Ifpra

 

Ifpra world e-news

Newsletter Issue 44 – August 2010

Items for inclusion in the September 2010 edition need to be e-mailed to me at ifpraworldnews@aol.com by no later than 23 August.  Don’t forget that this is also an opportunity to promote international events.

Contents

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Singapore

International Skyrise Greenery Conference 2010

http://www.skyrisegreeneryconference.com/Programme_at_a_Glance.asp
This message comes from Neil Power, Assistant Director of National Parks, Singapore:
Skyrise Greenery is an emerging frontier for designers, specifiers, landscapers, managers and maintainers in the lifestyle horticulture / urban landscape industry. The International Skyrise Greenery Conference being held in Singapore on the 1st to 3rd of November 2010 is your best chance to be inspired as to the latest possibilities and opportunities in Skyrise Greenery this year.
The conference also presents the opportunity to discover or rediscover the latest in tropical urban landscape management in Singapore – the epicentre of Asian lifestyle horticulture. Check out the latest in urban and landscape planning, peri-urban protected area management and interpretation, streetscape management, parks event opportunities, tropical turf management, extreme sports facilitation and industry development.
Neil_POWER@nparks.gov.sg

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United Kingdom

Six million pounds confirmed funding for four English parks

www.hlf.org.uk
Early in July the Heritage Lottery Fund (HLF) and the Big Lottery Fund (BIG) confirmed funding of over £6m for four parks across England through their joint Parks for People programme.  The parks in Wallsend, Dudley, Leeds and Burnham-on-Sea, having been successful in the second round of the application process, can now go ahead with major redevelopment work.  At the same time over £1million of development funding was announced for a further 11 parks across the country.
The largest slice of the £6m cake will go to Wallsend Parks which will receive £2,607,000.  Located in North Tyneside on the edge of Wallsend town centre, Wallsend Parks are made up of three connected sites: Prince Road Arboretum; Richardson Dees Park; and The Hall Grounds. All three, were originally part of the Wallsend Hall Estate and home to mining pits dating back to the 1700s. The mine shaft within Richardson Dees Park was used to try and rescue miners trapped in the Wallsend Colliery disaster of 1835.  Plans for the parks include restoring the Vinery Wall and Fernery in the Hall Grounds, training volunteers to be leaders and guides, and an education and training plan for people to learn essential horticulture and maintenance skills.
Chris Packham, environmentalist and broadcaster, said:  “Public parks are places that really give back in spades to local communities and they're in pretty good shape at the moment thanks to the massive investment - £600million in total - from the Heritage Lottery Fund and BIG Lottery Fund. We're so lucky in this country to have so many green spaces to enjoy nature, especially in our towns and cities, but we must not take them for granted. I’m passionate about them and see them as one of this country's great heritage traditions so I believe it’s essential that investing in them remains a priority.”

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Hong Kong

Leisure Department tries to balance the needs of parks users

www.lcsd.gov.hk 
In response to concerns expressed in the media about the use of Victoria Park for large scale events and the disruption resulting from the construction of a new swimming pool complex, the Leisure and Cultural Services Department has issued a statement defending their efforts to strike a balance among the different needs of park users.
Situated at an easily accessible area, the Victoria Park is one of the few venues with abundant space for hosting large-scale events. Most of these are territory-wide events organised by non-profit and non-government organisations and have become popular annual events patronised by families.  Apart from the six soccer pitches and four basketball courts, which are usually used for large-scale events, a large part of the park with facilities, including the central lawn, landscaped area, children play areas, bowling greens and the South Pavilion Plaza are open to the public all year round.  In handling applications for activities of non-designated use, it was noted that the LCSD has to take into account a number of factors, including the area to be booked, the duration, purpose and nature of the activity, the benefits it may bring to the public, the inconvenience that it may cause to other users and other bookings of the venue. Residents nearby and district council members concerned are consulted and views from relevant government departments sought.   To balance the different needs of park users, the agreed arrangement is to limit the usage of the soccer pitches of the Victoria Park for non-designated use to not more than half of the total hours available for booking in a year and this was reaffirmed in the Department’s statement.
The swimming pool at the Victoria Park has always been a popular leisure place for the public with high usage. Owing to the fact that the pool was constructed more than half a century ago, there was an obvious need for its redevelopment to upgrade the facilities and provide better service to the public.   The redevelopment of the swimming pool complex was commenced in August 2009 and is expected to complete by the end of 2012.   
The LCSD understands the inconvenience that may be caused to some members of the public when large-scale activities are being held at the Victoria Park.  It also appreciates the concerns some may have on the redevelopment of the swimming pool complex. The department will continue to maintain close communication with the Council, the local residents and the park users in order to strike a balance among competing needs and strive to provide quality services to the public.”

