If you look at the Eastern United States from an airplane, or even from a car, the amount of forest that has returned in the last century is remarkable. In Pennsylvania where I live, almost 59% of the Keystone State is forest, and New York State is 63%, and these are states that also have multiple large metropolitan areas. Forest cover in the Eastern USA reached it lowest point in 1872, but has rebounded because people burned fossil fuels instead of wood and farming became more efficient, thus using less land.

In 1907, the population of the forest dwelling white tailed deer in Pennsylvania had dwindled to about 5,000, and the deer hunting harvest that year was only 250. Nowadays, people hit over 250 deer a day in their cars in PA! There are an estimated 1.5 million deer in the state now, and the annual hunting harvest usually runs to 300,000 head.

I see deer walking the streets of Pittsburgh like they own them. They can't be hunted in the city and they don't have any predators. Even all of the dogs are tied up. I see lots of bird and small mammal wildlife of all kinds in the city for the same reason, and because Pittsburgh has a 42% urban tree canopy. Camping in the countryside I see very little wildlife because they have to hide to stay alive. There is nature all around if you look for it, even in the city. It's squirrel mating season by the way. If that nest up in the tree is rocking, don't go knocking.