In an increasingly urbanized world, finding innovative ways to protect or create wildlife habitat will be critical to both environmental and human health. There are many ways to think creatively about how to increase the ecological value of even small green spaces in urban areas – from changing maintenance practices in meadows to foster biodiversity, to implementing horticulture strategies in the planning and management of designed landscapes so they provide habitat and have a positive environmental impact.
Vancouver
The city started a pilot project in 2021 that brought different wildland meadows to the city, increasing pollinator count and moisture content in the soil, and cooling temperatures. The Park Board is also working on a “colonial audit” to examine how current practices that value turf as the primary aesthetic are rooted in colonial practices, and explore how they can value multiple aesthetics and practices in green space design. Jack Tupper, Landscape Architect with Vancouver Park Board, will talk about his work on the urban meadows project, including successes and challenges, the importance of working with maintenance crews, and how they’ve engaged and educated the public.
San Francisco
The Presidio, a national park site and former army base up until 1994, has more than doubled its acreage of native habitat and dramatically improved the ecological health of the historic Presidio. Michael Boland, Chief Park Officer of the Presidio Trust, will discuss the strategies they’ve used to accomplish these goals, including creating a community-driven stewardship program, restoring derelict areas, and reimagining the designed landscape to have a positive impact on adjacent ecosystems.
Join us to learn strategies for thinking more holistically about green spaces as ecological units that can be home to diverse landscapes that benefit both people and the environment.