Despite its splendor, the natural world can at times feel foreboding. It is not uncommon to wonder whether it might be you, and not your friends who have moved to the country, who has it right. After all, living in a city means avoiding tick bites, poison ivy, and wild animals larger than infants. 

But what if you have it right because the plant and animal kingdoms is enormously well represented here too? It's easy to forget that this is a city full of trees, other leaf-bearing structures, and four-legged things (mostly cats) – for this issue, we have been thrilled to engage our contributors on what it's like to live alongside them. And fear not: we recognize that there are more than two natural kingdoms to consider, and accordingly have not ruled out a Fungus Among Us issue for the future.

Finally, though it may be hard to believe when considering some of the photos in this issue, nothing about our criteria has changed: every picture you see was made somewhere within the five boroughs. If you find yourself thinking that you've spent a lot of time in the city but have never been anywhere that looks even vaguely like something you see... well, that sounds like a YP.

Thank you, as always, for reading.

Issue cover image: Julius Constantine Motal. Issue back cover image: George Etheredge.