Edmonton is increasingly naturalizing green spaces. Here's what that means
The city hopes to bring greater awareness to the importance of Edmonton’s Naturalization Program.
For more than 25 years, Edmonton has been working to revert parts of the city to a more natural state, according to the city.
The city naturalizes areas in an effort to protect the land, air, water, and biodiversity.
“United Nations declared this decade the decade of restoration. It is a call to action for every city and country around the world in preventing, halting, and reversing the degradation of the environment,” said Nicole Fraser, the city’s general supervisor of parks and road services branch.
“Naturalization is one of the ways we are building a healthy climate and resilient city for future residents,” she added, speaking on a tour of a naturalized area of the Storm Water Management Facility at Grange Community on Wednesday.
The city wants input from Edmontonians on the naturalization program and is looking to educate the community on why their surroundings are slowly changing including longer grass, introduction of native species, and more insect and animal species.
“We definitely hear a mix of people’s opinions on what type of aesthetic they would prefer. Some people really prefer the manicured, mowed, no weeds at all, no long grass type of aesthetic. Other people prefer something more natural and naturalized,” said Fraser.
The city presented a list of economic and environmental benefits.
Economic benefits:
• Avoiding overloaded drainage systems and lower risk of flooding
• Reduced maintenance cost such as mowing
• A sustainable local food production
Environmental benefits:
• Native plants, birds, and wildlife are able to re-establish themselves
• Food for native pollinator species and plants
• Plants reducing atmospheric greenhouse gases
• Plants stabilizing slopes and preventing erosion
• Providing windbreaks for snow capture and dust reduction
The program is designed to improve quality of life through improving Edmonton’s aesthetic and encourage people to spend time outdoors.
Catherine Falk, landscape technician with the City of Edmonton, says the city will not naturalize high-use park areas such as soccer fields.
“It is definitely a balancing act and we want to listen to the community on their needs and how they use those area so that we can understand that,” said Falk.
Since 2014, a total of 280 hectares of maintained parkland has been naturalized, according to the city.
“Spending time in nature helps reduce stress and a lot of the stresses of the world. If you go out and spend 10 minutes in nature, you will feel rejuvenated,” said Falk.
In the beginning stages of naturalization, Edmontonians should expect to see long grasses, small trees, and shrubs.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
More than 115 cases of eye damage reported in Ontario after solar eclipse
More than 115 people who viewed the solar eclipse in Ontario earlier this month experienced eye damage after the event, according to eye doctors in the province.
Toxic testing standoff: Family leaves house over air quality
A Sherwood Park family says their new house is uninhabitable. The McNaughton's say they were forced to leave the house after living there for only a week because contaminants inside made it difficult to breathe.
Decoy bear used to catch man who illegally killed a grizzly, B.C. conservation officers say
A man has been handed a lengthy hunting ban and fined thousands of dollars for illegally killing a grizzly bear, B.C. conservation officers say.
B.C. seeks ban on public drug use, dialing back decriminalization
The B.C. NDP has asked the federal government to recriminalize public drug use, marking a major shift in the province's approach to addressing the deadly overdose crisis.
OPP responds to apparent video of officer supporting anti-Trudeau government protestors
The Ontario Provincial Police (OPP) says it's investigating an interaction between a uniformed officer and anti-Trudeau government protestors after a video circulated on social media.
An emergency slide falls off a Delta Air Lines plane, forcing pilots to return to JFK in New York
An emergency slide fell off a Delta Air Lines jetliner shortly after takeoff Friday from New York, and pilots who felt a vibration in the plane circled back to land safely at JFK Airport.
Sophie Gregoire Trudeau on navigating post-political life, co-parenting and freedom
Sophie Gregoire Trudeau says there is 'still so much love' between her and Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, as they navigate their post-separation relationship co-parenting their three children.
Last letters of pioneering climber who died on Everest reveal dark side of mountaineering
George Mallory is renowned for being one of the first British mountaineers to attempt to scale the dizzying heights of Mount Everest during the 1920s. Nearly a century later, newly digitized letters shed light on Mallory’s hopes and fears about ascending Everest.
Loud boom in Hamilton caused by propane tank, police say
A loud explosion was heard across Hamilton on Friday after a propane tank was accidentally destroyed and detonated at a local scrap metal yard, police say.