Wild in the Streets

When a child walks down a city block, they might see a natural wasteland. A sea of gray with no signs of life. A solitary, sickly, over-pruned tree confined to a square of dirt penned in by concrete. However, what a child might not see are the precarious but sturdy squirrel nests above their heads at the tops of gnarled and crooked trees. The perches of raptors on the tallest buildings. Rookeries for pigeon chicks nestled on parking garage ceiling beams. The white drippings under a tree cavity that give away an owl tucked inside. Or the crevice in a rock wall leading to the cozy nook of a family of rodents. In fact, most cities are teeming with nature if you know where and how to look. City Safari will teach middle grade readers just that. It will equip children with the perfect tool for visualizing their city’s natural side—revealing a world of urban wildlife hidden in plain sight.

Part natural history guide, part training manual, and part hands-on fieldwork guide, Wild in the Streets will take readers on a quest through the wilds of their city, leaving them with lifelong naturalist skills.

After studying biology, ecology, and ornithology in college, Jenette Restivo started a career in science and environmental writing. She worked as a writer and producer for ABC, CBS, National Geographic, PBS, History Channel, and Discovery Channel. In 2010, she conceived and developed a 13-part series on urban nature for National Geographic Channel. She has been a key part of the communications team for the largest organization dedicated to children and nature, the Children & Nature Network (C&NN). She is the author of four books on nature for young naturalists: 15 Weeks of Nature; Mammals for the Young Naturalist; Birds for the Young Naturalist; The Nature for Toddlers Activity Book. She lives in New York City.