Geography Reference
In-Depth Information
English ivy, community groups in Seattle learn how nonnative groundcovers
compromise urban conifer forests. Their actions improve the ecological func-
tion of the trees. In New Orleans, as majestic southern live oaks are restored,
citizens learn about the value of trees to wildlife and the sense of place they
bring to southern cities.
A restored urban green is only the starting point in bonding humans with
nature. Parks, gardens, and other public gathering places could be enhanced
with bird feeders and nest boxes that concentrate birds where people can
most enjoy them. These critical supplements are rare where people rent,
rather than own, their homes, so adding them to rental areas could be espe-
cially productive. When I birded New York's Central Park, I was stunned to
happen upon a garden of bird feeders. Deep in the park, past the bowling
greens and the Lake, as I entered the woods of the Ramble, I heard the metal-
lic
eenk
of woodpeckers, the cry of a jay, and the soft whistle of a titmouse.
Following my ears, I crested a slight rise in the primitive trail, and before me
were baskets of suet, tube feeders, and platforms loaded with birdseed. The
ground seethed with sparrows and juncos. Hairy, downy, and red-bellied
woodpeckers clamored on the suet. American goldi nches, tufted titmice, and
northern cardinals probed tube feeders stocked with sunl ower and millet.
A n immature Cooper's hawk hunted the station, as if to emphasize that “Yes!,”
the web of life fueled by human subsidy is strong and intact. People crowded
into this tiny space and watched with delight. Maintaining a feeding station in
the heart of the city allowed visitors and residents alike to come face to face
with New York's biodiversity. As stress fades, complete strangers converse
and learn from each other about the birds and about the city. I'd like to think
that the homeless man I saw sharing his scavenged slice of pizza with the birds
also felt the quality of his life enhanced, even if just for a moment.
A biologically diverse neighborhood has more traditional benei ts as well
that may motivate some people to improve the ecological condition of their
property. The consensus of studies from Europe and the United States is that