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New Zealand

Tū Wharekai Recreation Plan released

www.doc.govt.nz
A recreation plan has been released by the Department of Conservation (DOC) which gives clear direction on recreational activities in Ashburton Lakes and the upper Rangitata River.  George Hadler, Area Manager for Raukapuka Area Office, said he wanted to thank the public for being involved in developing the recreation plan.  “Ō Tū Wharekai is one of the most intact freshwater and braided river ecosystems remaining in the high country.  The constructive comments we received from both individuals and groups have been used to make decisions on where and how the public recreation opportunities are provided in this important area.”  Ō Tū Wharekai is one of three wetlands around the country managed as part of the national Arawai Kākāriki wetland programme. Arawai Kākāriki aims to restore wetlands with the assistance of the community and increase knowledge about methods for wetland restoration along the way.  ”The area is also important for recreation as Hakatere Conservation Park includes and surrounds the Ō Tū Wharekai wetlands. “It means the balance between recreational development and biodiversity is important for us to get right,” said Mr Hadler.  The recreation plan explains how recreation and facility choices have been made in order to protect biodiversity and to avoid conflict between different recreational activities.

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South Africa

Partnership between departments leads to river clean up

www.ierm.org.za
The banks and the flow of the upper Jukskei River in Alexandra, northern Joburg, are being cleaned up in a long-running partnership between City Parks and other government departments The project is a partnership between City Parks, Joburg's environmental management department, and the Gauteng department of agriculture and rural development. Work this year began in May and will end on 31 October. Phase one of the project took place in 2008/9 and 484 tons of waste was collected from the river banks over seven months.

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Australia

City fights threat to parklands from over-development

www.sydneymedia.com.au
Community views will become irrelevant in deciding approvals of potentially oversized developments if the NSW Government accepts industry calls for changes to the City's planning processes, according to the City of Sydney.  In a submission to the government's snap review of the Central Sydney Planning Committee (CSPC), the City stresses the action represents a direct threat to a body that has been promoting good planning and protecting local amenity – while achieving timely and high quality development assessment – since 1988.  Supporting the submission's proposal for improving City planning and boosting the CSPC's mandate, the Lord Mayor Clover Moore MP said: "I am hopeful that the Government will not bow to pressure from sections of the development industry to remove the CSPC. The existing CSPC membership has a good balance of independent experts, key State Government representation and democratically elected Councillors and ensures major development is assessed effectively while protecting community amenity."  The City submission calls for the government to focus on improving City planning and increasing the community voice by strengthening the CSPC's role in strategic and major development.  The Lord Mayor commented: "With no CSPC oversight, key strategic planning sites such as Harold Park and Green Square will be threatened by overdevelopment at the expense of community amenity simply because property owners want to maximize their profits."

In the same week, the Lord Mayor urged the community to continue fighting to protect Moore Park and thanked everyone who came to the City's Paddington Town Hall Rally to support saving our parklands.  A leaked letter revealed the NSW Government to be considering transferring control of Moore Park from the Centennial Park and Moore Park Trust (CPMPT) to the Sydney Cricket and Sports Ground Trust (SCG).   The CPMPT mandate is to protect and maintain public open space while the SCG's role is to promote commercial sporting events. It was understood that the SCG wants Moore Park to expand club-land and car parking."

