Where to Find Nature in Urban Areas

City living can take its toll, especially when you feel completely disconnected from the natural world. The good news is that finding nature in urban areas is both possible and fulfilling. Here's where to look when you want to see more of nature than pigeons and rats.

1. Where to Find Nature in Urban Areas: Cemeteries.

Cemeteries are excellent places to find nature in urban areas. In a concrete jungle, a cemetery can be a refreshing green space for urban wildlife, much like a park but without all the foot traffic and noise. Because cemeteries are often isolated islands inside bustling cities, you can see animals you wouldn't dream of seeing elsewhere. In the late 1990s, I saw black squirrels and a giant land tortoise in one Detroit cemetery. A friend of mine recently saw a coyote in a Chicago cemetery. If you're quiet and patient, who knows what sort of wildlife you'll encounter in your urban cemeteries.

2. Where to Find Nature in Urban Areas: River Banks and Beaches.

Migrating birds are attracted to water. Even in the busiest city, migrating birds will stop if there's a water source and a place to rest for a minute. River banks are great places to spot migrating cranes and herons. If you're lucky enough to live in a coastal city, sit on the beach during the off-season or at night when it's quiet to see what kind of wildlife is passing through.

3. Where to Find Nature in Urban Areas: Look up, not down.

Migrating birds are wonderful to see, but to find more permanent wildlife in your city, look to the sky. You're not too likely to see birds more impressive than pigeons and sparrows on the ground, but storks are known to roost on the sides of buildings, and owls can be spotted at the tops of electric poles.

Here's another tip: if you hear an unusual bird call, look for the source. It's easier to spot a noisy bird in the city because there just aren't as many trees. And the trees that do exist aren't two hundred-year-old oaks with thick foliage, but young trees planted near sidewalks for decoration. You might even start to notice common birds like starlings or finches that have inhabited your city all along that you never paid attention to before.

4. Where to Find Nature in Urban Areas: Community Gardens.

Community gardens are all the rage with DIY folks in urban areas. Vacant lots and rooftops are being appropriated for use by city dwellers who want to get their hands dirty. Some community gardens are used as teaching tools for school kids, some are used to supply local food banks and shelters, and others are merely meant to be green spaces where yardless folks can do some real work. No matter what its purpose, a community garden is a great place to see some nature in an urban area in the form of flowers and butterflies, birds and rabbits, and maybe a surprise skunk or raccoon family.

5. Where to Find Nature in Urban Areas: College Campuses.

Even in bustling cities, some large universities try to recreate the feel of a sprawling green campus. Hills and ivy can be tucked away inside a bustling metropolis and provide a refuge for all sorts of wildlife. I won't name the university (to protect the animals, of course), but all last summer I watched a family of foxes frolicked happily on one of Chicago's college campuses. Who knows what sort of animals you'll find hanging around your urban universities.