Ifpra world e-news
Newsletter Issue 24 – December 2008
Here is your newsletter for December. Items for inclusion in the January
edition need to be e-mailed to me at ifpraworldnews@aol.com by no later than
23 December. Please also use this opportunity to promote events that may be
of interest to other members. The newsletter has now completed its second
full year of production and as always, I look forward to hearing from you.
Editor
International
Prophet IAM Ltd seeks project manager
Prophet IAM Ltd is seeking a project manager to join its
industry leading, innovative, and award winning parks and
recreation team. As well as managing and working on a range of
planning and operational projects, the Project Manager will also
assist with the successfully delivery of the Yardstick
projects. A background in recreation facility or parks
management would be most suitable, although a recreation
planning background will also be considered. Remuneration,
flexible working arrangements and location to be negotiated with
successful person. Job description and person specification
available from chris@prophetiam.com
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U.K.
Green spaces close health gap
www.gla.ac.uk
Researchers from the University of Glasgow in Scotland have
found that the health gap between the rich and poor is much
lower in areas with the greenest environments. The findings
were published a Special Issue of The Lancet. The research was
led by Dr Richard Mitchell from the University’s Department of
Public Health and Health Policy. Studies have shown that
exposure to ‘green space’ - such as parks, forests and playing
fields - has an independent beneficial effect on health and
health-related behaviours. The authors proposed that
income-related inequality in health would be lower in
populations with greater exposure to green space, since access
to such areas can affect the pathways through which low
socio-economic position can lead to disease. Dr Mitchell said:
“Green spaces can provide what is called ‘restoration’ for
people. We know that undertaking activities in these areas can
reduce blood pressure.”
The researchers assessed the population of England who were
younger than retirement age, almost 41 million, and obtained
individual mortality records for 366348 people to establish
whether the association between income deprivation, and death
rates from all-causes, and from circulatory disease, lung
cancer, and intentional self-harm, varied according to exposure
to green space. Their study covered deaths in the period
2001-2005.
When looking at all deaths, the authors found that in the
most green areas the health gap between the richest and poorest
people was about half as big as that in the least green areas
(incident rate ratio/IRR* = 1.93 in the least green, 1.43 in the
most green). When looking at deaths from circulatory disease,
the difference in the health gap was even bigger (IRR = 2.19 in
the least green areas, 1.54 in the most green). There was no
effect for causes of death unlikely to be affected by green
space, such as lung cancer and intentional self-harm.
In the report, the authors conclude: “The implications of
this study are clear: environments that promote good health
might be crucial in the fight to reduce health inequalities.” Dr
Mitchell added: “Not everyone has equal access to green spaces,
but when people do have access they tend to use them, regardless
of what part of the social spectrum they are from. This has a
direct impact on their health. Obviously, resources must still
be ploughed into trying to narrow the inequality gap between
rich and poor, and with that will come advances in the
population’s general health. However, we would encourage the
Government to consider carefully what their policy on green
spaces is and to bear this research in mind when planning urban
areas for the future. A final point to consider is that separate
studies have shown that children whose parents take them to
green spaces, like woodlands and parks, are more likely to
replicate that behaviour with their own children, leading to the
healthy lifestyle being passed from generation to generation.”
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Hong Kong
Free exhibition to introduce the
wonderful world of plants
www.lcsd.gov.hk
To arouse public interest in horticulture and to enhance
awareness of greening, on 22nd and 23rd November the Leisure and
Cultural Services Department organised a horticulture education
exhibition entitled "The Wonderful World of Plants" which was
staged in the Arcade of Kowloon Park. Admission was free.
Exhibits were chosen to demonstrate the wide diversity of forms
and characteristics adopted by plants for survival in a wide
range of habitats, flowering plants displaying the most obvious
traits. Descriptive display panels enabled members of the public
to learn more about the classification of plants. Fringe
activities included games stalls and plant decoration workshops
and visitors could participate in pot planting under the
guidance of horticulture instructors. Talks in Cantonese
entitled "Introduction to Edible Fragrant Herbs" and "Chinese
Herbal Medicine – Medicinal Herbal Tea" were held in the Kowloon
Park Sports Centre.
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U.S.A.
Contraception could be used to
control wildlife populations
http://www.zoomontana.org/conservation_center/index.html
An article in the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette highlights the growing
problem of deer in urban areas where they do extensive damage to
parks and gardens and are impossible to control through hunting
because of safety issues. It was reported that the city of
Pittsburgh and nearby municipalities were struggling with the
problem and the few that were taking action operated
independently, solutions being specific to each area's
geography, habitat, population, deer density and political and
cultural willingness to take action. Culling in urban areas,
where many people feed the animals, is always going to receive a
mixed reaction and legislation to ban feeding can be difficult
to enforce. There appears to be no official co-ordinated plan in
place to curb the exploding deer population.
