The Way of Coyote: Shared Journeys in the Urban Wilds

Gavin Van Horn writes about nature not from a remote cabin, but from a major city. Rather than viewing urban areas as nature-free spaces, he explores how cities attract and support wildlife. Chicago's streets, parks, and waterways host millions of wild animals—including black-crowned night herons, Cooper's hawks, brown bats, coyotes, opossums, white-tailed deer, and many others whose paths intersect with human activity. The Way of Coyote examines the diversity of species that flourish in urban landscapes like Chicago, despite dramatic environmental changes. The city's soils are covered in concrete, wetlands have been drained and refilled, and its river was diverted to flow in the opposite direction. Van Horn's stories acknowledge lost ecosystems while highlighting animal adaptability and resilience—such as beavers navigating human-constructed canals or peregrine falcons nesting on skyscrapers. Van Horn explores the philosophical and religious dimensions of human-wildlife coexistence, drawing on three guides: wildlife ecologist Aldo Leopold, Taoist philosopher Lao Tzu, and the North American trickster figure Coyote. He examines the potential for more vibrant ecological cities.