Nature Note: A Naturalist's Travels Through Nature

So for the past few weeks here in Syracuse, it has been interesting seeing just how much nature permeates our surroundings and our daily lives. Syracuse is a lot greener in places than I ever expected an urban environment to be. The first thing one notices is all the concrete and stonework and cars and other industrial creations that fill the air and surroundings with their noise and looming presence. I've read about urban sprawls and jungles in books and magazines and seen it described in glowering tones on environmental documentaries, but seeing it up close and living in it, makes you realize that things aren't always as they seem. Sure the typical urban wildlife can be found in droves. Squirrels bound from tree to tree, while ants crawl between cracks in the sidewalk. The big birdy three consisting of Rock Pigeons ( Columba livia ), European Starlings ( Sturnus vulgaris ), and House Sparrows ( Passer domesticus ) swoop through the streets and trees, filling most pockets wi...