When you live in a big city, it's easy to forget about the natural world. The "environment" feels separate from paved streets and sky scrapers. Except for the occasional seabird or wild coyote, wildlife usually lives far away. But regardless of where you live, your surroundings are always impacted by the natural world. Different landscapes, including mountains, rivers, lakes, as well as climates, have great influence over the lifestyle and culture in a given place. Likewise, human cities and other settlements have a big effect on the surrounding environment.
Here in Dublin, I only glimpse small bits of nature in my daily life. The River Liffey carves the city in half, and I like pausing to look at the huge swans on the river waters. Small gardens throughout the city let me escape into green spaces and see flowers and colorful birds. And Phoenix Park, my favorite spot in Dublin, feels almost wild with the deer grazing on fields of grass. These parks provide an important way for Dubliners to feel closer to nature, despite living in a concrete jungle. Beyond the limits of the city, however, I can see the Irish hills rolling in the distance, green and bright. Here, outside the last suburbs of Dublin, begins the true Irish environment, a land of farms and beautiful land features.
