are Mariel Collard, Karin Giusti, Mark Heller, Anya Hoyer, Ekene Ijeoma, Gail Karlsson, sTo Len, Anthoula Lelekidis, Matthew López-Jensen, Amanda Lovelee and Laura Nova.

Two pieces show the range. Matthew López-Jensen made The New York City Street Tree Tarot, a deck built around the trees that line city sidewalks, and visitors can sit for a reading from it. Laura Nova officiates commitment ceremonies between people and trees. The show's lead image is López-Jensen's The Bright Oak, from 2019.

The Arsenal Gallery is on the third floor of the Arsenal, 830 Fifth Avenue at 64th Street, just inside the park wall near the Central Park Zoo. It is open Monday through Friday from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., closed on holidays, and admission is free. The building is a short walk from the N, R and W trains at Fifth Avenue and 59th Street and the F and Q trains at Lexington Avenue and 63rd Street.

Sunday, Nov. 8: Leaf Peeping in the North Woods

At the north end of the park, the Urban Park Rangers lead Leaf Peeping in Central Park on Sunday, Nov. 8, from 1 to 2:30 p.m. The hike loops through the North Woods, the most wooded part of the park, to look at the season's color, and the route includes a waterfall. Rangers cover both the science behind leaves changing color and the experience of walking through it.

The group meets at the park entrance at West 100th Street and Central Park West. The hike is free and no registration is required. The B and C trains stop at 103rd Street and Central Park West, three blocks north of the meeting point. Questions go to the Urban Park Rangers at 212-304-2277.

Making a day of it

The two programs sit about 36 blocks apart, so the gallery suits a weekday lunch hour in Midtown or on the Upper East Side and the hike suits a Sunday afternoon on the Upper West Side. Wear shoes that can handle dirt paths and some uneven ground in the North Woods, and dress for the weather, since ranger hikes run outdoors.

Plan your visit

New Dendrology: the Arsenal Gallery, 830 Fifth Avenue at 64th Street, third floor, weekdays 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., free. Leaf Peeping in Central Park: Sunday, Nov. 8, 1 to 2:30 p.m., meet at West 100th Street and Central Park West, free, no registration.

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