THE NATUREFUL CITY Adding Much to Our Knowledge the Prairie

BIOPHILIC CITIES JOURNAL / THE NATUREFUL CITY adding much to our knowledge the prairie. These are healing and wellbeing. But access to of these hidden lives. A group of places, Beresford-Kroeger tells that magic is variable and often European tree researchers has us, where miraculous biology is a unfairly distributed. been using laser scanning to daily occurrence. detect the overnight drooping Many of the stories to follow will of tree limbs and the new Unfortunately, the magic of highlight the successes cities understanding that trees actually places like Toronto’s Black Oak are having in committing to a “sleep.” Trees were always Savanna is not equally or evenly just nature. The stories of Cully mysterious but we are learning enjoyed. There are profound Park, in Portland, and Trillium more as we listen and walk and deep inequities in the Park in Toronto, are inspiring and along with people like Beresford- distribution of nature in cities, show that it is possible to share Kroeger. and that is the special theme power, to design inclusively, and of this issue of the Biophilic to deeply engage underserved High Park is one of the last Cities Journal, and indeed an communities and neighborhoods remaining places in Toronto essential part of the vision and of color. Both Trillium and Cully where a Black Oak Savannah can movement of biophilic cities. The Parks show that it is possible, be found. It is a place where the natural magic of our cities -- their indeed essential, to connect to Ontario Place (Trillium Park) Photo Credit: wyliepoon at Flickr city undertakes prescribed burns forests and parks, the birds and the deeper past, creating spaces each year to mimic natural fires living creatures that animate and places together with the The Natureful City: Working Towards a Just Urban Magic that would have taken place on them -- are key to our health native peoples who were the By Tim Beatley I am happy that there are ever Forests have always evoked for fish, all of the whales, and more stories to tell of the magic mystery for us but increasingly all of the creatures of the sea.” I of nature in cities. As we continue we understand the wonderful don’t usually conjure an image to build relationships with the and unexpected ways in which of whales when I walk in the cities in our Network, new cities they work together to survive woods, but there is a lot to that that are considering joining, and thrive. As we walked through forest that we did not understand and grassroots groups pursuing the forest that day, Beresford- before the walk. their own biophilic agendas, Kroeger spoke of the miraculous we continue to learn about and ways that trees “farm the sun,” We are living in remarkable document the magic and mystery and function like “molecular times when there is so much they seek to uncover, protect and machines.” She told us that they new research showing the celebrate. are the source of sixty percent complexities and surprising of the medicines we use. She social life of trees. Few sources One of the highlights of a visit to made a compelling case for how of magic in the city are as readily Diana Beresford-Kroeger Toronto (a city that we hope will we are more like trees than not. available and watchable as Photo Credit: Tim Beatley be joining the Network soon) was We are made of much of the trees. The attention received by a medicine walk with cultural same compounds and tissues, German Forester Peter Wohlleben the original owners and stewards production of Biophilic Films. both the dangers and delights botanist Diana Beresford-Kroeger she tells us. We are so intricately and his popular book, The Hidden of these lands, and in the process 2018 saw the release of our of proximity to water: the desire who spoke of the magic of trees. interdependent. Beresford- Life of Trees (a book I have been working to heal some of the documentary film Ocean Cities, to connect with water and all Converging on High Park, an Kroeger explained that the trees assigning in my Nature + Cities loss and disjuncture that are so screened at the Virginia Film the mystery it holds, but also to enthusiastic group of around and the savanna ecosystem that class), has certainly helped to prevalent. Festival in November. This adapt to and plan for the reality fifty of us listened closely and we walked through that day tie broaden our view of trees. A crop film is partially about the of sea level rise and coastal followed her as she guided us us to our oceans and planet; of younger forest ecologists, Biophilic Films stories of magic in the marine flooding, but ideally in ways that from tree to tree, telling us about explaining the essential role including Annie Desrochers of environments around cities like can actually make a city more their intimate biology, as