Biology Seminar - Welcome to Subirdia, sharing our neighborhoods with robins, wrens, woodpeckers, and other wildlife

John Marzluff, Ph.D., is the James W. Ridgeway Professor of Forest Sciences at the University of Washington

We are an integral part of an ecosystem, and our everyday actions affect the fabric of animal life that surrounds us. Drawing on examples from across the country and around the world—Kansas City, Seattle, New York, Arizona, New Zealand, Europe, Central America, Asia—I show how some birds are adapting and thriving in moderately urban ecosystems, often evolving before our eyes. Business parks and vacant lots are home to rare and fragile species. The diversity of plants and trees in our gardens and parks creates valuable habitat for many birds. Our birdfeeders, ornamental ponds and fountains, and nesting boxes bolster populations and help some species to flourish.  Just as we affect the birds around us, they shape our culture, commerce, and quality of life. When we make an effort to enhance bird habitat in our cities and towns, we cultivate communities that value nature, that are attractive and exciting places to live and work, and that improve the mental and physical health of our neighbors.