Connecting Past and Present

June 1, 2025 By: Rashad

Protecting Our Urban Parks from the Impacts of Climate Change

https://environment.yale.edu/news/article/protecting-our-urban-parks-impacts-climate-change

This article talks about how the Yale School of the Environment teamed up with the Central Park Conservancy and the Natural Areas Conservancy to figure out how to better protect city parks from the effects of climate change. They’re looking at what’s already happening in urban green spaces and how we can adapt to keep them healthy and usable. It ties in really well with what we covered in Unit 3, especially how cities need to plan ahead if they want their parks to keep benefiting both people and nature. It also shows that solving these problems takes teamwork from different experts, not just park managers.

Plant diversity in urban green spaces led to sevenfold increase in insect species, study finds

https://www.theguardian.com/science/2023/aug/22/melbourne-urban-greening-benefits-insect-species

This article discusses a study conducted in Melbourne, Australia, where increasing the diversity of native plants in a single urban green space resulted in a sevenfold increase in the number of insect species after three years. The research shows how even small-scale urban greening initiatives can lead to substantial ecological benefits, particularly in places that are densely populated. This, much like what we covered in Unit 3’s exploration of the role urban green spaces, contributes to what I’ve learned about how biodiversity can be supported and preserved despite urbanization. It challenges the assumption that most of us have that only large natural reserves are crucial for conservation, showing also the importance of integrating diverse native vegetation into urban planning to enhance local ecosystems.