Exercise 3
October 3, 2026 By: Matthew L
This article is related to the topic of conservation, and also of parks. It is about the Government of Canada’s initiative to preserve biodiversity, as well as to restore the natural habitats. It discusses restoration projects in Rouge National Urban Park. In addition, it also discusses the link between helping ecosystems and helping nearby communities. This is something that both challenged and surprised me. The article also discusses the impact of urbanization on nature and the importance of protected areas[1]. It links to Jack Little’s interview, which discusses the beginnings of conservation efforts in our country as being prompted by deforestation from logging[2]. This has since evolved to restoring entire ecosystems and creating protected areas[3].
Footnotes
[1] Government of Canada, “A Force of Nature: Canada’s Strategy to Protect Nature,” Parks Canada, April 14, 2026, https://www.canada.ca/en/parks-canada/news/2026/04/a-force-of-nature-canadas-strategy-to-protect-nature.html.
[1] Government of Canada, “A Force of Nature: Canada’s Strategy to Protect Nature,” Parks Canada, April 14, 2026, https://www.canada.ca/en/parks-canada/news/2026/04/a-force-of-nature-canadas-strategy-to-protect-nature.html.
[1] Government of Canada, “A Force of Nature.”
Bibliography
Government of Canada. “A Force of Nature: Canada’s Strategy to Protect Nature.” Parks Canada, April 14, 2026. https://www.canada.ca/en/parks-canada/news/2026/04/a-force-of-nature-canadas-strategy-to-protect-nature.html
Little, Jack. “Canadian Forest Conservation Movement.” In HIST 3991: Environmental History 1, Unit 3: Jack Little: Question 9. TRU Open Learning. Accessed October 3, 2026. Transcript.
[1] Government of Canada, “A Force of Nature: Canada’s Strategy to Protect Nature,” Parks Canada, April 14, 2026, https://www.canada.ca/en/parks-canada/news/2026/04/a-force-of-nature-canadas-strategy-to-protect-nature.html.
[2] Government of Canada, “A Force of Nature: Canada’s Strategy to Protect Nature,” Parks Canada, April 14, 2026, https://www.canada.ca/en/parks-canada/news/2026/04/a-force-of-nature-canadas-strategy-to-protect-nature.html.
[3] Government of Canada, “A Force of Nature.”
The article From Nature in Cities to the Nature of Cities connects closely with Martin V. Melosi’s argument that cities should not be viewed as separate from nature. Melosi challenges the traditional view that urban development is inherently opposed to the natural environment and instead encourages readers to see cities as ecological systems. The recent article builds on this idea by emphasizing that the interactions within cities are an important part of understanding nature itself. Together, these readings suggest that urbanization does not necessarily remove people from nature but instead creates new relationships between human and natural systems that must be managed sustainably
The article From Nature in Cities to the Nature of Cities[1] is closely related to Martin Melosi’s view that cities and nature are not entirely non-overlapping concepts[2]. Melosi, for his part, feels that urban development and nature are diametrically opposed, and he believes that we should view cities as their own ecological system[3]. While this concept may be surprising, and one could be forgiven for being skeptical, the recent Nature Cities article echoes and also builds upon this view, as it emphasizes that nature itself can be understood via interactions within cities, of all places[4].
Therefore, both authors seem to be of the opinion that urbanization does not take people out of nature, but rather creates new relationships between humans and nature, which must be managed properly[5].
Footnotes
[1] “From Nature in Cities to the Nature of Cities,” Nature Cities, February 1, 2024, https://www.nature.com/articles/s44284-024-00033-9.
[2] Martin V. Melosi, “Humans, Cities, and Nature: How Do Cities Fit in the Material World?,” Journal of Urban History 36, no. 1 (2010): 3-21, https://doi.org/10.1177/0096144209349876.
[3] Melosi, “Humans, Cities, and Nature.”
[4] “From Nature in Cities.”
[5] From Nature in Cities.”; Melosi, “Humans, Cities, and Nature.”
Bibliography
“From Nature in Cities to the Nature of Cities.” Nature Cities, February 1, 2024. https://www.nature.com/articles/s44284-024-00033-9
Martin V. Melosi, “Humans, Cities, and Nature: How Do Cities Fit in the Material World?,” Journal of Urban History 36, no. 1 (2010): 3-21, https://doi.org/10.1177/0096144209349876