The Importance of Botanical Gardens

During the COVID-19 pandemic, public gardens like the Los Angeles County Arboretum and Botanic Garden have become very popular destinations, serving as places of respite and recreation for a weary public.

1 minute read

February 23, 2021, 11:00 AM PST

By Clement Lau


Silk Floss Tree

Nick Pecker / Shutterstock

The 127-acre Los Angeles County Arboretum and Botanic Garden is an arboretum, botanical garden, and historical site located in Arcadia, California. The facility is managed through a private-public collaboration between the Los Angeles Arboretum Foundation and the Los Angeles County Department of Parks and Recreation. The mission of the Arboretum is to cultivate its natural, horticultural and historic resources for learning, enjoyment and inspiration.

In this essay, writer Yxta Maya Murrary discusses her experiences and observations of the Arboretum which she and her husband became members of during the COVID-19 pandemic. Specifically, she adopts a new hobby of "therapeutic photography" and talks about her interesting run-ins with the peafowls which are commonplace at the Arboretum. According to the Arboretum's website, the species of peafowl at the Arboretum are Indian Peafowl which are members of the pheasant family. The species is named Pavo cristatus with cristatus referring to the peafowls’ crest. The male birds are called peacocks, the female birds are peahens, and the offspring are peachicks. Although the term “peacock” is often used when referring to the species as a whole, the collective term for both genders is peafowl.   

Wednesday, February 17, 2021 in Zocalo Public Square

portrait of professional woman

I love the variety of courses, many practical, and all richly illustrated. They have inspired many ideas that I've applied in practice, and in my own teaching. Mary G., Urban Planner

I love the variety of courses, many practical, and all richly illustrated. They have inspired many ideas that I've applied in practice, and in my own teaching.

Mary G., Urban Planner

Cover CM Credits, Earn Certificates, Push Your Career Forward

Aerial view of town of Wailuku in Maui, Hawaii with mountains in background against cloudy sunset sky.

Maui's Vacation Rental Debate Turns Ugly

Verbal attacks, misinformation campaigns and fistfights plague a high-stakes debate to convert thousands of vacation rentals into long-term housing.

July 1, 2025 - Honolulu Civil Beat

Logo for Planetizen Federal Action Tracker with black and white image of U.S. Capitol with water ripple overlay.

Planetizen Federal Action Tracker

A weekly monitor of how Trump’s orders and actions are impacting planners and planning in America.

July 9, 2025 - Diana Ionescu

Map of Haussmann's redesign of Paris in the 1850s through 1870s under Napoleon III.

In Urban Planning, AI Prompting Could be the New Design Thinking

Creativity has long been key to great urban design. What if we see AI as our new creative partner?

June 30, 2025 - Tom Sanchez

Adult holding hands of two children, all wearing winter coats, in crosswalk in New York City during holidays with trees decorated with lights in background.

Pedestrian Deaths Drop, Remain Twice as High as in 2009

Fatalities declined by 4 percent in 2024, but the U.S. is still nowhere close to ‘Vision Zero.’

30 minutes ago - Streetsblog USA

View of dense apartment buildings on Seattle waterfront with high-rise buildings in background.

King County Supportive Housing Program Offers Hope for Unhoused Residents

The county is taking a ‘Housing First’ approach that prioritizes getting people into housing, then offering wraparound supportive services.

July 11 - Real Change

Aerial view of suburban housing near Las Vegas, Nevada.

Researchers Use AI to Get Clearer Picture of US Housing

Analysts are using artificial intelligence to supercharge their research by allowing them to comb through data faster. Though these AI tools can be error prone, they save time and housing researchers are optimistic about the future.

July 11 - Shelterforce Magazine