How to find nature in the suburbs

Coming from a rural area to a large city, it was difficult to find decent outdoor experiences near my house. After several years of experience, these are some tips for finding interesting hikes or natural areas in the 'burbs. I'd be interested to hear the strategies of others.

- Rail lines require a right-of-way on either side. Usually this area is kept wild because nobody is allowed to build there. I find a lot of trails near rail lines.
- Similarly with rivers. Because of the risk of flooding, there is usually some wild space on either side of a river. You can often find some pretty good hikes near rivers. It's also fun to hike straight down a river if it's low.
- ^Same deal with power lines.
- Obviously google "best hikes in my_city" and so on
- Apps can help, such as MTB Project or All Trails. But I prefer to follow rail lines or rivers because you will encounter fewer people and usually some interesting graffiti.

Most cities that I have been in offer excellent city parks.  Many have hiking, walking or biking trails.

State parks are also excellent sources to find nature and are usually not far from metro areas.

Every state park that I have been to offers something different.

Many botanical gardens are located in or near suburban areas. I have been to several and am always in awe of how many beautiful plants can be seen in those gardens.

Zoos and aquariums are also great places to see a bit of nature.

Have fun seeking nature in the suburbs ...

+1 to the ideas stated above, but also:

Finding nature doesn't have to mean going "to" a place. If we define nature as "that which humans do not control", the suburbs are a feeble imposition on nature; nature is there the whole time, growing between the cracks--or really it's more like human activity growing thinly over nature. What I'm trying to say is that the suburbs are an edifice and if you peer closely you'll find nature there all along.

We watch birds from our back windows.

We find frogs and toads in our gutters and basement window wells.

In the warm months I sit in my lawn of clovers and dandelions and watch the bees and crickets.

Walk up to a tree trunk and look closely and you'll see it buzzes with activity.

Listen for squirrels' feet scampering on your roof.

Dig up a bit of lawn and you'll find worms and grubs.

Heck, you can sit and watch the sky, with various flying animals, clouds, and the way the latter make fireworks displays out of sunlight. And if your suburb is far enough from the city center, you've got stars at night too.

We are in nature, always. Don't forget it!

I'm visiting my sister (and helping out with overdue projects) and our "entertainment" is building picture puzzles at her nook table beside a large window.
Lots of squirrels.
A few rabbits.
Saw at least 1 raptor, but couldn't ID.
Mrs. Cardinal was looking for food.
And I saw a skunk scurried past between the houses and went behind the neighbor's foundation shrubs.

I don't mind that I didn't see any cayote.

Andy Ze wrote:Coming from a rural area to a large city, it was difficult to find decent outdoor experiences near my house. After several years of experience, these are some tips for finding interesting hikes or natural areas in the 'burbs. I'd be interested to hear the strategies of others.

- Rail lines require a right-of-way on either side. Usually this area is kept wild because nobody is allowed to build there. I find a lot of trails near rail lines.
- Similarly with rivers. Because of the risk of flooding, there is usually some wild space on either side of a river. You can often find some pretty good hikes near rivers. It's also fun to hike straight down a river if it's low.
- ^Same deal with power lines.
- Obviously google "best hikes in my_city" and so on
- Apps can help, such as MTB Project or All Trails. But I prefer to follow rail lines or rivers because you will encounter fewer people and usually some interesting graffiti.

Such a great post!  l agree 100% with these suburban exploring ideas.
I like to let my dog off leash and the usual trails have rules, so often go to trails that are poorly rated.  
"Lots of bugs" = I put on bug spray.  
"Poorly maintained"= awesome exploring and adventure.
"flooded areas" = OOOO!!! Mud!  Different plant growth.  
"traffic sounds"= what bizarre or useful trash can I find. How much can I clean up?
Where I live there are three main east to west highways.  Two of them have forested buffers (1 acre +/-) to separate them from neighborhoods.  Great exploring, but clearly traffic noise.  
Some of the inconsistency of trail rules in my area: there are big fines for not cleaning up after your dog, but zero fines for not cleaning up after your horse. No fines for littering, but on trails people are generally good about that.

Susan Mené wrote:Some of the inconsistency of trail rules in my area: there are big fines for not cleaning up after your dog, but zero fines for not cleaning up after your horse.

I'm good with that - horse shit is useful for the garden, although I'd worry if the hay in the area had left-over broad leaf yuck in it. Wouldn't that get looks, if I was off hiking with a shovel and my wheel barrow???

"

I'm good with that - horse shit is useful for the garden, although I'd worry if the hay in the area had left-over broad leaf yuck in it. Wouldn't that get looks, if I was off hiking with a shovel and my wheel barrow???"

Hahaha!  I'd love it! I "d probably run up  yelling' "A kindred spirit!!" and help shovel.
Horse poop doesn't bother me.  I mostly musing about seemingly random rules,

Come to think of it, what makes one animal's poop beneficial and another's bad?  Why horse poop in the garden and and not dog or cat or alpaca or whale poop? Is there a thread here about animal poop?

Bet you won't see that question on mainstream social media.

Jay Angler wrote:

Susan Mené wrote:Some of the inconsistency of trail rules in my area: there are big fines for not cleaning up after your dog, but zero fines for not cleaning up after your horse.

I'm good with that - horse shit is useful for the garden, although I'd worry if the hay in the area had left-over broad leaf yuck in it. Wouldn't that get looks, if I was off hiking with a shovel and my wheel barrow???

Just add an orange hard hat and a safety vest. These make you invisible to the urban mind. Don't work too hard though -- take time to lean on that shovel, drink coffee and play with your phone -- a relaxed dedication to productivity is a key part of the invisibility cloak.

Rail lines is a fab suggestion. I'm about it!
That's going to be my next venture now

Another option is to help create the 'nature' within the city limits. Ned makes an excellent point about the imposition and imitation that comes with suburbs. But there are ways to restore some of the naturalness of the area.

Many counties have tree-planting efforts and need volunteers.

Planting a pollinator garden near the edges of your yard attracts insects and birds.

Transforming your property into a certified wildlife habitat creates a copse of nature within the town and draws the animals that keeps soil healthy and pests at bay.

If you live on the corner of a block, the right-of-way berm is usually city-owned. If no one ever comes by to maintain it, chances are no one would stop you from creating a native flower or grasses meadow in that space.

As habitat is continuously removed, we can often take steps to bring some of it back. And you might be the neighbour that others come visit for their nature 'fix' each week.

Susan Mené wrote:Come to think of it, what makes one animal's poop beneficial and another's bad?  Why horse poop in the garden and and not dog or cat or alpaca or whale poop? Is there a thread here about animal poop?

Alpaca poop is awesome for the garden. However, to answer the larger question, not only is "you are what you eat" a factor, but the corollary, "you poop what you eat". Because of that, herbivore poop is usually considered safer in the garden than carnivore poop. The tendency of an animal to carry diseases that can transfer through poop to humans is also a factor. Certain animals are more likely to carry nasty things that require high heat for a longer time to render safe - think botulism in home canning, vs some microbes like bread yeast that die at about 115F. Unfortunately, humans have added another factor which is long acting toxic gick.

Another factor is strength. Chicken shit is high in nitrogen and will 'burn' plants if not composted well with some browns added. Bunny and Llama poop can be put straight on the garden with no ill effects. I'd assume Alpaca would be similar, but I would check before using in case they're more different digestion/diet wise than I think.

That may be more than you wanted to know, but yes, "Bet you won't see that question answer on mainstream social media."

Thanks, Jay!!

That makes perfect sense and made my day.