Too often when we
speak of wildness in the West, we only envision vast untracked
settings like the Bob Marshall Wilderness, High Unitas or the
Owyhee Canyonlands. It is easy to forget that wildness can still be
found within our ever-growing urban
landscapes.
Now, editors Michael Houck and M.J.
Cody have released a new book, Wild in the City: A Guide
to Portland’s Natural Areas. The book features 93 maps
and site guides of unique and vibrant natural areas in the
Portland/Vancouver metropolitan area, interspersed with essays that
show why this is one of the most livable cities in the
West.
Writers give us the delightful stories on
how the great blue heron became the official bird of Portland and
the icon of a popular microbrew label. Naturalists describe the
life histories of trillium, clacking sticks, butterflies, river
otters and other species that coexist with skyscrapers, industrial
areas and highways.
Colorful descriptions and
black and white drawings of the different parks, wetlands, canyons
and sloughs help explain why people over the last century had the
foresight and courage to preserve them.
Copies of
the 448-page softback Wild in the City ($21.95) can be ordered from
the Oregon Historical Society Press at 503/222-1741 or
www.ohs.org.
Copyright
© 2001 HCN and John
Rosapepe
This article appeared in the print edition of the magazine with the headline Wild in the city.
Republish our articles for free, online or in print, under a Creative Commons license.
