Like most cities, Seattle is made up of streets, cars, buildings, and other built structures. Yet we have made up our minds through levy voting to try to preserve some of the green spaces and waterways as open space where perhaps some wildlife and natural habitat can exist among us. Except sometimes that same wildlife can be inconvenient.

What kinds of animals survive best our open spaces and waterways? Coyotes, raccoons, crows, opossum, beavers, squirrels, and so forth. Some of the animals we?d like to preserve are herons, owls, hawks, salamanders, chorus frogs, and salmon. However, we can?t choose between them. They are all protected under the same laws and in the same lands.

So what to do when a beaver cuts down your tree or a coyote starts eating the neighborhood cats or squirrels move into your attic?

Join Seattle Parks and Recreation, Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife, Woodland Park Zoo, Progressive Animal Welfare Society, Seattle Audubon, the National Wildlife Federation and the Marine Mammal Stranding Network for ?Living with Wildlife? workshops during the month of October.

Learn all about the lives and behaviors of wildlife, what to do during a wildlife encounter, and how you can help wildlife and humans coexist peacefully. There is a lot you can do to prevent conflicts, like feeding your pets indoors, keeping pets indoors at night, walking dogs on leash, putting up barriers around trees and openings into houses, keeping garbage and compost secure and picking up fallen fruit.

Come to a workshop near you. All workshops are scheduled for 7 - 8:30 PM.

Wed, October 1: Rainier Community Center (206) 386-1919

4600 38th Ave. S 98118

Tues, October 7: Miller Community Center (206) 684-4753

330 19th Ave. E 98112

Wed, October 15: Bitter Lake Community Center Annex (206) 684-7524

13035 Linden Ave. N 98133

Tues, October 21: Camp Long Environmental Learning Center (206) 684-7434 5200 35th Ave SW 98126

Wed, October 29: Meadowbrook Community Center (206) 684-7522

10517 35th Ave. NE 98125