CEDAR BOX HOME
>
CULTURAL ECOSYSTEMS
>
Urban Landscapes
CEDAR BOX HOME
>
CULTURAL ECOSYSTEMS
>
Urban Landscapes
Artwork of an urban landscape.
Illustration of a duck.

Mallard Duck

PILEATED WOODPECKER

Illustration of a woodpecker.
Illustration of a squirrel.

SQUIRREL

ELK

Illustration of an elk.
Illustration of a salmon.

SALMON

Illustration of an owl. Illustration of a stellar jay bird.

GREAT BLUE
HERON

Illustration of an heron.
Illustration of 3 geese flying.

CANADIAN GEESE

Green Darner
Dragonfly

Illustration of a dragonfly.

TURTLE

Illustration of a turtle.
Illustration of a frog.

WESTERN TOAD

Illustration of a beaver. Illustration of a beaver. Illustration of a beaver.

BEAVER

Illustration of a flying bird.

BELTED KINGFISHER

Illustration of a bird.

RED WINGED BLACKBIRD

Illustration of a small bird.

Swainson's Thrush

Illustration of a small bird.

Black Capped
Chickadee

Illustration of a blackberry plant.

BLACKBERRY

Illustration of wood sorel.

WOOD SORREL

Illustration of a sheep sorrel plant.

SHEEP SORREL

Illustration of a plantain plant.

PLANTAIN

Illustration of a horsetail plant.

HORSETAIL

Illustration of a yarrow plant.

YARROW

Illustration of a cleaver plant.

CLEAVERS

Illustration of a nettle plant.

NETTLES

Illustration of a chickweed.

CHICKWEED

Illustration of a dandelion.

DANDELION

Illustration of a red clover plant.

RED CLOVER

Illustration of a purslane.

PURSLANE

SPOTTED OWL

HARRIER HAWK

Illustration of a harrier hawk.

FOX

Illustration of a fox.
Illustration of a gopher.

POCKET GOPHER

BEE

Illustration of a bee.
Illustration of a butterfly.

BUTTERFLY

CLICK ON ANIMALS 
FOR SOUND

Steller's Jay

CEDAR BOX HOME
>
CULTURAL ECOSYSTEMS
>
Urban Landscapes

Urban Landscapes

Hands holding red and purple berries. An aerial view capturing a school group engaged in a group activity on a beach.Hands holding a plant.

Humans continue to build cultural ecosystems, often in the form of cities and suburban areas that suit needs for shelter, food, work, health, and entertainment. Certain animals and plants have adapted to living in these urban landscapes. You might notice rats, raccoons, squirrels, and crows thriving. Plants like plantain and dandelion grow despite the challenges of packed soil and being walked on or driven over. Many “weeds” have environmental benefits like feeding pollinators and other animals, improving soil health, and preventing erosion. Some are useful foods and medicines, but should be gathered with care to avoid contaminants. See the About Us page for harvest safety guidelines.

Handing touching 3 berries. White video play icon.
Photo of a berry. White video play icon.
Photo of Douglas fir. White video play icon.
Salmonberries are the first berries to ripen in springtime. They are a favorite food of many animals including birds, squirrels, deer, and people!
A jay eating an Oak acorn.
A bowl of wild greens.
A person holding plants in the wetlands. White video play icon.
Cattail. Caption: Northwest Native People make mats, baskets, and many other useful items from cattail leaves and stalks. Large cattail mats were used to insulate longhouses.
MaryLee and Joelle Jones digging at an intertribal wapato harvest hosted by the Coeur D’Alene Tribe.
Two ducks swimming in a pond.
A beaver swimming in a lake. White video play icon.
A landscape of a meadow. White video play icon.
White video play icon.
A person picking plants. White video play icon.
A closeup of camas flowers. White video play icon.
A person picking plants. White video play icon. A person picking plants. White video play icon.
A bowl of camas bulbs.
A landscape of a mountain meadow. White video play icon.
Two people picking berries in a meadow.
A marmot sitting on a rock.
A person picking plants.
Meadow landscape with huckleberry plants, large trees, and mountains in the background. White video play icon.
A person in front of a sign in the forest.
A school group on a beach. White video play icon.
An aerial view of a beach scene. White video play icon.
An adult and a child digging for clams. White video play icon.
A school group collecting seaweed at the beach. White video play icon.
Suquamish tribal member Azure Boure holds a cockle, an important traditional food for her community.
3 boys collecting clams at the beach. White video play icon.
Chickweed forms a ground cover in wet areas. It contains 12 times more calcium, five times more magnesium, 83 times more iron, and six times more vitamin C than spinach! Use it in salad, cook it, or add it to sauces like pesto.
Cleavers are high in chlorophyll and minerals. Young plants can be pressed into a vibrant green juice that is reminiscent of wheat grass. Simply harvest a large handful, mash it up with your hands, and squeeze it to get the juice out.
Dandelion has many gifts including improving soil health, feeding pollinators, and providing nutritious food and powerful medicine.
A plantain plant.
Red clover is a favorite food for bees. Taste the sweetness by touching the base of the flower to your tongue! The plant enriches the soil by fixing nitrogen from the air to the earth. You can make medicinal tea from the dried leaves and flowers.

see other cultural ecosystems

WETLANDS

CAMAS
PRAIRIES

FOOD
FORESTS

MOUNTAIN
HUCKLEBERRY
MEADOWS

SALTWATER
BEACHES

Urban
LandscapeS

Additional Resources

NATIVE BERRY
CARDS

Click here for teaching cards full of information and illustrations to educate and engage learners about the berries.
Hands holding red and purple berries.

