This piece was aired at 14 East’s virtual live storytelling event on the theme of wilderness in May.

When many think of Chicago, scenes of an industrial cityscape rising above the Illinois prairies are the first to come to mind. However, beneath its towering buildings, many creatures call the city home, like the state’s largest population of the black-crowned night heron, a bird which uses bait like sticks and bread to lure fish into being its prey. In this piece, I explore these hidden ecosystems of biodiversity and highlight their threats and the measures being taken to protect them, as well as a wildlife rescue experience of my own.