Nature

Great Lakes Water Quality Project Seeks to Restore Coastal Vegetation
A plan to restore perennial plants to agricultural land could help reduce runoff and improve water quality across the Great Lakes region.

Discovering LA’s Biodiversity: The 2024 BioBlitz Challenge
The BioBlitz Challenge invites participants to document local wildlife throughout October using the iNaturalist app, contributing to conservation efforts and scientific research on Los Angeles' biodiversity.

Making California State Parks More Climate-Resilient
A recently released report offers recommendations for keeping state parks healthy and robust, including acquiring additional land for conservation and recreation.

California’s Live Oaks in Focus
The new exhibit explores the hidden network that allows heritage coast live oak trees to communicate with one another.

Rewilding the Golf Course
How former golf courses are being transformed from manicured lawns to vibrant habitats.

Planning for Trees in Los Angeles
The County and City of Los Angeles are working together on community engagement efforts for their Urban Forest Management Plans (UFMPs).

The Importance of Botanical Gardens
Southern California is home to some of the best botanical gardens around. TimeOut just released its list of the top Japanese and botanical gardens, mansion and institution gardens, and urban and hidden gardens.

The Benefits of Trees
In addition to all the economically valuable services they provide, trees are beautiful as pure aesthetic objects and a welcome presence in any landscape.

BLM Allocates Funding to Study Renewables Impact on Public Lands
The large-scale study will assess how proposed solar farms and other renewable energy projects could impact animals, plants, and habitats.

The Year in Urban Wildlife
A roundup of stories about the creatures that share our cities.

The Disparate Impacts of Urban Noise
Research shows higher levels of noise in formerly redlined neighborhoods, disrupting the health of both human and animal residents.

Celebrating California's Biodiversity
This year marks the fifth annual California Biodiversity Day, established in 2018 to celebrate and encourage actions to protect the state’s exceptional biodiversity.

How Noise Pollution Impacts Nature
Overly loud noise isn’t just a public health risk for humans.

The Importance of Community Scientists
Community science mobilizes the public to work alongside scientists to help answer questions about the world. Learn about the valuable contributions of community scientists in Hawai'i.

The Importance of Unintentional Nature in Cities
A new book argues in favor of spontaneous, informal natural spaces.

Hiking For All: Making the Great Outdoors More Welcoming
Not everyone feels comfortable going for a hike. Various groups are working to break down barriers so that more people can experience the joys and benefits of being in nature.

Serpentine Maze: Pop-Up Parks in the Pandemic
If the combined effects of winter's cold and the pandemic has you bummed, check out this community-building exercise in the frozen North.

More Parks and Trees Can Increase Life Expectancy
New research shows that increasing park acreage in areas that face park deficits and low levels of tree canopy could lead to significant population-level increases in life expectancy.
A Pirate Looks at . . . Seventy?
Reflections on a long career, a great interview, and six sssentials for greener, healthier communities via Kaid Benfield, one of the founders of Smart Growth America

Earth Day: 1970 and Now
The decade that began with the first Earth Day became a pivotal moment in U.S. environmental awareness and action. The core principles of the environmental decade are now questioned in the highest offices of our land.
Pagination
Urban Design for Planners 1: Software Tools
This six-course series explores essential urban design concepts using open source software and equips planners with the tools they need to participate fully in the urban design process.
Planning for Universal Design
Learn the tools for implementing Universal Design in planning regulations.
Smith Gee Studio
City of Charlotte
City of Camden Redevelopment Agency
City of Astoria
Transportation Research & Education Center (TREC) at Portland State University
US High Speed Rail Association
City of Camden Redevelopment Agency
Municipality of Princeton (NJ)