NATIVE BERRY
CARDS

DOWNLOAD

A closeup of branches.

FOOD FOREST OVERVIEW

DOWNLOAD

FOOD FOREST 
OVERVIEW

Click here for a food forest teaching lesson and explore the many wonders and gifts of forests.
Hands holding red and purple berries.

NATIVE BERRY CARD

Downloadable teaching cards full of information and illustrations to educate and engage learners about the berries.

DOWNLOAD

A closeup of branches.

FOOD FOREST OVERVIEW

Click here for a food forest teaching lesson and explore the many wonders and gifts of forests.

DOWNLOAD

WETLANDS
CARDS

Click here for teaching cards full of information and illustrations to educate and engage learners about wetlands.
A landscape of a wetland.

WETLANDS
CARDS

DOWNLOAD

Landscape of a wetland.

WETLANDS
OVERVIEW

DOWNLOAD

WETLANDS 
OVERVIEW

Click here to learn about the wonders of wetlands including the diverse plants and animals that thrive in these watery landscapes.

WETLANDS CARDS

Downloadable teaching cards full of information and illustrations to educate and engage learners about wetlands.

DOWNLOAD

A landscape of a wetland.

WETLANDS OVERVIEW

Click here to learn about the wonders of wetlands including the diverse plants and animals that thrive in these watery landscapes.

DOWNLOAD

CAMAS PRAIRIE
CARDS

Click here for teaching cards full of information and illustrations to educate and engage learners about camas prairies.
Camas prairies.

CAMAS PRAIRIE
CARDS

DOWNLOAD

A prairie with tall trees in the background.

CAMAS PRAIRIE OVERVIEW

DOWNLOAD

CAMAS PRAIRIE 
OVERVIEW

Click here for a lesson on camas prairies including how they teach us about caring for the land.
Camas prairies.

CAMAS PRAIRIE CARDS

Downloadable teaching cards full of information and art to educate and engage learners about camas prairies.

DOWNLOAD

A person picking plants.

CAMAS PRAIRIE OVERVIEW

Click here for a lesson on camas prairies including how they teach us about caring for the land.

DOWNLOAD

NATIVE BERRY
CARDS

Click here for teaching cards full of information and illustrations to educate and engage learners about the berries.
Salmonberries are the first berries to ripen in springtime. They are a favorite food of many animals including birds, squirrels, deer, and people!

NATIVE BERRY
CARDS

DOWNLOAD

Illustration of a strawberry flower

NATIVE BERRY
GAME

PLAY

NATIVE BERRY 
GAME

Build your knowledge in identifying native berry plants in a fun and educational challenge.
Salmonberries are the first berries to ripen in springtime. They are a favorite food of many animals including birds, squirrels, deer, and people!

NATIVE BERRY CARDS

Downloadable teaching cards full of information and illustrations to educate and engage learners about the berries.

DOWNLOAD

Illustration of a strawberry flower

NATIVE BERRY GAME

Build your knowledge in identifying native berry plants in a fun and educational challenge.

PLAY

CLAMS, MUSSELS & OYSTERS

Click here to learn more about clams, mussels and oysters.
A person holding clams.

CLAMS, OYSTERS 
& MUSSELS

DOWNLOAD

Landscape of a beach in the pacific northwest.

SALTWATER BEACHES

DOWNLOAD

SALTWATER BEACHES 

Click here for a lesson exploring the dynamic and diverse saltwater beach ecosystems of the Pacific Northwest.
A person holding clams.

CLAMS, MUSSELS & OYSTERS OVERVIEW

Click here to learn more about clams, mussels and oysters.

DOWNLOAD

Landscape of a beach in the pacific northwest.

SALTWATER BEACHES OVERVIEW

Click here for a lesson exploring the dynamic and diverse saltwater beach ecosystems of the Pacific Northwest.

DOWNLOAD

URBAN LANDSCAPES LESSON

Click here to explore useful plants that thrive in urban landscapes! Build skills in identification and urban foraging.
Nettles are mixed with parmesan cheese, nuts, and olive oil to make a delicious pesto!

URBAN LANDSCAPES
LESSON

DOWNLOAD

Illustration of wood sorrel.

USEFUL WEEDS
GAME

PLAY

USEFUL WEEDS 
GAME

Build your skills in identifying useful weeds and explore their ecological, cultural, and culinary wonders!
Nettles are mixed with parmesan cheese, nuts, and olive oil to make a delicious pesto!

URBAN LANDSCAPES LESSON

Click here to explore useful plants that thrive in urban landscapes! Build skills in identification and urban foraging.

DOWNLOAD

Illustration of wood sorrel.

USEFUL WEEDS GAME

Build your skills in identifying useful weeds and explore their ecological, cultural, and culinary wonders!

PLAY

Illustration of a ceder tree branch.
Illustration of salmon.
Illustration of clams.

Cedar Box

experience

Supported by
National Science Foundation
A National Science Foundation icon.

CEDAR BOX experience

2016 Elliot Ave NW, Olympia, WA 98502
supported by
national science foundation