Urban parks serve as vital ecological assets within cities, offering habitat, biodiversity, climate regulation, and mental health benefits. But behind many of these functions are dedicated volunteers who act as frontline stewards of these green spaces. This Peer Conversation will explore the critical roles that volunteers and volunteer leaders play in sustaining and enhancing the ecological health of urban parks. Discussion leaders will highlight motivations, challenges, and successes experienced by volunteer leaders, practical strategies for aligning volunteer efforts with ecological best practices, and insights into how urban parks function as living ecosystems shaped by human involvement.
Support is provided by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. The views expressed here do not necessarily reflect the views of the Foundation.
