I always loved going into clear cut areas a few years after they'd been burned when I worked for the Forest Service. We would count the seedlings and planted trees to be sure the area was adequately stocked, and in the progression of things the small trees were surrounded by nitrogen fixer and short-term inhabitants that come in after a fire. You see a lot of wildlife in those areas also.

Unfortunately, the only wildlife I saw this afternoon were some kind of little beetle that apparently arrived in a bag of red kidney beans some time ago and had time to colonize a cupboard. I spent the last hour emptying, vacuuming, and spritzing (orange oil in water) to get rid of the buggers. My cupboard hasn't looked so empty in years.