Today’s Friday Film features a panel discussion in two parts titled Biodiversity in Our Cities: The Case for Urban Nature. This panel coordinated and moderated by Marielle Anzelone, Conservation Biologist & Executive Director of NYC Wildflower Week, features four different panelists of very diverse backgrounds and professions. The panel presents a comprehensive view of urban biodiversity from not only an ecology view, but also from management, policy, education, design and business views.
It’s a fascinating discussion that brings together many elements necessary in improving biodiversity which many of us may not get exposure to in our own profession or world. These videos really highlight how improving biodiversity in our cities is a subject that concerns and needs many different individuals, not just environmentalists and naturalists.
The official description of the panel…
Did you know that there is nature in New York City? The five boroughs are rich with forests, marshes, and meadows — more nature than any other city in North America. Yet these natural resources are threatened by habitat loss, degradation, and fragmentation – the same factors that threaten biodiversity everywhere. In fact, about one-third of the native flora and fauna in the United States faces extinction. In our urbanized world, the idea of cities as “concrete jungles” is inaccurate and only further alienates people from the natural world. Conserving and maintaining the ecosystems on which cities depend is essential to the health, wellbeing, and quality of life of their citizens.
Biodiversity in Our Cities: The Case for Urban Nature Part 1 on Vimeo.
Biodiversity in Our Cities: The Case for Urban Nature Part 2 on Vimeo.
