BIOPHILIC CITIES JOURNAL / THE NATUREFUL CITY very much approve of the work visit and celebrate the nature all nature is often what often these young people are doing. around us in cities. gives me the strongest sense *** of solace and hope. Nature As the Parkland students have We need these nature spaces is a balm in the face of anger been quick to note, many of to heal, to celebrate, to come and hatred, and increasingly the ideas offered for hardening together. We need to be near trees the evidence suggests that in schools (more bullet proof glass, and shorelines and walking on the presence of nature we are arming teachers), won’t do urban trails -- we need natureful more likely to be generous, anything to protect them (and us) spaces in which to grieve, to to be cooperative, to be more beyond schools. Visiting a local contemplate, and sometimes concerned about the long term, park, hiking a community forest, to argue. Nature is an essential in short to be better human tending a garden plot, watching backdrop to our lives and when beings. This is at least a partial shorebirds at the beach, are these places are not safe they lose antidote to Parkland. just a few of the many natureful those functions for us. This is one experiences that require us to be reason why the Parkland kids have About a year ago, I had the in the public realm; indeed nature it right: we can fortify schools, but chance to film a segment of a is the ultimate public space. that misses the larger point. new documentary film about Tackling guns and gun violence connecting oceans and cities make sense to ensure that we may In the face of such unthinkable (called “Ocean Cities”) at the continue to actively enjoy and events as Parkland, I find that March for Our Lives Protest; Charlottesville students in Washington D.C. Photo Credit: Tim Beatley

Marching for Our Lives and for Nature By Tim Beatley

My high school daughter sadness has been followed by High School connect with recently boarded a bus very hope and inspiration as we see or relate to biophilia, and to early in the morning, carrying the leadership of high school biophilic cities? her to the Marching for Our students, who have become Lives protest in Washington, voices of reason and beacons There are many connections, DC, where she spent the day. of hope. I’m not sure why we I believe. It starts for me She worked the night before are surprised by this. They are with the school’s namesake, on a sign that carried a Nelson clearly angry about the direction someone who for many of us Mandela quote. Seeing her the world is taking. I know was an admired champion of Seagrass Adventure at the Marjory Stoneman Douglas Biscayne Nature and half a million young people from my own high school-age conservation, author of the Center. Photo Credit: Tim Beatley (likely more) descend on daughter the trauma and fear classic 1947 book River of Washington was a moment of that attending school today Grass, and tireless advocate for Marjory Stoneman Douglas see what marine life they could The scene was magical as kids optimism in an otherwise dismal entails, complete with actual the Everglades. Others have Biscayne Nature Center, which find. They divided that day into discovered many things and spring. The unfathomable level lockdowns and numerous made similar connections. The shares its namesake with the groups of around eight, each brought them to the surface to of gun violence seen in the drills to prepare for the kinds Washington Post ran a story on Parkland school. We spent accompanied by a naturalist. a chorus of collective surprise. Parkland, Florida shootings of unthinkable things that Stoneman Douglas’s life, noting several hours filming something There were filefish and sea and the tumult of too many happened in Parkland. her activism on behalf of the they called the “Seagrass Each pair of students was worms and Queen Conks. My similar events in recent history Everglades: “She believed that Adventure”, where groups of given a net and encouraged to favorite discovery that day was tests our collective sense that How does the tragedy at the circumstances demanded 4th-graders from area schools scoop the sandy sea bottom a puffer fish: it looked to us like change is possible. Deep Marjory Stoneman Douglas her participation.” She would waded into the Atlantic ocean to to see what they could find. an over-inflated tennis ball,

6 BIOPHILIC CITIES JOURNAL | JUNE 2018 | 7 but when deposited into the important places of solace and democracy work. floating receptacle it returned to respite. But much of the nature the shape of fish, a wondrous we want to spend time in and I have also been thinking a transformation. This was a visit celebrate is in the public realm, lot about the role of protest, these kids would not forget, and that is part of the point of it. something critical in the fight we captured a bit of this magic We want to be in nature, enjoy to protect nature. A city (or on film. seeing and hearing birds, for culture) must avoid making instance, or walking in a park, earnest and heartfelt protest I believe there are clear not separated from people but difficult or dangerous. As connections between violence amongst others. And there with the Washington march, of all kinds towards other are special times in our lives and countless others, it is an humans, and violence towards when we need and must come essential element of a free nature and the natural world. together in public spaces to act society. And it is an essential It is a fair question to ask together, and these are often avenue for expressing our whether we ever hope to truly urban parks. collective values about the care for the other organisms natural world; it is a part of the *** and the larger ecosystems we collective conscience that steers Kate Kelly, Founder of Save Beeliar Wetlands admittedly depend on if we us to a