One of the things about Houston that has surprised many guests of mine over the years are the beautiful nature areas that have been preserved in city’s core. One of the best of such areas is the Memorial Park area, which includes the Houston Arboretum & Nature Center, the 155-acre nature sanctuary on the banks of Buffalo Bayou literally within the shadows of the West Loop skyscrapers. Chronicle columnist Doug Pike, who is one of the local newspaper’s fine contingent of writers on hunting, fishing and other outdoor activities, provides this column today in which he reviews the types of wildlife that visitors can see while hiking through the arboretum. If you have never visited th arboretum (and even many longtime Houstonians have not), I highly recommend it. Just watch out for the snakes and the feral hogs!