Nature

Close-up of child's hands wearing black and white striped gloves holding a green frog.

Once a year, Maine roads become highways for amphibians

The 'Big Night' brings out volunteers to help frogs, salamanders, and other migrating amphibians cross roads to reach their breeding grounds.

May 5, 2026 - Grist

Close-up of razor wire at top of fence against blue sky.

San Diego Sues DHS, DOD Over Razor Wire Near Mexico Border

The city says U.S. Marines trespassed on city land to install fencing that damages sensitive habitat in an area designated as conservation land.

February 2, 2026 - CALmatters

Charles Gandy sitting in the open side door of a white van with map of Texas inside door.

Meet the Team Working to Create a 1,500-mile Trail Across Texas

The proposed xTx route would safely allow hikers, bikers, and equestrians to cross the entire state from the Louisiana border to El Paso.

December 17, 2025 - The Daily Yonder

An arched bridge over a pond in a Japanese garden surrounded by bright red and yellow foliage.

‘Quiet Parks’ Highlight Importance of Silence for Public Health

The initiative recognizes parks and other areas that preserve natural quiet in a world full of noise pollution.

June 11, 2025 - Reasons to Be Cheerful

Canada geese and ducks on the shore of a lake with red brick boathouse in background across the lake in Lincoln Park, Los Angeles.

Connecting Communities to Nature Close to Home

Los Angeles County’s Nature in Your Neighborhood program brings free, family-friendly wellness and nature activities to local parks, making it easier for residents to enjoy and connect with the outdoors.

May 27, 2025 - Los Angeles County Department of Parks and Recreation

Banff wildlife overpass

Where the Wild Things Cross

Wildlife-vehicle collisions cost Americans over $8 billion annually. The solution can be simple — and stunning.

May 20, 2025 - Jill Robertson

Bluebird sitting on branch of green bush.

Wildlife Rebounds After the Eaton Fire

Following the devastation of the Eaton Fire, the return of wildlife and the regrowth of native plants are offering powerful signs of resilience and renewal.

May 1, 2025 - AP News

Side view of layers of grass and soil

Tackling Soil Contamination With Nature-Based Solutions

Los Angeles County residents and experts are turning to nature-based methods like bioremediation to address long-standing and fire-exacerbated soil contamination without resorting to costly and disruptive removal.

April 28, 2025 - Los Angeles Times

Canada geese on lawn in city park with high-rise buildings in background in Vancouver, Canada.

Study: How Urban Parks Can Support Biodiversity

Conservation and recreation can go hand in hand in urban green spaces designed to serve both humans and local wildlife.

April 21, 2025 - Inside Climate News

Close-up on BLM sign on Continental Divide Trail in Rawlins, Wyoming.

BLM To Rescind Public Lands Rule

The change will downgrade conservation, once again putting federal land at risk for mining and other extractive uses.

April 20, 2025 - Public Domain

Canada geese sitting on shore of Lake Merritt in Oakland, California.

How Community Science Connects People, Parks, and Biodiversity

Community science engages people of all backgrounds in documenting local biodiversity, strengthening connections to nature, and contributing to global efforts like the City Nature Challenge to build a more inclusive and resilient future.

April 13, 2025 - National Recreation and Park Association Open Space Blog

Glass high-rise reflecting clouds.

Protecting Birds From Window Glass

Glass windows kill billions of birds each year. Simple fixes can help.

March 24, 2025 - Reasons to Be Cheerful

Snow geese at the Sacramento National Wildlife Refuge, California

California Lawmakers Move to Protect Waterways

Anticipating that the Trump EPA will reinstate a 2017 policy that excluded seasonal wetlands and waterways from environmental protections.

March 18, 2025 - CALmatters

Woman looking up through binoculars at birds in tree.

Embracing Spring: Ways to Reconnect With Nature and Find Joy

This spring, reconnect with nature and enhance your well-being through simple activities like observing plants up close, practicing forest bathing, birdwatching, arranging flowers, and starting a container garden.

March 17, 2025 - NPR

View of Central Park lake with people sitting on lakeside rocks and NYC high-rises in background.

Public Parks as Climate Resilience Tools

Designed with green infrastructure, parks can mitigate flooding, reduce urban heat, and enhance climate resilience, offering cost-effective solutions to environmental challenges while benefiting communities.

March 16, 2025 - Grist

Yellow bird with black head sitting on power line.

City Nature Challenge: Explore, Document, and Protect Urban Biodiversity

The City Nature Challenge is a global community science event where participants use the iNaturalist app to document urban biodiversity, contributing valuable data to support conservation and scientific research.

March 10, 2025 - City Nature Challenge

Young child riding scooter on gravel path in park.

Parks as Community Lifelines: Supporting Residents During Times of Crisis

The Los Angeles County Department of Parks and Recreation demonstrates how parks serve as vital community infrastructure by adapting to crises, offering public health services, disaster relief, and essential support for residents in need.

January 30, 2025 - National Recreation and Park Association Open Space Blog

Looking up at a grove of mature hemlock trees on a sunny day.

Fighting Forest Pests With AI: A Hemlock Success Story

Fairfax County utilized GeoAI and ArcGIS technology to efficiently map and protect its hemlock trees from the invasive woolly adelgid, ensuring targeted pest management and preservation of its evergreen canopy.

January 21, 2025 - ARCNEWS

Grandfather and young girl sitting on park bench.

Nature and Nurture: Understanding the Diversity of Biophilia

Biophilia, originally thought to be an innate and universal love for nature, is now understood as a temperament trait with significant individual differences influenced by genetics and experience.

January 15, 2025 - Psychology Today

Woman wearing beanie leaning down over grass covered with fall leaves using tablet to identify plants.

Detecting Invasive Species Early Through Citizen Science

Community science platforms like eBird and iNaturalist enhance early detection of invasive species, complementing professional surveillance and highlighting the need for stronger collaboration between the public and official authorities.

December 22, 2024 - Relational Thinking

FREE Course: Walkable City 1: Why Walkability?

After describing his path towards focusing on walkability as the essence of good planning, Jeff Speck marches through his five principal reasons for making more walkable places.

Reinventing Malls: Planning Alchemy—Turning Gray Fields Into Gold

The course focuses on the opportunities and imperatives that shape reinvention of mall sites.

Top Books

An annual review of books related to planning.

Top Schools

The definitive ranking of graduate planning programs.

100 Most Influential Urbanists

The who's who of urbanism, according to Planetizen readers.

Urban Planning Creators You Should Know

A short list of voices on social, video, and podcasting platforms.