In Austin, Texas, near a busted-up parking lot, tucked among warehouses and surrounded by the noise and trash and comings-and-goings of humans aplenty, herons build nests as big as bean bags. In Christopher Brown’s fascinating new book, A Natural History of Empty Lots, the author describes the scene near his house: “Sitting right there, hiding in plain sight a few feet from the road, the heron roost is an uncannily beautiful thing to witness, like a green branch of Eden appearing at the edge of the dystopia we made. Wondrous, wild, unexpected.”
“And yet,” he continues, “not actually all that rare.” Brown goes on to explain how heron nests appear in urban areas all over the country. That’s just one fascinating example in a book that celebrates the way animals and plants make their homes in the most unlikely of places.
Subtitled Field Notes from Urban Edgelands, Back Alleys, and Other Wild Places, the book is largely set in Texas but explores ecosystems across the country. Brown says some of his favorite urban adventures have included walks in Houston, New Orleans, and Washington, D.C. It’s a thoughtful memoir-meets-meditation-on-wildness with both surprising and relatable takeaways. “I hope the book helps people get turned on to the wonders of nature as they exist right around them at all times,” he says. “I think we tend to imagine there’s some place out there where there’s all this room for wild nature to exist. But in many cases, urban areas are the only place some species have left. I hope we can all make a little room for nature to fill our life in the day-to-day.”
In our conversation with the author, Brown shared three simple ways to celebrate wildness wherever you may roam:
Walk in new directions.
Every so often, ignore Google Maps and take a new route somewhere. “Explore like you’re a kid again and look for your own shortcut,” Brown says. “There are likely wild spaces that are right around the corner that have been escaping your attention.” He’s not saying to trespass or put yourself in danger, but to look for unofficial public places. “Every city is a labyrinth of enclosures and channels, and we often follow the same routes,” he says. “Look for ways to get off the path to find greenspaces that aren’t officially designated as parks but that are open.” Fields, empty lots, creek watersheds, marshes, and rights of way, for example. “I love to find old roads and look under overpasses. Roadways are often rich with wildlife, like hearty native flowers.”
Think like an animal.
Brown tries to explore new and familiar places at dawn and dusk—when wildlife tends to be most active. “I went to Galveston recently and I went out every morning looking for coyotes,” he says. He found them. “I just try to think like a coyote, thinking what path they might take. Or you could do what Audubon did and follow the vultures. They are indicators of other wildlife.” Observe what animals need—the ability to move around a bit, water sources, and food—and look for places that provide that. “Go walk up the creek bed,” Brown says. “I think pretty much everybody in the Southeast lives near a creek somewhere, and they’re some of the easiest pockets of wild nature to find.”
Nurture hope, however small.
“We each have the agency to make the future a little bit greener,” Brown says. “Whether you live in a single-family home or have a little balcony you can work with, you can plant pollinator plants or just observe the wildflower patches around you.”
The book is divided into three parts, and the second section is devoted to musings on making a home that’s a little easier on the environment, like by allowing pollinator plants and flowers to go to seed as a food source for birds.
Brown says to go easier on yourself, too. “A lot of people get deterred from exploring nature, thinking they need to know all the words and the names of species, have the right gear, have a camera, et cetera,” Brown says. “But who cares, just look stuff up later. Go out there. Stop and sit. If you can find your own quiet and calm spot, you’ll be amazed at how wildlife will start coming out around you. You’ll be amazed at what you’ll notice.”
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