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United Kingdom

New guidance on the selection of artificial sports pitches

www.sportengland.org
Four sports bodies have come together with Sport England and the Football Foundation to agree a new strategic approach to selecting artificial grass pitches.  New guidance drawn up will ensure the right surfaces are installed in the right places, delivering maximum value for investment in pitches.  The last decade has seen an explosion in the number and type of artificial pitches. But, with some surfaces only suitable for certain sports, some of these pitches did not have the most appropriate surface to meet the needs of local sporting communities.  The national governing bodies of hockey, football, rugby union and rugby league have all committed to using the new guidance for selecting the most appropriate artificial grass pitch.  Sport England is recommending that all planners, schools, universities, clubs and local authorities that are considering installing an artificial grass pitch also follow the new guidance.  A simple four-step guide explains how to select the right type of artificial grass pitch to meet local demand.

Sport England’s Chair, Richard Lewis, said:  “Sport is at its strongest when partners tackle issues jointly. This guidance will help our stakeholders to make the right choice for their local sporting community when investing in artificial grass pitches.”

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Brazil

Zoos making a world of difference

www.worldlandtrust.org
The British and Irish Association of Zoos and Aquariums (BIAZA) held their Annual Conference and AGM in Belfast Zoological Gardens in June, where the theme was Partnerships and Participation. Presentations covered the cooperation both within the zoo world and with external organisations.  John Burton, CEO of the World Land Trust (WLT), in speaking at the conference, described WLT’s work with its project partners and explained how land purchase and protection of wildlife habitats was carried out.   As part of WLT’s Wild Spaces Programme, BIAZA members are currently raising funds to pay for the creation of a reserve in the threatened Atlantic Rainforest in Brazil, where WLT works with Brazilian conservation organisation Reserva Ecologica De Guapi Assu (REGUA). Belfast Zoo, which hosted the conference, is participating in this conservation project together with 20 other BIAZA members, who collectively have raised over £90,000 for land purchase and protection for the ‘BIAZA Reserve’. These funds have helped REGUA to secure a 1,700 acre (833 ha) area of rainforest directly adjacent to already protected areas of forest.   BIAZA member zoos are being encouraged to further support the protection and management of the reserve. Donations from member zoos can help cover rangers’ salaries and equipment (binoculars, uniforms and identification books), fences, bird hides and education supplies. The BIAZA Reserve is an initiative of WLT’s Wild Spaces Programme. Wild Spaces offers zoos, aquariums and their associations an opportunity to help save wildlife in the wild. For further information on the BIAZA Reserve visit the WLT

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U.S.A.

Fears new rules may affect the future of community gardens

www.thevillager.com
According to an article in The Villager, New York Parks Commissioner Adrian Benepe has reassured community garden advocates that the proposed new rules for governing the 282 gardens under the Parks Department’s jurisdiction will not threaten the existence of these green spaces. 

In the East Village, where many small neighborhood gardens have become a focus of community action over the years, garden advocates have become anxious about the rules being drafted to replace the 2002 city-state agreement that expires in September.  Garden advocates were upset because the proposed new rules omit reference to “preservation” of the gardens, which is included in the agreement about to expire. They had hoped that new rules would designate the gardens with the word “permanent.”  “We’re open to the possibility of changing language, if it’s better, to sound friendly,” Benepe said. But he added that it was not possible to designate the gardens as permanent.  Nevertheless, he denied charges by some groups that the new rules were a preparation for a “land grab” by developers.

Benepe insisted that the proposed rules offer more and stronger protection to the gardens than the expiring agreement.  Under the old agreement the city had to notify one “gardener of record” and the local community board to start a process to transfer a garden to non-garden use. Under the new rules the city has to notify two gardeners of record, the community board and the local city council member, and post a notice near the entrance to a garden to be transferred to non-garden uses. 

The original garden settlement used the word “preservation,” but still set guidelines about how and when gardens could be developed. Benepe noted that no gardens have been lost during the Bloomberg administration, although some inactive gardens have been swapped with the Department of Housing Preservation and Development for replacement sites.  

Benepe noted that Parks has been consulting with City Council Speaker Christine Quinn, who has suggested that the Council would consider legislation to protect community gardens. The Council could do that, Benepe conceded, but such legislation would have to conform to the City Charter, which has specific rules for land use.  In addition to the proposed new rules, any proposal to transfer a community garden to non-garden use would have to go through the city uniform land use review procedure, or ULURP, Benepe noted.  “We’re very much an ally of the gardens,” Benepe said. “They are unique public spaces. Our Greenthumb initiative eliminated the insurance requirement for community gardens; it’s now covered by the department.”

