Outdoors Magazine Fall/Winter 2026
Here’s the most recent issue of AMC’s Outdoors Magazine.
Clubwide Conservation Community
At this evening's Clubwide Conservation Committee meeting, a proposal was made to change the group's name to the Clubwide Conservation Community. The new name would align the group with anticipated changes in how the volunteer corps is organized, including, at least to some extent, eliminating the chapters' hierarchical structure. As a community, the CCC would include all club members who have an interest in, and a desire to, “do more” in support of the club's conservation mission, collaborating with like-minded members. The group would also aim to develop “conservation advocates” — members who receive special training, and perhaps credentials, to spread the word about conservation on hikes and walks, where a leader often doesn't have time to add a conservation component to the activity they're leading. Finally, “community” is meant to affirm the club's commitment to inclusiveness: what binds us together is the social compact we've agreed to, under which conservation advocacy is part of our shared sense of obligation and responsibility.
Oct 21st Reptile Awareness Day
World Reptile Day is an international event designed to celebrate the diversity of reptiles. It’s also a time to raise awareness of the plight of reptiles worldwide. What is your favorite reptile? Comment below.
Why is Reptile Awareness Day celebrated?
Reptiles can easily be ignored in the push for animal protection in favour of mammal and bird species. But they desperately need our help too. More than one in five reptile species is threatened with extinction — largely due to human activities and exploitation.
Their biggest threats include:
- Habitat loss: A large proportion of reptiles are threatened by habitat loss. As forests and other reptile habitats are cleared for agriculture, logging, and urban expansion, reptiles have less suitable space to find food, shelter, and a mate.
- Wildlife trade: Reptiles are bred for profit and taken from the wild as part of the illegal wildlife trade. Reptiles like turtles, snakes, and lizards are sold as exotic pets, while crocodiles are traded for their skins.
- Wildlife tourism: Reptiles are also bred in captivity and taken from the wild to be used as part of wildlife tourism attractions. They’re kept in stressful and unnatural environments and are often forced into cruel interactions with humans, prioritising entertainment over their welfare.
How to protect reptiles
Reptile Awareness Day is an opportunity to speak up for reptiles living in captivity or being kept as pets, as well as ongoing concerns about more reptile species becoming endangered in the wild.
You can play your part in protecting reptiles this National Reptile Awareness Day and beyond by:
- Never buying reptiles or reptile products, such as skins
- Being a responsible traveller and rejecting wildlife entertainment involving reptiles
- Supporting habitat protection and climate action
- Learning about the impacts of the exotic pet trade
- Supporting organisations working to protect wildlife and end exploitation
Fall Hike Leader Update
Welcome to Fall Hiking Season!
Fall is one of the best times of year to be on the trails. Cooler temperatures, changing leaves, and crisp mornings make for some wonderful hiking opportunities—but the change of season also brings a few things that leaders should keep in mind. We also encourage you to lead a hike or two in the next month to take advantage of the cooler weather before winter sets in. Please reach out to us for assistance and support at hikecommittee@amc-ny.org.
This edition includes several seasonal reminders, helpful resources, and a few best practices that can make our hikes safer and easier to manage.
As always, thank you for the time and energy you give to AMC and to the hikers who join your trips!
Fall Hunting Season: Know Before You Go
With hunting season approaching and underway in various areas, leaders should be aware of hunting activity when planning and leading hikes.
Before heading out, check the most current information for the area where you will be hiking. Below are a few links you may find helpful in addition to the research you may have already done.
NY-NJ Trail Conference 2025 Notice on Weekday Deer Hunting
Harriman State Park Hunting Management Zones Weekday hunting in Harriman starts November 3rd!
Department of Environmental Conservation – Hunting and Trapping Season in NY State
As a reminder, leaders should review applicable restrictions and advisories before the hike and make sure participants are aware of any precautions that may be appropriate for the area.
Leader Tip: During hunting season, consider reminding participants to wear highly visible colors when appropriate and to remain attentive to posted signs and local regulations.