better, gentler path; one Photo Credit: Tim Beatley are not able to prevent events that recognizes the need for like Parkland. Erich Fromm’s nature in our lives and in our trees felled and lying on the of the remarkable remnants experience that further original notion of Biophilia, and communities. ground, and a landscape that saved from the bulldozers. She reminded me of the essential the way in which he defined the had been brutally scraped and talked compellingly of the way value of protest, and the role concept, was about the contrast I spent much of June and bulldozed. The violence of this that forests like that one soften of nature in reminding us of between those choosing July (2017) in Perth, Western land clearance was not lost us, open us to feelings and the sanctity of life. Speaking on those who witnessed it, connections; it is her church, at the annual Land and Water goodness, life, and hope, as Statue of Marjory Stoneman Douglas at Australia learning about and contrasted with those who Fairchild Tropical Botanic, Miami. filming the story of how a including traumatized children. she tells us. Symposium at Kent State support the opposite. Fromm Photo Credit: Lisa Jacobs community came together to Bandicoots and other small University, I visited the memorial was trying to make sense oppose a highway expansion mammals and birds were Another day, we filmed Noongar there to the victims of the of the horrors of war in the Here then we have a problem. project (known as Roe 8) that seen fleeing, and witnesses elder Noel Nannup, who spoke National Guard shooting there aftermath of WWII. Wars have If we fear for our lives in public was threatening to destroy a (including children) were of the sacred role these lands in May 1970. Four students continued of course, and the spaces, how can we enjoy remarkable ancient banksia understandably shaken and have played in the lives and were killed and nine others war on nature is as relentless parks and city forests, how can woodland and wetland. emotional at what they were culture of his people. These wounded when guardsmen as ever. But in the concept of we wander and stroll the streets Thousands actively campaigned witnessing. lands contain storylines and are opened fire. It was a horrific and biophilia perhaps lies the kernel of our neighborhoods, how in a variety of ways, occupying places that the Noongar return defining moment as the nation of a different approach. Nature can we paddle our harbors or trees, marching, showing up My filmmaking colleagues to throughout their lives. It was grappled with an unpopular war. can help to foster the best in rivers? To be outside requires ahead of land clearance crews, (Peter Newman and Linda a privilege to help to collect These college kids, not much us all, the common humanity, not only a shared sense of standing up for wildlife and Blagg) and I spent one these voices and to tell this older than those from Parkland, and the care, respect and, dare community and personal nature. There are many lessons afternoon filming Kate Kelly, one hopeful story of how biophilia similarly saw the need to stand I say, love, we must show for safety, but confidence in the to learn here, including: how to of the main organizers of the was channeled into a potent up against something they saw each other and and the larger reasonable laws and regulations creatively protest -- with humor, opposition to the road, founder political force. as senseless, in this case the biological community of life with that create this safe context for music, poetry. One protester of the group Save Beeliar carnage of the Vietnam War. which we share this planet. us to come together. There is dressed up in a Black Cockatoo Wetlands. She took us into one Later in 2017, I had an no place for military weaponry costume and confronted the Much of the nature found in here, certainly no place for guns Premier at a shopping mall. cities is harbored in private of any kind in places where spaces, of course; often these we come together to debate, The road was stopped are places we don’t see and disagree, share, and protest. ultimately, but not before about can’t access -- backyards, In this way, the nature and the half the land was cleared. Cleared Wetlands in Perth, Austrialia balcony feeders, rooftop natural spaces of communities I saw the sad aftermath of Photo Credit: Tim Beatley gardens - -and they are are at the heart of what makes this campaign: 500-year old

8 BIOPHILIC CITIES JOURNAL | JUNE 2018 | 9 and achieving the vision of There are pigs and chickens, Biophilic Cities will require the and the sounds of birdsong all Resources: work and efforts of many people around. I came away convinced Biophilic Leadership Summit. http:// and many different disciplines and of the promise of these students biophilicsummit.com. voices. -- they are learning how we are Chattahoochee Hills Charter School. all connected, how we are and https://chatthillscharter.org. Our monthly partner city calls must be part of the environment, City of Fremantle. Public Art. https:// have become a highlight for and how we ought to be www.fremantle.wa.gov.au/publicart. sharing, inspiring, and growing compassionate about the other the global movement, and we forms of life with which we share City of Fremantle. Urban Forest Plan. https://www.fremantle.wa.gov.au/ continue to work on ways to the world. They, like the Parkland council/key-council-strategies/urban- facilitate interaction between students, are not likely to just forest-plan. and among cities. This includes stand by but are learning to stand Greening Youth Foundation. https:// regional meetings and exploring up for nature (and for themselves). www.gyfoundation.org. new web based tools for connecting and collaborating. I have been heartened to see the Jessica Contrera (March 22, 2018). *** *** now more common references “At March