Complimentary Blueberry Juice

Sometimes when one expects to find a manicured park, one finds themselves in a dynamic forest. I stepped down from apartments and condos into a beautiful place and was amazed to find dead trees and tree trunks along with uneven ground, pooling water as the snow melts. On an island of just 3.8 square kilometres and a population of over 23 000 residents, an intact forest was growing and breathing.

Then there was a plaque that was something of an ecologist’s dream! Here is an excerpt from what it said:

“The exceptional drought in the summers of 2002 and 2003 seriously weakened the vitality of the trees in eastern Helsinki as well as the islands and coastal forests…Abundant and diverse decayed wood reflects the number of species of several biome groups as well as rare and endangered species.

More than 5,000 different organisms have been counted that live on decaying wood. Among the organisms that cause rot and decay of plant parts are fungi, insects, lichens and mosses, as well as the plants that live on them. Many burrowers take advantage of rotten trees and stumps. Hollow trees provide habitats, food, shelter and nesting places suitable for urban life.

The birch that grew in the bend visible in front died in the drought of the summer of 2003. For this site, [safety fences] are being developed by cutting off the tops of birch trees. The basal parts of the trees are also left on the ground to rot. As you walked along the route, you could observe the rotting of the trees. It is most easily noticed on birch trees within a few years as the appearance of spore queens on the trunks.”

The Tragedy of the Commons was pointed out as early as 1833, and it is all too real. This area has survived because of the ferocity of its residents to protect it, along with a culture that supports both the leaving alone of natural places as well as public access to them. It put a smile on my face to see not only that it exists sometimes, but that thousands of people that were smiling too. Wouldn’t you, if you could just walk there?

We don’t need any more studies to tell us that nature and being close to nature and having access to nature makes our psychological well being significantly increase. Cities make reductive and facile arguments all the time regarding natural areas. It is imperative to keep them, to encourage it, or even to create them. These places make us healthier as people and our city environments healthier. The benefits are endless.

The economic value of leaving nature intact and publicly accessible is obvious when you’re standing in the middle of it, and the reality is terrifyingly frightening when you step past the last tree.

The way we design our cities is a choice.

Graham

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