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Even Parks Are Going Online During the Pandemic

Julia Hotz

April 09, 2020 |

Next City |

Text |

800-1500 Words

Response Location: United States, New York, New York

As cities in the U.S. are placed under various degrees of lockdown, organizations are working to virtually bring "environmental education and recreation to viewers, from the comfort of their homes." Although virtual walks and live talks with park rangers are not a replacement for the lived experience, studies have shown that this type of contact does offer some benefits to mental health and well-being.

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Minneapolis Funding Its Parks With an Eye to Equity

Zoe Sullivan

April 09, 2020 |

Next City |

Text |

800-1500 Words

Response Location: United States, Minneapolis, Minnesota

The Minneapolis Park and Recreation Board has approved a new scoring system to prioritize parks that are most in need of an investment, from the limited funds available, based on equity measures such as race, income, population density, and crime. This data-driven system is used in conjunction with the park board's judgment of a park's infrastructure and has pinpointed parks which were not typically on the park board's radar for renovation.

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A rewilding triumph: wolves help to reverse Yellowstone degradation

Cassidy Randall

January 25, 2020 |

The Guardian |

Text |

800-1500 Words

Response Location: United States, Wyoming

Rewilding wolves rebalances ecosystems. Following the 1970s Endangered Species Act (ESA), efforts to reintroduce wolves into the Yellowstone National Park have proven successful, helping to reduce land degradation from overpopulated grazing animals. The effort began in 1995 with the introduction of wolves captured in Canada, with the help of Canadian agencies. Today, the wolves keep the park’s biodiversity in balance and attract tourists.

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In Peoria, Green Infrastructure As a Path to Social Equity

Emily Nonko

November 20, 2019 |

Next City |

Text |

800-1500 Words

Response Location: United States, Peoria, Illinois

Green infrastructure provides a return on investment and improves the quality of life in a community. In Peoria, Illinois, the city’s Public Works Department has piloted several green infrastructure initiatives with the help of funding of a Bloomberg Philanthropies grant. Projects like the Well Farm at Voris Field, zero runoff streets are proving successful at capturing sewer runoff and creating economic value, while the youth volunteer PeoriaCorps are helping make the projects community-based.

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The cities designing playgrounds for the elderly

Vittoria Traverso

October 29, 2019 |

BBC |

Text |

800-1500 Words

Response Location: China, Nanchang, Jiangxi

In China, elderly people tend to exercise in groups in public parks which has lead to the formation of senior playgrounds. Promoting a "longstanding cultural tradition" as well as good health, these playgrounds are gaining attention of cities worldwide.

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Being Outside Boosts Your Health, but not Everyone Has Ample Access to Nature

Julia Hotz

October 18, 2019 |

Bitterroot |

Text |

800-1500 Words

Response Location: United States, San Diego, California

Studies have routinely shown that spending time outdoors is good for health, so programs are being implemented in the United States in order to increase children's access to getting outside. From California's Outdoor Outreach which aims to help low-income students to the Every Kid Outdoors Act initiated by Congress which eliminates fees for national park passes for fourth graders, these initiatives not only get kids outside, but also teach them social skills.

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This Conservative City Built a $132 Million Park Using One Weird Trick

Zach Mortice

October 11, 2019 |

Bloomberg CityLab |

Text |

1500-3000 Words

Response Location: United States, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma

After falling behind in urban planning and innovation in the 1990s and early 2000s, Oklahoma City created a limited-time sales tax called MAPS to pay for capital projects, like the new Scissortail Park. The tax consisted of a series of one-cent sales taxes and has brought in over $1.5 billion and has helped fund convention centers, other urban green areas, and more.

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Food is biggest stumbling block on zero-waste nature tour

JoAnna Haugen

October 10, 2019 |

Mongabay |

Text |

1500-3000 Words

Response Location: United States, Yellowstone National Park, Wyoming

Natural Habitat Adventures, a tour company, has run the first no-waste, week-long trip through Yellowstone. With ecotourism producing millions of pounds of waste per year, the group wanted to demonstrate that doing so was possible as a way of holding other tour companies to a higher standard. Natural Habitat was able to reach the zero-waste success through composting, sharing meals at restaurants, heavy planning and preparation, and consulting with sustainability and waste experts.

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Instead Of Killing Prairie Dogs, Researchers Consider Birth Control

Rae Ellen Bichell

September 20, 2019 |

Wyoming Public Media |

Text |

Under 800 Words

Response Location: United States, Denver, Colorado

Researchers at Denver’s Bluff Lake Nature Center are trying a new approach to controlling the prairie dog population: birth control. While still in the experimental phase, it has shown to be effective for larger animals, which makes the approach promising. Birth control is the preferred way of curbing the prairie dog population, because while they bring challenges, they are also a necessary part of the ecosystem.

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How to Build a New Park So Its Neighbors Benefit

Laura Bliss

September 11, 2019 |

Bloomberg CityLab |

Text |

800-1500 Words

Response Location: United States, Los Angeles, California

Several projects across the U.S. are emerging as models for how parks and green spaces can be developed in low-income neighborhoods without spurring the displacement of current residents ("greening without gentrification"). Some successful tools include community land trusts, local construction and operations workforces, and affordable housing preservation provisions.

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