The Seattle Street-Smart Naturalist: Field Notes from the City

The Seattle Street-Smart Naturalist: Field Notes from the City (Seattle) by David B. Williams

I had initially thought this book would point out interesting "natural areas" in the city. It does a bit of that. However, the focus is on "themes" of nature within the cities. There are chapters on hills and fault lines that are very place-centric. However, others cover topics such as eagles, crows, geese, bugs, and invasive species. There are many interesting nuggets in the book. Crows are very territorial, and are thriving in the city in thanks to the open space in the suburbs. 

Many of the plants and animals in the city are non-native invasive species. They are able to thrive and push out many of the natives. Animals have had a love/hate relationship. At one time, significant effort was made to increase the geese population. Now, there is more often active culling. 

The area occupied by Seattle had a diverse landscape before the city was developed. There were areas dominated by large evergreen trees. There were also creeks, bogs and wetlands with diverse flora and fauna. Some areas such as Carkeek Park and Thornton Creek expose some of this diversity. Other areas have long been paved over.