Designing Wildlife Habitats

During the Dumbarton Oaks symposium on “Designing Wildlife Habitats,” a range of ecologists and landscape architects analyzed various aspects of the relationship between people and nature, and how these relationships take form in natural, managed, and even restored wildlife habitats. Speakers also explored cutting-edge thinking on “ecological infrastructure” and ”human-nature interaction design,” ideas that can guide the future development of both designed landscapes and conservation systems.
Restoring the Balance between People and Nature through Wildlife Habitat Design

Ecologists and landscape architects also explored challenges and opportunities with wildlife habitat restoration in urban areas, and the impact of climate change. Speakers offered more variations on the idea of ecological infrastructure, arguing that interdisciplinary design teams are needed to create these multi-use systems. Speakers also concluded that designers and scientists must work harder to tell stories that spark the imagination of the broader public. Otherwise, the value of biodiversity won’t be understood.
Recreating Wildlife Habitat in Cities

The benefits of an urban forest in the concrete jungle

Their benefits go far beyond aesthetics. 'The roots and the canopies make a natural stormwater filtration system. It would also be a lot hotter here, and trees do their part in keeping the air clean, too,' said Jorgenson, whose Community Forestry Office operates under the Parks and Recreation Department. 'For us, it's not about planting trees because they look pretty. We recognize all the benefits they have and try to bring as many trees in as we can.'"

Each year, street trees intercept 19 million gallons of stormwater-a service worth more than $96,000 to the City of Boise. City-owned street trees also absorb and trap air pollutants like carbon dioxide, ozone and nitrogen dioxide. Researchers estimate that a full 900 tons of CO2 emissions are either pulled from the air or foregone because of photosynthesis each year, along with almost 7,000 pounds of ozone and 1,350 pounds of nitrogen dioxide. All that pollution control is worth a total of $6,292.

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Building Green and Healthy Places for Learning

"Almost one in five Americans are housed in schools for the better part of each day, but many of these schools offer toxic environments with poor daylight and are sited in far-off places, which means they are both unhealthy learning environments and contribute to sprawl (or unhealthy communities). Creating green and healthy schools which are in walkable, bikeable neighborhoods is key to increasing test scores and graduating children who can be future stewards of the environment. But how do we build green schools?"
Building Green and Healthy Places for Learning

Scaling up Green Infrastructure

"Green infrastructure has been widely discussed as a solution for taking pressure off of outdated stormwater systems. Through natural technologies like green roofs, rain gardens, bioswales and green road medians, green infrastructure can absorb and filter excess water at the source, in effect, decentralizing stormwater management. Green infrastructure can also reduce the costs of water treatment because these natural systems reduce water flow, remove toxins, and recharge groundwater supplies."
Scaling up Green Infrastructure

The Value of Urban Parks

"The U.S. House Urban Caucus’ Urban Parks Taskforce organized a briefing on urban parks and their role in creating green spaces which can revitalize neighborhoods, improve health, and create jobs. Parks also play a major role in fighting childhood obesity, providing safe and healthy places to play. Caucus members heard from Joe Hughes, Professor, Georgia Institute of Technology; Susan Wachter, Professor of Financial Management, Wharton School of Business, University of Pennsylvania; Eddie George, ASLA, former NFL player and landscape architect; and Salin Geevarghese, Senior Advisor, Office of Sustainable Housing & Communities, U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD). The National Recreation and Parks Association (NRPA) and ASLA played key roles in putting the panel together."
The Value of Urban Parks

High School Gardening-for Credit

At a New Jersey high school, students can take gym class in the garden. 'We’re giving students another option to mainstream physical education,' Mr. Wilkinson said. 'How long is somebody going to play basketball or soccer? Gardening they can do their whole lives.'
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Members of Congress Discuss Green Agenda

"At this moment when all attention is on the economy, urban forestry is on the front lines of job creation, neighborhood stabilization, and cost effective infrastructure planning (including water, energy, and transportation). No other options provide the range of economic services as green infrastructure. Perhaps more important now than ever, the green industry is a reliable source of good paying, green jobs for every trained worker."
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Tree-mendous

Although trees are familiar to all of us, many aspects of their biology remain enigmatic: because they grow slowly and live for so long, they’ve been hard for us to study in the laboratory. Which is why they are Olivia Judson's nomination for Life-form of the Month: April. Full Article