Public Transportation: More Trails Without a Car
Public transportation continues to be an important way to make our hiking program accessible to more members.
The NY-NJ Trail Conference has a very useful resource outlining public transportation options to trailheads throughout the region.
It is worth bookmarking if you’re looking for ideas for transit-accessible hikes or trying to determine whether a potential hike can be reached by train or bus.
Public Transit Resources:
NY-NJ Trail Conference Public Transit Resources
This resource can also be helpful when planning future public transportation scouting hikes. If you find a particularly useful train or bus connection to a trailhead, consider sharing it with fellow leaders.
Concrete to Trails: Get from NYC to the Trails!
Looking for opportunities to get out of the city and onto the trails without needing a car? Concrete to Trails is an AMC program that helps New Yorkers get from NYC to the outdoors by providing bus or van transportation from the city to trail destinations.
It’s also a great opportunity for hike leaders to co-lead a trip, meet other AMC members, explore new areas, and potentially discover routes that could become future AMC hikes.
Upcoming Concrete to Trails Trips
Here are some of the upcoming opportunities currently listed:
| Date | Seats | Pickup | Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| Oct. 17 | 50 | GWB Bus Station | Apple/Pumpkin Picking – Pennings Orchard, Family & Friends |
| Oct. 18 | 24 | GWB Bus Station | Fall Foliage Day at Reeves – NEW SERVICE |
| Oct. 24 | 24 | Sutter Ave. between Legion &… | AMC x IS 392 to Rockefeller State Park |
| Oct. 31 | 14 | TBD | Ward Pound Ridge – New Members |
| Nov. 6 | 24 | 100 Convent Ave., NYC | Storm King Arts Center – Outdoors for All Committee |
| Nov. 8 | 14 | GWB Bus Station | Harriman State Park – Reeves to Pine Meadow Lake |
Interested in Co-Leading?
If one of these trips interests you, consider reaching out to Eileen Yin (eyin@outdoors.org) about co-leading. It can be a great way to support another leader, learn a new route, and connect with hikers who may be new to AMC.
Also, If you don’t see a trip that fits your schedule this fall, there’s good news: Concrete to Trails is expected to return in 2027, with trips beginning around mid-May.
Upcoming Hike Leaders Get-Together – Save the Date, November 7th!
Our next Hike Leaders Get-Together will be an opportunity to step away from the usual email and planning conversations, get out on the trail together, and connect with fellow leaders.
What to Expect
- Meet and reconnect with fellow AMC hike leaders.
- Share ideas, experiences, and suggestions.
- Get to know newer leaders and leaders you may not have had the opportunity to hike with.
- Enjoy some time together outdoors.
Date: Saturday, November 7th
Location: Central Park
We’ll share the link for registration with more details as soon as we can.
We hope you’ll join us! These gatherings are a great way to strengthen our leadership community beyond our individual hikes and spend some time together outside of our usual leadership responsibilities.
Avenza Digital Trail Maps: Important Updates
Many of us have relied on Avenza digital maps while hiking in the region. Following Avenza’s acquisition, the status and availability of some of the digital maps have changed.
The NY-NJ Trail Conference has been providing updates regarding its digital trail maps and where local park maps can be accessed.
Before relying on a digital map for an upcoming hike, it is a good idea to check for the latest information and make sure you have the appropriate maps downloaded and available on your device.
Digital Trail Maps on Mobile Devices:
NY-NJ Trail Conference Digital Trail Map Updates
Leader Tip
Don’t rely exclusively on your phone. For hikes where navigation is particularly important, consider carrying a paper map as a backup, along with ensuring that your phone is adequately charged.
First Aid & Leader Preparedness
Fall is also a good time to take a look at your first-aid training and make sure your skills and certifications are current.
If you haven’t taken a first-aid course recently, consider looking for an upcoming training opportunity that meets AMC’s expectations for hike leaders.
Even experienced leaders benefit from periodically refreshing their knowledge of:
- Basic first aid
- Emergency assessment
- Recognizing and responding to heat- and cold-related conditions
- Managing injuries on the trail
- Emergency communication and evacuation considerations
- Documenting incidents appropriately
Leader Reminder: Please check current AMC training requirements and available courses before registering, as training offerings and requirements can change.
