June 4, 2018: Importance of Urban Forests.

Yesterday we visited Portland Forest Park. A park which belongs to the Portland Municipality and is jointly managed with the help of other stakeholders such as NGOs.

 

Portland Forest Park is USA’s largest forested urban park, spanning 5,200 acres. It is home to 112 bird species, 62 mammals, and hundreds of native plants. As a recreational hub, Portland Forest Park provides over 80 miles of trails for outdoor recreation. Portland Forest Park is a precious natural treasure that plays a major role in the quality of life that is enjoyed in the Portland-metro region, contributing to clean water and air, while also offering an abundance of outdoor recreation in the heart of a rapidly-growing urban area.

Lessons learnt:

Trees are vital to the urban environment….

The understanding of the above, has kept Portland Forest Park in good shape, as all residents and visitors take care of the Park. No trees are cut and no littering in the park.

Zimbabwean Cities will do better if we plant, restore and preserve trees.

Urban sprawl has emerged as a major threat to urban trees in most cities in Zimbabwe. Forests at the outskirts of cities are being cleared to pave way for residential places. Land use change of farms in the city and around the city is changing from farming to residential. This is mostly caused by poor City Councils planning, Political inference and squatters.

The benefits of urban forests are priceless….

We need to do more as urban dwellers in contributing to Urban forests and hold our leadership accountable whenever development disturbs the natural ecosystem of the urban environment.