Wilderness Sprawl

Two days ago, while walking the shoreline of Seward Park (a city park) I watched a pair of bald eagles cooperatively hunt and catch a grebe in the bay. It was a page out of National Geographic coming alive before my eyes. After making the catch, they flew to a nearby tree to pluck the carcass and have lunch. This morning, I watched a pair commute past my bedroom window, trailed by a murder of livid, squawking crows.

It is common anywhere, when human communities sprawl into a wilderness environment, that wildlife will be spotted. What is amazing about Seattle is that wilderness persists on "sprawling" into long-established urban areas. Bears, coyotes, mountain lions, deer, and eagles are not uncommon in the city and nearby towns. Whales are spotted in Elliott Bay and sealions are a perennial "pest" at the Ballard Locks during the salmon runs.

Above: A blue heron on the peak of my roof.

I think it is a hopeful sign that we've managed to strike a balance, so far, between human and nature's needs... that we've not yet strained nature so much as to destroy the web of life here. Pollution control, daylighting of urban streams, protecting wetlands and watershed buffer zones, and creative land conservency projects all play a part. And these are born out of an appreciation by the folks who live here for the importance of this balance, not only for the sake of preserving the beauty of it all, but preserving our own, human community as well.