Transforming Urban Nature Through Citizen Science - Vol 3 Sneak Peek
Citizen science Opportunities, or ways that “ordinary people” can get involved with reshaping our urban environments, are vast. Samiksha shares case studies from across the world that have made their urban areas more nature friendly.
Article by: Samiksha Manoharan
Artwork by: Christy Bennett
As urbanisation continues to shape our cities, incorporating nature and green spaces into urban environments becomes crucial.
Citizen science initiatives have emerged as powerful tools in transforming and conserving urban wildlife and nature while engaging citizens in scientific research and conservation efforts.
Amongst many citizen science initiatives around the world, let us explore a few notable examples, leading the way in revitalising urban nature and fostering a deeper connection between people and their environment.
Singapore
Singapore, known worldwide as a garden city, has taken significant strides in integrating nature into its urban landscape through community engagement and citizen science initiatives.
Back in 2004, the Garden City Action Committee, was set up to oversee the activities for greening the city and made the collective decision to include local people in the government’s gardening efforts from the 1960s.
It was discussed that a strong partnership between the people, public and private sectors was essential to enhance greenery developments and build a gardening culture in Singapore.
As a result, in 2005, a new citizen science programme called “Community in Bloom” was launched by Singapore’s National Parks (NParks) Board, which was supported by people from all walks of life - estate managers, mayors, librarians, local gardening groups and more.
Local residents were also encouraged to set up community gardens within their neighbourhoods and were provided with more information on gardening through talks that were held in various libraries around Singapore.
Since the start of the initiative in 2005, over 600 community gardens have been started in housing estates, schools, factories and more.
To further motivate gardeners, awards are given out to recognise exemplary garden efforts and ignite a spirit of friendly rivalry amongst them.
To date, locals continue to actively participate in this community initiative by adopting a small plot of land, such as a vacant lot in the community gardens, and converting it into a vibrant green oasis.
Through people’s contribution to urban biodiversity, Singapore has now transformed from a ‘Garden City’ to a “City in a Garden'' - one that is immersed in greenery and nature.
United States
Another initiative is the US City Nature Challenge - an annual event that harnesses the power of citizen science to document urban nature and biodiversity.
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