Create and use scientific knowledge for conservation

The Park Killesberg serves as the green centre of the newly constructed district in Stuttgart and continues the long history of the area as a garden show site with a contemporary expression of landscape architecture and as a model for interconnected green spaces. The design is the result of a collaborative process with the local authorities, citizens and neighbours (1).

The initiative involves establishing beehives on the roofs of the Catholic University of Lublin and the Centre for the Meetings of Cultures. It seeks to provide the habitat for the bees in the city, help in pollination, educate the society about the bees and shape more ecologically-friendly attitudes among the students, faculty and visitors. It should also produce honey that can be sold or distributed free of charge, which can serve in a promotional tool of the two institutions. The Centre for the Meetings of Cultures has additionally opened a garden to provide food for the pollinators [1,2,3,4,6]. In 2020, the initiative is still ongoing and expanding. Every year, the university organizes a competition about the life of bees for various age groups [7].

Urban gardening or gardening in the city is a form of agriculture that is about more than just producing food: community gardens involves also social, cultural and political components. It's about actively participating in urban development, creating new living spaces or making a contribution to biological diversity (ref. 3). The campus garden on a surface area of 1,200 sqm provided by the university was created by a group of students in 2013. It is open every day to everyone interested in gardening and serves as a place for recreation and exchange for students of different disciplines and citizens. Apart from herbs, vegetables and fruits, also flowers are planted. Seeds and materials used as plant beds, such as tires or rice bags are often donated from the city or local businesses (ref. 3 and 4).

Coal mining in the Dearne Valley damaged the Dearne Valley landscape. To address these problems the Dearne Valley Green Heart partnership was formed in 2006, but the intervention discussed here is specifically related to the developments between 2012 and 2015, when it was founded as a Nature Improvement Area. It is part of the South Yorkshire Delivery Programme and part of the Doncaster Council as also being part of the Doncaster Green Infrastructure Strategy (Ref 1, 2).

The project tackles the habitat fragility of the Ligurian wetlands and the impact of a turtle species called Emys orbicularis in the Centa Piana river, the Vara and Magra rivers areas. The project focused on the restoration of the natural habitat, the eradication of invasive American species threatening the European turtle species and the assistance of local turtles reproduction and re-introduction in the wild. A large part of the project was conducted thanks to the participation of volunteers and large emphasis was given to education about environmental habitats protection. (1)

The park has been upgraded to include newly planted trees and shrubs, a meadow, children playgrounds, sitting areas for adult visitors, a wooden footbridge, and a water retention pond which collects rainwater from the roofs of nearby houses. The aim of the project was to establish and restore near-natural vegetation in the urbanized area, enhance biodiversity at the site, handle rainwater in a smart way, and provide a place for recreation (Ref. 2; Ref. 3; Ref 4). Additional restorations have included the creation of barbecue areas for gathering and cooking, and events are hosted at the space as well (Ref 8). Through voting, wider park expansions have also been approved (Ref 9).

The Seven Lochs Wetland Park is an urban park that is due to be created in Scotland. It will comprise nearly 20 km² of land and water between Glasgow and Coatbridge. The park will combine many existing features, including four local nature reserves; Bishop Loch, Cardowan Moss, Commonhead Moss (a raised bog) and Hogganfield Park; Drumpellier Country Park which includes Woodend Loch SSSI and Lochend Loch; Frankfield Loch; Johnston Loch; Garnqueen Loch; Provan Hall a 15th-century category A listed building. It will be Scotland's largest urban heritage and nature park. The vision for the Seven Lochs Wetland Park is of a new park of national significance, sustaining and enhancing a high quality, innovative wetland environment that will (a) protect and enhance biodiversity and heritage (b) promote health and well-being (c) contribute to environmental, economic and social regeneration (Ref 1).

"The desire to integrate trees in the heart of Nancy constitutes a long-standing commitment. The first Charter for Trees of Nancy was signed in 1996. Plant diversity was strengthened and the protection of trees accentuated, in particular thanks to the requirements of the Local Urban Planning. In 2013, the new version of the Charter will make it possible to engage all the actors of urban policy to increase protection of the tree, to be vital to biodiversity and to the quality of the living environment" (Ref. 1). "New legal, urban, ecological and social issues have emerged. The old charter now requires improvements in the face of certain evolutions. It was decided to renew it. This new document is in line with the previous one and faces the new issues of the trees in the city" (Ref. 1, p 9).

The Paul Verlaine Garden received the "EcoJardin"(Eco-Garden) label in 2014 (Ref. 2). The EcoJardin repository is intended to be a methodological tool to guide good practices for gardeners and managers of green spaces (Ref. 6)."This garden is labeled as "Tourisme et Handicap". Work has been done so that this place takes particular account of the accessibility to the people with reduced mobility and the visually impaired. The Jardin Paul Garden is a succession of environments and vegetation architectures" (Ref. 1). At the entrance of the park, there is a playground, a garden of le Petit Poucet, and further the forest of birches, vegetable garden and the garden of tall grasses (Ref. 1).

BIO.FOR.POLIS is a project for the cities of Caserta and Napoli, aiming at improving the biodiversity of the two forests under study. Their projects deal with the construction of streams within the Castelvolturno forest to connect the different parts of it. The two forest areas localized within an urban environment aim to improve the conditions of the ecosystems in a condition of human pressure. This is explicitly considered as a climate mitigation strategy. (Ref.1.)