Should our cities and towns be really wild? First, what do I mean by this? I don’t mean a lively nightclub scene but rather a community that has lots of wildlife. Every community, large or small, faces this issue. To many people, wild animals in their community is a sign of poor “management”. Many people like to see birds and feed them in their yards with feeders. But the bird seed that fall to the ground attracts rodents; the rodents attract feral cats. With more food supply, larger animals adapted to semi-urban environments arrive, including skunks, opossums (in southern and western states) and even foxes. Armadillos and raccoons are only a few blocks away, in more suitable habitat on the fringes of our neighborhood. Even coyotes enter suburbs in many parts of the country – we occasionally hear them calling late at night (when traffic noise is less) from a natural park nearby. In our moderately large and “naturalistic” backyard in Norman we routinely see skunks, opossums, gray foxes and native hispid cotton rats. All of these animals are attracted to bird seed or the natural environment of the yard that includes a small pond where they drink.
While we enjoy seeing the native wildlife, most of whom appear only at night, many of our subdivision neighbors do not. Our community’s facebook page is often populated with messages of “skunk spotted…! Bring your dogs in!” Of course, many people see skunks and opossums only infrequently because they are nocturnal and these animals tend to stay away from yards with dogs. Also, many backyards in typical suburbia are relatively sterile, with little to attract wildlife.
Many people complain that wild animals may have rabies or other diseases, or more commonly that their dogs have been sprayed by skunks. While this is occasionally true, a far more common, and serious problem for humans, is that of escaped dogs or off-leash dogs. Roughly half of American households have a dog as a pet and indirectly for security. Slightly fewer Americans have been adopted by cats. The result of this large number of dogs is that there are approximately 5 million dog bites per year in the US with 800,000 requiring medical treatment. Bites or attacks from all other animals (wild or domestic) are dwarfed by comparison.
The interaction of domestic dogs with wildlife is usually unfortunate for the wildlife and as a result many types of wildlife are not found in neighborhoods with dogs that are kept outside at night. But independently, one might ask the question of whether wildlife should be part of a human community. Do you like to routinely see skunks, raccoons, opossums or even field mice or rats? Why are birds nice to see but not native rats or mice? Why do few people seemingly like opossums?
The lack or presence of wildlife in our communities is closely related to the vegetation in our yards. Yards that are mostly grass lawns will not support rodents, and most other mammals. They are only appropriate for dogs or children who want to play on a soft surface. The issue of lawns has been discussed elsewhere.
Many modern suburban neighborhoods are relatively sterile, with most backyards without native trees or shrubs that can provide food and cover for native wildlife. The nearby city parks are usually devoid of natural areas. Should neighborhoods be designed to accommodate native wildlife? How could this be done? What are the drawbacks? The answers to these questions are not provided here. Only the idea that these topics should be part of a community’s environmental agenda. Why? Because both children and adults learn about animals from those that they see. An appreciation of nature often begins at home with a bird feeder. But birds are not easily attracted to a yard that doesn’t have some water, shelter or natural food sources.
Google Earth provides ideas of how different societies develop their suburbs. A few examples are shown below. Click on the first image to start the sequence and to read the text accompanying each Google Earth image.
Some communities in the US design wild landscapes into their suburban development. Some examples from near Tucson, Arizona are shown below. Here, the small canyons between the houses were left natural and residents can walk in these washes if interested. Only the immediate vicinity of the houses have been developed.
Another strategy for development is shown below in a new “gated community” in south Florida. While the immediate vicinity of each house is not natural, the neighborhood design includes walking paths that connect the various streets with a central small community center. While this example doesn’t include any shops, they could have done so to provide essential items.
The Sutton Wilderness 