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The Brooklyn Public Library has some lovely art exhibits in the main library lobby area. This month, one of them is A Brooklyn Bestiary - woodcut prints by Lisa Studier.
The library artist's statement is almost as lovely as the art and chock full of surprising fun facts.
"The phrase "urban wildlife" brings to mind pigeons, rats and cockroaches. Many city dwellers are convinced they have to travel to encounter wild animals in a natural setting, or be content with viewing wildlife only in zoos and aquariums. But here in New York's most populous borough, close to one-third of the 71 square miles is classified as open space, and Brooklyn can boast a level of biodiversity that rivals that of many rural areas of New York State.
"With dozens of parks and green spaces, Brooklyn hosts a huge range of ecosystems: beach, salt marsh, sand dunes, grasslands, meadows, freshwater wetlands, creeks and ponds, and forests and woodlands. Even apartment building lawns, street trees and backyards can provide a home for some animal neighbors.
"Overall, Brooklyn has hundreds of species, both full-time and seasonal, spanning the entire animal kingdom: Peregrine falcons nest in the towers of the Marine Parkway Bridge; woodchucks and monk parakeets inhabit Greenwood Cemetery; menhaden fish school in Jamaica Bay; horseshoe crabs spawn in Dead Horse Bay every spring; Savannah sparrows, northern harriers, bobolinks and ring-necked pheasants live in Floyd Bennett Field; rabbits and bats come out at dusk in the Brooklyn Botanic Garden; and wild turkey, crayfish, red-tailed hawks, bullfrogs and garter snakes live in Prospect Park. Just looking into backyards, one can encounter butterflies; moths; bees; crickets; birds such as the blue jay, cardinal, chickadee and hummingbird; and sometimes even raccoons, opossums and skunks!
"The natural world still surrounds us, here in this most urban of settings. There is an abundance of wildlife right outside our doors, down the street, or just a short subway or bike ride away. It's hidden in plain sight, just waiting for us to open our eyes and look."
I hope you check out the exhibit, but even if you can't, keep your eyes open for nature wherever you find yourself.
Visit the artist's website.
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