City Creatures

Book excerpt: This anthology explores Chicago’s surprisingly diverse wildlife through essays, poetry, paintings, and photographs. We usually think of cities as the domain of humans—but we are just one of thousands of species that call the urban landscape home. While Chicago residents are likely familiar with squirrels, pigeons, and dogs, many would be surprised to learn about the leafhoppers and water bears, black-crowned night herons and bison, beavers and massasauga rattlesnakes that are living alongside them. City Creatures introduces readers these and other creatures through a variety of creative contributions. Contributors bring a story-based approach to this urban safari, taking readers on birding expeditions to the Magic Hedge at Montrose Harbor on the North Side, canoe trips down the South Fork of the Chicago River (better known as Bubbly Creek), and insect-collecting forays or restoration work days in the suburban forest preserves. The book is organized into six sections, each highlighting one type of place in which people might encounter animals in the city and suburbs. For example, schoolyard chickens and warrior wasps populate “Backyard Diversity,” and a chorus of deep-freeze frogs awaits in “Water Worlds.” Its powerful combination of insightful narratives, numinous poetry, and full-color art will help readers see the city—and the creatures who share it with us—in an entirely new light.