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Canada

Park Board seeks help from visitors and residents during heat wave

www.vancouver.ca/parks
At their July 5, 2010 meeting, the Vancouver Park Board approved by-laws related to the upcoming smoking ban in parks. The smoking regulation bylaw takes effect 1 September and prohibits smoking in Vancouver parks, beaches, seawalls, trails and public golf courses. Enforcement of the by-law will be carried out by Park Rangers who now have the authority to issue infraction tickets to offenders leading to fines for a first offence of $250.00.  "Smoke-free parks and beaches is a natural extension of Vancouver's reputation as a healthy, clean and green city," said Park Board chair Aaron Jasper.  The smoking ban was approved by the Park Board in April on the basis of established medical evidence about the significant health dangers of smoking, the environmental and aesthetic impacts of cigarette litter, the fire risks in urban forests, the results of public consultation and the successful experience of other jurisdictions.  Vancouver joins several municipalities in the Lower Mainland and throughout North America which have already taken such action to improve the experience in public parks.

On 31 July, following several weeks of exceptionally warm and dry weather, Vancouver parks moved from a high to an extreme fire hazard rating that brings an automatic ban on smoking that precedes the permanent smoking ban to come into effect at the beginning of September.  In addition to no smoking in parks or on trails, the public is asked to stay on trails and charcoal or wood burning barbecues have been banned.  Propane barbecues are permitted provided they are more than 76 centimetres (30 inches) off the ground and not resting on grass or wood, such as a picnic table or log.   Park visitors should take precautions to prevent accidental fires and be alert to signs of fire or smoke and the Park Board is providing additional patrols heavily forested parks such as Stanley, Jericho and Everett Crowley.

The hot dry weather is also a concern for young street trees and the Park Board is encouraging residents to water trees in front of their homes and on their block - not only during this heat wave, but throughout the summer.  Trees planted within the last four years are the most at risk.  Residents are advised that the best practice is to apply at least 12 to 20 litres of water (five to 10 minutes with a slow running hose or a couple of watering cans full) two to three times per week over the roots. Regional water restrictions do not apply to trees and shrubs. In the past four years, the Park Board has planted more than 11,000 trees on our streets. It is estimated that the 137,000 trees currently found on Vancouver's streets are valued at more than $500 million.

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United Kingdom

A new free running park opens in Leicester

www.thisisleicestershire.co.uk   www.leicesterparkour.co.uk
A free running group, Leicester Parkour, founded in 2007, applied for city council funding of £40,000 and helped design a new park in Eyres Monsell, Leicester, dedicated to their sport.  The park has specially designed walls and bars to allow the high-octane flips and jumps that are an essential component of parkour, a form of urban acrobatics that involves jumping off and bouncing between urban structures. This is the first purpose-built park outside London and is a way of allowing young people to participate in this activity in a safe environment.  Free running in public streets is often seen as anti-social and can be dangerous.  The official opening on 24 July featured an afternoon of activities including demonstrations by the Leicester Parkour group, who will in future be running weekly coaching sessions for people new to the sport.

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Europe

New European Red List highlights threatened species

www.ec.europa.eu
The IUCN Species Red Lists are known throughout the world, but, until recently, no single overarching regional assessment had ever been made at a pan- European or EU level. In light of this, the European Commission contracted IUCN to carry out just such an assessment for Europe as a whole (ca 40 countries) and for the 27 EU countries in particular. The resulting European Red List is a review of the conservation status of around 6,000 European species in selected categories ranging from mammals to molluscs. Underway since 2005, this mammoth task involves hundreds of experts from 40 countries, all of whom are contributing their time and collective knowledge to ensuring the reliability of the assessments. For every species native to Europe, or naturalised before 1500AD, available data was collected on its geographic range, population, habitat preferences, major threats, conservation measures and species utilization. Depending on the results, they were then placed in one of nine possible categories ranging from Extinct to Least Concern. Species classified as Vulnerable, Endangered and Critically Endangered are considered to be ‘Threatened’.  The results so far confirm that the EU will not meet its target of halting the loss of biodiversity by 2010. Around 14–23% of all European mammals, amphibians, reptiles, dragonflies and saproxylic beetles are threatened within the EU. The assessment also shows that over half of Europe’s amphibians, and a third of all reptiles and butterflies have declining populations. The results are all the more worrying when one considers that many of the Threatened species are endemic to Europe and found nowhere else in the world.

