Although gingkoes are wind-pollinated, they do require seed dispersal. This would entail some animal eating the seed inside the pulp and depositing the seed at a distance from the mother tree. While there are records of badgers and civet cats eating the seed, the only urban animal that seems to eat them with their pulp are squirrels.
However, I discovered one naturalist who showed that the intact seed can be found in coyote scat (feces). The role of coyotes may explain something odd that happened in my garden. While I have germinated my own gingko seed over the years, I recently found five seedlings bunched together growing at the base of a maple in my garden. I certainly did not plant them but we have seen coyotes in the neighborhood. Maybe they are the accidental gardeners.
What a delightful post! You’ve taught me several things about street trees that I didn’t know before. And it’s so nice to learn that we are getting better at living with nature.