Our cities are anything but concrete jungles. Listen in as Therese Markow and Dr. Dan Werb reveal the hidden world of synanthropes - the wild animals that not only live alongside us, but thrive because of us.
In this episode, Therese Markow and Dr. Dan Werb discuss Dan's new book "Our Wild Familiars", which explores how animals (and plants) adapt to urban environments. They dive into the history and impact of synanthropes, such as raccoons, coyotes, and rats. He also highlights the adaptability of these animals and why they have expanded into cities. Dr. Werb emphasizes the importance of viewing cities as living, thriving ecosystems and the need for human ecosystem-based solutions for the good of humans and animals alike in these ecosystems.
Key Takeaways:
Humanity has a much higher risk of experiencing viral spillover events now than before, because we are increasingly intersecting with wild animals that we have never seen before in urban spaces that carry pathogens that we've never been exposed to before.
As humans, we have a relationship with synanthropes that is so deep and long-standing that it has become central to our spiritual selves as well.
With more small animals being drawn into cities, that is going to continue to draw in more predators, such as coyotes, which have expanded their home range by about 50 kilometers per year for the last 150-200 years.
It may be impossible to eliminate any synanthrope that has found an ecosystem within a city. Even if you remove one creature from an area, the niche they had developed will still be there, ready for the next synanthrope to move in.
Solutions that make life better for humans can actually be profoundly beneficial for animals as well, or at least for the functioning of our urban ecosystems.
"Cities are more biodiverse than the areas that surround them, and that's because humans, like any other organism, want to live in places that are as fertile and rich as possible." — Dr. Dan Werb
Connect with Dr. Dan Werb:
Professional Bio: https://ihpme.utoronto.ca/faculty-profile/dan-werb/, https://profiles.ucsd.edu/daniel.werb
Website: https://danwerb.substack.com/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/danwerb/
Books:
PREORDER: Our Wild Familiars - https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/769255/our-wild-familiars-by-dan-werb/
City of Omens - https://www.amazon.com/City-Omens-Search-Missing-Borderlands-ebook/dp/B07QLN4K3T
The Invisible Siege - https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/670859/the-invisible-siege-by-dan-werb/
Connect with Therese:
Website: www.criticallyspeaking.net
Bluesky: @CriticallySpeaking.bsky.social
Instagram: @criticallyspeakingpodcast
Email: theresemarkow@criticallyspeaking.net
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