There are however some glimmers of hope, however. Over half of the dragonflies, for instance, are thought to have stable populations. Large-scale land conversion, canalisation of rivers and water pollution were the main causes of their decline in Western Europe in the 1960s– 80s, when several species became extinct over large areas. Since then, improved water management and decreasing eutrophication has had a positive impact on dragonfly populations, and many of the species dependent on running water have made a surprisingly fast recovery. But this trend is not universal; in the Mediterranean dragonfly species are still rapidly declining.  A handful of species have also increased in population, such as the Majorcan midwife toad Alytes muletensis.

The Threatened status developed under the European Red List provides an important snapshot of the situation based on information available at the time. As such, it serves as a useful complement to the assessments carried out under the Habitats Directive as regards species’ Favourable Conservation Status.

The Red Lists and the accompanying species fact sheets provide an invaluable resource for conservationists, policymakers and environmental planners throughout the region. They also set a European baseline against which change may be measured in years to come and upon which to build informed conservation policies and actions. By making the data widely available, it should also encourage further research and a better, more systematic monitoring of the species in the future. Six European Red List reports are now available for mammals, reptiles, amphibians, dragonflies, butterflies and saproxylic beetles. A further three reports will be published next year on freshwater fish, molluscs and vascular plants. For more information go to: http://ec.europa.eu/ environment/nature/ conservation/species/redlist/ index_en.htm 

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U.S.A.

Parks association gets government funding to promote healthy lifestyles

www.nrpa.org   www.hhs.gov 
The National Recreation and Park Association (NRPA) has been awarded $1.1 million by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) as part of the HHS Communities Putting Prevention to Work (CPPW) initiative, a comprehensive prevention and wellness initiative funded under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009.  NRPA is one of 10 national non-profit organizations competitively selected to support public health efforts to reduce tobacco use and reduce obesity through increased physical activity and improved nutrition.

NRPA’s award will support activities over a 24-month period that will promote policies, systems and environmental change strategies to advance the nation’s efforts to prevent chronic diseases and related risk factors. NRPA will work in partnership with local communities to provide expert guidance and implement strategies that positively impact policies, systems and environments. NRPA’s activities have long included health and wellness programs that support its organizational mission. CPPW reflects HHS' broader commitment to helping prevent disease before it starts.

The program has five distinct initiatives: a community initiative, a states and territories change initiative, a states chronic disease self-management initiative, the national organizations initiative and a supporting media campaign.

In addition to NRPA, the CPPW awardees include the American Academy of Pediatrics, the American Heart Association, the American Lung Association, the Association of American Indian Physicians, BlazeSports America, the Community Food Security Coalition, the National Association of Latino Elected and Appointed Officials Educational Fund, the Sesame Workshop and the Society for Public Health Education.  CPPW grant recipients will provide expert guidance to community leaders, help sustain prevention efforts when Recovery Act funding ends, and foster a national movement toward prevention by implementing key practices across their networks and systems. The selected national organizations will also help communities implement prevention policies that will enable residents to live longer, healthier lives.

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United Kingdom

Spread of toxic caterpillars could create “no go” areas in parks

www.bbc.co.uk  
An invasive moth, which damages oak trees, could pose a significant health risk to people, experts are warning.  The caterpillar of the oak processionary moth has around 62,000 toxic hairs. These can be blown into contact with people, causing skin rashes, itchy eyes and triggering asthma attacks.  Symptoms can be treated with antihistamines or skin treatments available from local pharmacies.  The Forestry Commission is trying to get rid of the pest, which has been in the UK since 2006.  It is thought that the moths were brought into the UK on trees imported from the continent for a landscape project. This year, ten trees have been affected at the Royal Botanic Gardens at Kew in south-west London. Last year the situation was much worse when 800 nests had to be destroyed in 400-500 oak trees at Kew.