if these that tree leaves play in providing the University of Quebec and I experienced the magic of Cully New York and Baltimore and biophilic. trees were her own relatives (and iron to marine microorganisms: Suzanne Simard of the University Park as part of our continued San Francisco. The film explores she would likely say they are). “they’re the feeding foundation of British Columbia, are also 6 BIOPHILIC CITIES JOURNAL | MARCH 2019 | 7 We have produced several other vignettes demonstrate the variety Northern Ireland. An even new short films, two that focus of impressive work underway in larger example was evident on birds (the Portland Catio Tour, cities and the extent to which in July, when the International and the celebration of Vaux’s creative design and planning can Federation of Landscape Swifts as they dramatically make a difference, as well as the Architects (IFLA) chose biophilic roost for the evening in the incredible sense of magic that cities as one of the main themes Chapman Elementary School the discovery and celebration of for its World Congress. I was chimney); one on an innovative local nature can imbue into our honored to travel there to park design (Portland’s new daily lives. If you have not viewed present a keynote address to Cully Park); and one about a them please take a few minutes its 1,500 delegates, and to help Catio Tour | Portland, OR wonderful biophilic school near to watch. judge a student competition. Photo Credit: Portland Audubon Society Atlanta (Chattahoochee Hills Charter School). As well, we have Gaining Traction There has been a parallel Lakeland, Florida. It is an unlikely the historical roots of biophilic Canada’s Boreal Forest is a Thriving Social Community of Trees that Work produced a short film about emphasis in the literature, and (at location for the largest single planning and design, we need collection of Frank Lloyd Wright- to remain observant and speak Together [video link]. CBC-TV. https:// the Smooth-Backed Otters of There is considerable evidence of least) three difference journals -- www.cbc.ca/natureofthings/features/ Singapore (the Bishan otters how the vision of Biophilic Cities Sustainable Earth, Sustainability, designed buildings anywhere. of a just magic, which delivers canadas-boreal-forest-is-a-thriving- have attained world celebrity continues to gain impressive and Cities & Health -- are each This has led me to reflect anew the beauty and solace of the social-community-of-trees-that-work- status) and one about Pier Into organizing special issues focused on Wright’s influence; both the natural world to all urban tog. the Night, a wonderfully creative on biophilic cities. There is (and deep natureful connections of neighborhoods, to all residents. Wright’s buildings and his design The power and medicine of Harbor WildWatch. https://www. program that projects and will be) a growing body of peer- harborwildwatch.org. narrates images of underwater reviewed journal articles, and a philosophy. The campus provides those trees that Diana Beresford- nature in real time put on by growing number of publishing the opportunity to get a sense Kroeger cherishes need to High Park (Toronto). http://www. the nonprofit Harbor WildWatch, opportunities for those of what his biophilic design be fairly shared and this is a highparktoronto.com. in Gig Harbor, Washington. interested in shaping the path might mean at a larger scale. His hallmark of a Natureful City. original vision is a compelling Puttonen, E. et al. (Feb. 2016). Lastly, our short film about forward. Quantification of Overnight Movement Rewilding New York Harbor one of magical buildings, like the of Birch (Betula pendula) Branches and shows the political power In addition to forward looking- Annie Pfeiffer Chapel, growing up Resources: Foliage with Short Interval Terrestrial of joining together around a Pier into the Night Gig Harbor, WA research and scholarship, I between the trees of an orange Laser Scanning. Frontiers Plant Sci. Photo Credit: Tim Beatley grove. It is a story of lost magic, Beatley, Tim (July 6, 2018). Ocean Cities: 7:1-13. https://doi.org/10.3389/ common urban vision to rebuild believe we also need to better The Power of Documentary Filmmaking fpls.2016.00222. the once vast oyster reefs that momentum. This is evidenced understand (and re-discover) the or perhaps the promise of magic to Tell Stories About the Nature Around protected the city as, MacArthur by several interesting trends we many historical precedents and returned, should support emerge Us. The Nature of Cities. https://www. Suzanne Simard: Forest Ecologist Genius Grant winner Kate Orff have seen. First, we continue to examples of biophilic design and for re-planting the citrus forest thenatureofcities.com/2018/07/06/ [video link].

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