Don’t Leave Home Without Your Paperwork
Even though we increasingly rely on online forms and digital systems, paper copies still have an important place in a leader’s pack.
As a best practice, leaders should carry:
Paper waiver(s)
Incident report form Make sure to CC the chair at hiking@amc-ny.org
SOAP notes
This applies even when you are leading a show-and-go hike.
Why carry paper forms?
You may encounter a participant who has not completed an online waiver, or you may need to document an incident while you’re away from reliable cell service.
Having the forms with you means you’re prepared rather than trying to figure things out after the fact.
Leader Tip: For show-and-go hikes, encourage participants to complete the online waiver in advance whenever possible, while still carrying paper waivers for anyone who prefers or needs to complete one on paper.
Waiver Submission Reminder
Once your hike is completed, please submit the completed waiver documentation as soon as possible.
Waivers should be sent to:
amcwaiver@outdoors.org
hikewaiver@gmail.com
Please submit them as soon as possible after the hike and no later than seven days after completion.
Keeping up with this simple administrative step helps ensure that our records remain complete and up to date.
Need AMC Volunteer Resources?
AMC’s volunteer resources provide additional information and materials that can help leaders fulfill their responsibilities. Some of these helpful resources have been linked above for quicker access.
Start Every Hike With a Safety Conversation
One simple practice can help create a safer and more comfortable environment for everyone: talk about safety before you leave the trailhead.
At the beginning of your event, consider letting participants know that safety is a priority and that you want everyone to feel comfortable speaking up if something concerns them.
You might say something as simple as:
“Safety is our priority today. If you have any personal concerns, limitations, or anything you’d prefer to discuss privately, please feel free to speak with me before we begin.”
This gives participants an opportunity to raise concerns privately rather than feeling uncomfortable discussing them in front of the group.
It can also help leaders identify issues that might otherwise not become apparent until the hike is underway.
We also encourage you to consider reviewing the Trip Talk Quick Reference guide. This is a great resource to use when planning and leading your hikes and walks.
We Look Out for One Another
Good leadership isn’t just about knowing the trail. It’s also about creating an environment where participants feel comfortable communicating with their leader and where leaders are prepared to respond when something unexpected happens.
As we move into the fall hiking season, let’s continue to:
- Look out for one another on the trail.
- Prepare for changing conditions.
- Carry appropriate navigation tools and backups.
- Keep necessary paperwork accessible.
- Maintain our first-aid skills.
Encourage open communication about safety.- Support fellow leaders and look for opportunities to co-lead.
These small practices can make a big difference.
Looking Ahead
Thank you for continuing to share your time, knowledge, and enthusiasm with our hiking community.
Fall gives us an opportunity to explore familiar trails in a completely different season—and perhaps discover some new ones along the way.
We look forward to seeing many of you on the trails and at our upcoming leader activities. As always, please feel free to reach out with questions, ideas, or suggestions for future Hike Leader Updates.
Happy hiking, and enjoy the fall!
See you on the trails,
Hike Committee
All Chapter Activities from the Activities Database
In the Summer of 2024 I downloaded all of our chapter’s records from Activities Database, and last week I used the Muse AI program to prepare this report from 67,000 database records in less than 30 seconds. Astounding. But, the “garbage in, garbage out” rule applies: there’s no way to know if the records were input accurately or sloppily in the first place. Lots of trips were on ActDB and didn’t run, but never canceled in the system, and I bet twice as many, probably many times more than that, were done “off the books,” meaning, never entered into ActDB in the first place. Also, I know for a fact a bulk load of climbing records were intentionally deleted. Our softball team took their bats and balls – actually, the chapter’s bats and balls, and our Central Park permit, and split off into their own Meetup Group after covid. Regardless, here’s the report, for what it’s worth. Our records from 2025 and 2026 are much better, and I’m able to use the Outdoors Connector internal reporting functionality to generate pretty good reports. I’ll post those when I can.