Experts at Kew have discovered that spraying the caterpillars with insecticide before they produce their poisonous hairs is the best way to tackle the problem.  This means spraying the affected trees early in May.  Nigel Taylor, head of horticulture at Kew Gardens, said: "If we allow the pest to spread without intervening then there would eventually be no-go areas in some parks and gardens."

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Job Search

The Ifpra International Job Search website has been launched and go to http://internationaljobsearch.org/ for details of the first Posts to be advertised on the site.

Corporate Members of Ifpra are able to advertise vacant Posts on the website free of charge.  To advertise, contact Ifpra Headquarters.

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Ifpra World Congress Hong Kong 15-18 November

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EVENTS DIARY

2010  August 22-27
28th International Horticultural Congress - IHC2010, Lisbon (Portugal)
Theme: Science and Horticulture for People
Info: Prof. Dr. António A. Monteiro, Instituto Superior de Agronomia, Technical University of Lisbon, Tapada da Ajuda, 1349-017 Lisboa, Portugal. Phone: (351)213653451, Fax: (351)213623262, E-mail: amonteiro@isa.utl.pt or Dr. Víctor Galán Saúco, Inst. Canario de Inv. Agrar., I.C.I.A., Apartado 60, 38200 La Laguna, Tenerife, Spain. Phone: (34)922476321, Fax: (34)922476303, E-mail: vgalan@icia.es E-mail symposium: info@ihc2010.org Web: www.ihc2010.org

2010, November
Ifpra World Congress:  Quality Services – ‘Parks, Recreation and Tourism'
Hong Kong www.ifpraasiapacific.org/ifpra_world_congress_2010.htm

2010, November 1-3
International Skyrise Greenery Conference
Singapore   www.skyrisegreeneryconference.com

2010, November 4-8
LivCom Finals, Chicago, USA.  www.livcomawards.com, info@livcomawards.com

2010, November 17-19
Institute of Local Government Management (iLGM) National Conference
Durban, South Africa
Theme: The LG Turnaround Strategy – Key Challenges
www.ilgm.co.zaContact: marlindi@vdw.co.za

2011 May 31
Closing date for registration in 2011 International Awards for Liveable Communities.
www.livcomawards.com, info@livcomawards.com 
Tel/Fax:  +44 (0) 118 946 1680

2011

International Federation of Landscape Architects World Congress

Switzerland
Contact Chistine Bavassa on efla.exsec@gmail.com

2011 July 24-30

XVIII International Botanical Congress

Melbourne Australia
www.anbg.gov.au/cpbr/ibc-2011/

2011, September 18-21
Ifpra Asia Pacific Congress
Fremantle, Western Australia

2011, October 27-31
Finals of 2011 International Awards for Liveable Communities, Songpa-gu, South Korea.
www.livcomawards.com, info@livcomawards.com, Tel/Fax +44 (0) 118 946 1680

2012

International Federation of Landscape Architects World Congress

South Africa
Contact Chistine Bavassa on efla.exsec@gmail.com

2012, Apr-Oct

Floriade:  Be part of the theatre in nature – get closer to the quality of life

GreenPark Venlo, Netherlands
www.floriade.com/

2012, October, 12-18
16th Convention of the Word Federation of Rose Societies (WFRS)
Sandton, South Africa
www.worldrose.org

2013, April 20-October 20
International Garden Expo Suncheon
Suncheon City, South Korea
www.2103expo.or.kr
Contact Na Ok Hyeon (The International Cooperation Manager of the Garden Expo Team) on mono1968@korea.kr

2014, August 17-24
29th International Horticultural Congress
Horticulture-sustaining lives, livelihoods and landscapes
Brisbane, Australia
Contact Dr Russ Stephenson, Australia, on Russ.Stephenson@deedi.qld.gov.au
or Jill Stanley, New Zealand on JStanley@hortresearch.co.nz

2015, June 3-9
17th Convention of the Word Federation of Rose Societies (WFRS)
Lyon, France
www.worldrose.org

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