The need to preserve natural habitat in urban parks is a very hot topic, not just in Seattle, but around the world. Here are a few articles and research that make the case for us to all pay close attention to the how and why of urban natural area preservation:

• Keeping up on reading – from our blog, a list and description of five consistently good quality online sites, which add new material frequently
• Research – ongoing, from Nature Sacred, on the impact and importance of Nature in urban areas
• Let ‘Em Eat Dirt – NYT op-ed 7/10/14
• How much should we worry about exotic species in urban zones? How do we…? from The Nature of Cities, 7/7/14
• Evidence of Nature Benefits for Mental Wellness #1 from the Open Voices Blog, 5/6/14
• Natural Parks Define American Cities from The Nature of Cities, 4/9/14
• The urban wild needs protection in Seattle parks – Seattle Times op-ed 11/22/13
• Psychological benefits of greenspace increase with biodiversity – from Biology Letters, Royal Society Publishing, London, 2007