The Street-Smart Naturalist:
Field Notes from Seattle


Botany and bugs, geology and geese, creeks and crows; living in a major city doesn’t have to separate us from the natural world. Stepping away from a typical guidebook format, I have written a series of essays that weave personal musings, bits of humor, natural history observations, and scientific data into a multitextured perspective of life in the city. In describing my journeys as a naturalist in an urban landscape, I try to address questions that an observant person might ponder in a city. What did Seattle look like before Europeans got here? How does the area’s geologic past affect us? Why have some animals thrived and other languished? How are we affected by the species with whom we share the urban environment and how do we affect them?

"Bird-watchers, bicyclists, organic gardeners, rock hounds, tree huggers, weather nuts, history buffs, community activists and downtown office workers — that covers just about everybody in Seattle, doesn't it? — will find plenty to embrace in "The Street-Smart Naturalist: Field Notes from Seattle," an inviting new book by David B. Williams"

Barbara Lloyd McMichael - Seattle Times review - 6/10/05

"Even if you are not familiar with Seattle -- I've been there for one relatively brief visit, so I'm definitely in that category -- there is plenty to relate to in this book...Williams' essays demonstrate that a keen eye is as useful as an unlimited travel budget in studying the natural world."

Tom Palmer - The Ledger, Lakeland, Florida review - 9/08/05