for Our Lives, you’ll see Endangered Numbat Mural her name again. But who was Photo Credit: Tim Beatley This past April we had a very to Biophilic Cities in the press Marjory Stoneman Douglas” The successful second Biophilic and in social media. Our partner Washington Post. https://www. washingtonpost.com/lifestyle/style/ It is worth remembering that alliances with other networks Urban Forest Plan, has piloted Leadership Summit, co-hosted cities, moreover, increasingly at-march-for-our-lives-youll-see-her- nature, in the form of a flower and organizations. installation of vertical green by the Biophilic Institute and represent points of reference. name-again-but-who-was-marjory- the community of Serenbe, One small example can be seen stoneman-douglas/2018/03/22/ (“flower power”) became the walls in the city, and is one of e85dc728-2d49-11e8- symbol of the peace move- New Cities joining include: the most impressive walking near Atlanta. Leaders from the in the recent controversy over the 8688-e053ba58f1e4_story. ment of the 1960s and 1970s. Curridabat, Costa Rica; Reston, cities anywhere. Public art, such biophilic design field converged cutting down of street trees in the html?noredirect=on&utm_term=. I remember the imagery of the Virginia; and Fremantle, in as the endangered numbat there for three days to hear about UK city of Sheffield. As a result of b78bc348b5da. anti-Vietnam protester facing a Western Australia. Conversations shown above (the state’s official and discuss inspiring projects, a flawed and unpopular contract Never Again: a story about a wall of soldiers, bravely placing with prospective partner cities mammal), is a priority, and the ideas, and future directions. with a management company, highway and remnant bushland Social equity and inclusivity thousands of beloved street [video]. https://www.youtube.com/ flowers in the barrels of their have been extensive and city has adopted a unique one- watch?v=0uiVUiAqUzU. M1 rifles. Fast forward a few numerous: from Toronto to percent-for-art public art policy were key themes this year as we trees have been cut down, to the decades to the work of Rutgers Richmond to Dubai. that applies to private as well as learned of remarkable efforts of surprise and sadness of many Save Beeliar Wetlands. http://save- environmental psychologist public projects. the Truly Living Well Center for residents. A protest has been beeliarwetlands.com. Jeannette Haviland-Jones who Reston and Fremantle are Natural Urban Agriculture and mounted, coordinated through Sheffield Tree Action Groups (STAG). showed through her creative two examples of the biophilic We continue to explore the Greening Youth Foundation an umbrella group called STAG https://savesheffieldtrees.org.uk. to tap the power of nature in -- Sheffield Tree Action Groups. work how humans presented power of smaller cities. Reston, new relationships and new The Marjory Stoneman Douglas with flowers respond with a true a famous new town, was partnerships with a variety of underserved communities The protests, around single Biscayne Nature Center. http://www. smile -- the so-called Duchenne conceived from its beginning organizations, including the U.S. in Atlanta. We also had the trees, have been personal and biscaynenaturecenter.org. remarkable opportunity to spend courageous. In the case of one Smile -- demonstrating biophilia as a city in a park. Its biophilic Green Building Council, Green Truly Living Well Center for Natural and the deep and innate ways stats are impressive: some Roofs for Healthy Cities, and the several hours interviewing and tree threatened with felling, the Urban Agriculture. https://www. that nature can reach us. fifty-five miles of trails, a tree Half Earth Project, among others. filming students and teachers at Vernon Oak, residents mustered trulylivingwell.com. the Chattahoochee Hills Charter with “songs, poems and speeches canopy coverage of fifty-three We are collaborating in several University of Virginia, School of Archi- In the spirit of embracing this percent, and a high percentage major upcoming conferences School. This K-8 grade school is and a good crowd of 120 people.” tecture (Jan. 23, 2018). UVA’s Biophilic remarkable power of nature, of residents participating in where Biophilic Cities will be unusual in many respects. It is What has been unfolding in Cities Receives Grant to Expand Its designed as a series of smaller Sheffield seems inconsistent with Reach and Impact. https://www.arch. our Biophilic Cities Network some form of citizen science a major theme, including the virginia.edu/news/uvas-biophilic- continues to grow and blossom. from dragonfly counts to stream International Federation of classroom buildings embedded the ideals of a Biophilic City and cities-receives-grant-to-expand-its- Most gratefully, we have monitoring. Fremantle, a bit Landscape Architects World in a forest, where the kids spend some observers have noticed. reach-and-impact. a large part of their day outside. As one recently tweeted: “What received a two-year grant from smaller still, is the region’s Congress in Singapore in July Vernon’s Week (Oct. 22, 2017). tree- the Robert Wood Johnson historic port city, with strong 2018 and the Activating Biophilic They tend food gardens, go happened Sheffield? You were bound: a sheffield’s community’s love Foundation to grow the network, environmental bona fides, and Cities Conference in London in on hikes, and use the nature once a leading biophilic city. Not for its trees. https://treeboundblog. around them as a laboratory and anymore it seems.” wordpress.com/2017/10/22/ver- deepen the connections among a strong connection to water. September 2018. We recognize nons-week. its partner cities and build new It has recently adopted a new that growing our global network extended learning environment. 10 BIOPHILIC CITIES JOURNAL | JUNE 2018 | 11