Biodiversity in my surroundings

I LOVE this topic! Luckily, I live in a really nice little town up north (Sebastopol), really close to a great bike path, local regional parks, and 20 minutes from the ocean and 15 minutes from redwoods. So, I feel like I get a nice variety.

Just looking around my house I have lemon, persimmon, apple and pear trees, not to mention the fabulous rosebushes and what I like to call "fairy bells." Often I see hummingbirds out my windows--what an awesome creature! They really make me feel...delicate. Time freezes and I hold my breath when they flitter their little hearts out. When I move to Berkeley (soon), I want to have a garden and make sure I have plants that will attract hummingbirds.

At night, I'm always lucky to hear a screech owl in one of the big trees near my bedroom. Of course I occasionally see raccoons and an occasional oppossum. My cat has caught a couple small mice. The yard has definitely been "moled." We have a nice array of spiders and bugs. I have even seen black widows! In recent years, I have learned to become more fascinated with arachnids than frightened.

So many birds I don't even know. Little ones, big ones, blue jays, crows, turkey vultures high up in the sky. I'm always excited to see any kind of hawk perched up on a telephone wire. So cool.

Lots of deer around of course. In the winter with the rain, all the snails come out to play. The beloved banana slug. Everyone in teh neigborhood seems to have a cat or two. Lots of dogs. Lots of love! Gosh, I feel so fortunate! It seems that our little town has a nice blend of humans and everything else. I realize that I am going to have to frequent the parks in Berkeley when I move here so I can get regular doses of green and everything in between.