When we think of wild places, we tend to think of trees. What should you do to heal the earth? Plant a tree. But walking in the wide open meadows that make up most of East Point Park you can quickly see why such natural open spaces are also important. If your timing is right, on a sunny day's walk in September, you'll be joined by hundreds of monarch butterflies sipping nectar from the profusion of asters that grow here.

At other times, you might see birds such as bobolinks, meadowlarks and savannah sparrows that prefer open meadows to woodland. East...