Nature All Around Us: A Guide to Urban Ecology - Softcover

Softcover

ISBN 10: 0226922758 ISBN 13: 9780226922751

Publisher: University of Chicago Press, 2012

Synopsis

It’s easy to stand in awe of a city’s impressive skyline, marveling at its buildings reaching for the clouds and its vast network of roadways and train lines crisscrossing in every direction. It can often seem like everything in a city is man-made, all concrete, steel, and glass. But even the asphalt jungle is not all asphalt—a sidewalk’s cracks are filled with nature, if we know where and how to look. To aid us in this quest is Nature All Around Us, which will help us to recognize (and look after) the natural world we traipse through in our daily lives.

Nature All Around Us uses the familiar—such as summer Sundays humming with lawn mowers, gray squirrels foraging in planters, and flocks of pigeons—in order to introduce basic ecological concepts. In twenty-five short chapters organized by scale, from the home to the neighborhood to the city at large, it offers a subtle and entertaining education in ecology sure to inspire appreciation and ultimately stewardship of the environment. Various ecological concepts that any urban dweller might encounter are approachably examined, from understanding why a squirrel might act aggressively towards its neighbor to how nutrients and energy contained within a discarded apple core are recycled back into the food chain. Streaming through the work is an introduction to basic ecology, including the dangers of invasive species and the crucial role played by plants and trees in maintaining air quality.

Taken as a whole, Nature All Around Us is an unprecedented field guide to the ecology of the urban environment that invites us to look at our towns, cities, and even our backyards through the eyes of an ecologist. It is an entertaining, educational, and inspiring glimpse into nature in seemingly unnatural settings, a reminder that we don’t have to trek into the wild to see nature—we just have to open our eyes.

About this title

About the Author:

Beatrix Beisner is a professor in the Department of Biology at Montreal University in Quebec.

Review:

“Ladybugs and feral cats, vultures at garbage dumps, chimney swifts endangered by metal flues, all swirl along the boulevards and alleys of this ecological mosaic. A wonderful book.” (John Stilgoe, Harvard University)

“Too often we think of nature as something we have to seek out, a remote place far from the city limits; but in fact nature is much closer than we realize. Nature All Around Us encourages us to pause for a moment and recognize the natural world that is truly teeming all around us, even in our most urban spaces. And by doing so, hopefully we’ll realize that ecology is not just the domain of scientists, but something we can all practice and enjoy.” (Robert Hammond, co-founder and executive director of Friends of the High Line)

“This is an easily accessible first look at ecology on your doorstep. Those who want to know about the interconnectedness of the natural world will learn about the same principles that apply in a forest or on a mountain, yet closer to home. Moreover, the reader will learn that ecology is a science that helps explain the complex relationships between animals, plants and microorganisms with their environment. It does not imply a judgment, good or bad—it helps us to look deeper past soundbites and easy fixes and provides a means to develop basic literacy in this important timely area of science.”

(Nina Bassuk, Cornell University)

“This is a clever book with a deep message. As the authors show with wit and charm, you don’t need to venture into the wilderness to explore the natural world. The wonders of ecology are as close as your front porch, back yard, and city street.”
(David Baron, author of The Beast in the Garden)

"Nature is all around us, not just in remote places, the authors remind us in this cleverly written work by ecology experts. In short chapters, they urge readers to study the relationships between animal life and mankind, starting first with the immediate scene, the house and garden. Readers may proceed next to the larger setting, the urban community. They draw attention to exotic creatures that invade the environment and will eventually harm native plants and animals. This book, translated from the French (originally entitled Écologie en ville) by Beatrix Beisner, is not only a guide to ever present nature, but also a subtle reminder to care for the natural world that gives us so much pleasure."
(Current Books on Gardening and Botany, Chicago Botanical Garden)

About this edition

• Publisher: University of Chicago Press
• Publication date: 2012
• ISBN 10: 0226922758
• ISBN 13: 9780226922751
• Binding: Paperback
• Number of pages: 147
• Editor: Beisner Beatrix, Messier Christian, Giraldeau Luc-Alain