Urban Ecosystems: Why taking care of them is more important now than ever

As the impacts of climate change become increasingly noticeable, taking care of our urban ecosystems is more important for our future than ever. Ensuring that these urban ecosystems, like our local parks and reserves, are well-maintained is important as they provide multiple social, health and environmental benefits for people and are essential for creating sustainable and liveable communities for the future.

Maintaining these urban ecosystems is important as they are pivotal in reducing climate change impacts over time. This involves absorbing carbon dioxide from the air to reduce our carbon footprints, acting as urban habitats for our native flora and fauna, and existing as natural barriers to protect us from flood-prone risks and heat waves.

However, maintaining these urban ecosystems is a challenging job. It requires more than an individual or a group of people’s efforts, but rather the joint cooperation from a community to protect what is important to them and what they believe is necessary for building a brighter future for the next generation.

How can you help to maintain these urban ecosystems? It is actually very simple, as effective ways may include attending tree planting days run by local environmental organisations, volunteering to clean up rubbish and litter around our local parks and reserves, and encouraging your family, friends and colleagues to join along in making sure that our urban ecosystems are maintained and well-kept for future generations.

You can also support urban ecosystems within the Howick area! If you have the space in your backyard you can sign up for a free rat trap. You can take on some manual weeding in your area to combat the pest plant species, and you can come and say hello at events! Stay updated by checking our webpage for future events to help our urban ecosystems!

By Matthew Quot