Tranquility is a difficult commodity to come by nowadays thanks a rat race lifestyle most of us endure that involves struggling to balance long work hours and a family life while jostling for a place in society’s pecking order. Throw in a commute and mass transit and the notion of finding peace of mind becomes akin to crossing paths with Bigfoot. Which makes the Garden City Bird Sanctuary the sasquatch of suburban green space. Ever since Rob Alvey kicked off its transformation from mere storm water basin to an environmental oasis back in 1996, it’s become a refuge for not only an array of bird species, but people lucky enough to discover and enjoy its therapeutic benefits. Once you walk through the gate and start to traverse the nearly three-quarters of a mile’s worth of walking trails and paths that wend through the sanctuary’s nine acres of property, the clatter and noise of everyday life is muted by the lush foliage that envelops this green space. It’s a place where you can breathe deep and lose yourself to the equivalent of organic white noise.
—Dave Gil de Rubio