One solution has been put forward by the Science and
Conservation Centre, a non-profit organisation that was formed
with the objective of controlling wildlife populations by means
of fertility control. The Center claims to conduct quality
control testing for a novel wildlife contraceptive vaccine. It
distributes the vaccine and is the repository for records and
data required by the appropriate regulatory agencies (FDA and
EPA). The Center receives many inquiries from around the world
regarding wildlife contraception. These inquiries relate to many
different species, diverse problems, and a variety of
settings. The Science and Conservation Center has published an
overview on its website with the intention of providing a
realistic picture of the potential of wildlife fertility
control.
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U.K.
Country Park proposed as buffer zone
www.ely.org.uk
A country park could be built on the outskirts of Ely to protect
the countryside from the hundreds of new homes springing up in
the city of Ely every year. Ely is the third smallest city in
England and it originated as an area of higher ground forming an
island on the low lying fenlands. Plans for the park, which will
include a wildlife reserve, were revealed as part of an
environmental capacity study for Ely. Although the study is not
technically a planning document, it will play a major role in
future developments in the city. Philip Lewis, chairman of East
Cambridgeshire District Council's Strategic Development
Committee, said it was a "significant" work. This comes at a
time when the city is under pressure to build more houses and
the document warns against over-development in the north east of
Ely. Instead, it suggests the development of a country park to
create a "fen island" landscape. The study also proposes the
introduction of a wetland reserve to help provide a clear
barrier between Ely and the surrounding countryside. The study
has been received by the East Cambridge District Council's
Strategic Development Committee and adopted as supplementary
planning guidance.
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U.S.A.
Ephemeral art in the park
www.city.vancouver.bc.ca
On 28 November, the first phase of the Stanley Park
Environmental Art Project was installed in the park. This
project was organised by the Vancouver Park Board in
collaboration with the Stanley Park Ecology Society and the
Community Arts Council of Vancouver. Four artists/artist teams
produced five works to be displayed in various locations in
Stanley Park. The ephemeral works are designed to be temporary
with a lifespan between a few months and up to a year or two. A
map and self-guided walking tour are available on the project
website at www.vancouver.ca/spea. The Stanley Park Environmental
Art Project was developed in response to the overwhelming public
reaction to the impact of the windstorms of 2006. A program of
discussions and hands-on workshops will create opportunities for
everyone to engage with nature through art beginning in January.
The second phase of the project will see four new semi-permanent
artworks installed by the summer of 2009.
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Canada
New organisation proposed to reconnect
children with nature
http://www.thespec.com/News/Local/article/471399
An article by Eric McGuinness in the Hamilton Spectator suggests
that Ontario may soon have an organization devoted to
reconnecting kids with nature. A weekend Back to Nature
conference inside a concrete-walled auditorium at the Royal
Botanical Gardens Centre resulted in a plan to bring together
parks, recreation, health, education, church and environmental
groups to promote the benefits of getting children outdoors to
play and learn. Barb McKean, head of education at the RBG, says
there's ample evidence that spending time in a natural
environment results in "healthier, happier, more resilient kids
with less depression, anxiety disorders and ADHD (attention
deficit hyperactivity disorder)." Cheryl Charles, president and
CEO of the U.S.-based Children & Nature Network (childrenandnature.org),
said: "There are so many benefits to children's health and
well-being in having experience with nature in their everyday
lives. It increases their creativity, self-esteem and ability to
solve problems. It's not enough to play on soccer fields and
asphalt." It is proposed that some of the 35 to 40 conference
participants will get together early in the New Year to map the
next steps in a co-ordinated movement to reconnect children and
nature.
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Europe
Eight cities in finals for European Green
Capital
www.ec.europa.eu/environment/europeangreencapital
The evaluation panel has shortlisted eight out of 35 European
cities to support their applications for the title as European
Green Capital 2010 and 2011. The short listed cities are as
follows:-
- Amsterdam, Netherlands
- Bristol, United Kingdom
- Copenhagen, Denmark
- Freiburg, Germany
- Hamburg, Germany
- Münster, Germany
- Oslo, Norway
- Stockholm, Sweden
Since 1 October, the evaluation panel, set up by the European
Commission to examine applications, has worked hard to match
cities with the competition selection criteria. In their
applications, each city was asked to provide information on ten
indicator areas with regards to their present environmental
status and results, what they were doing to improve the urban
living conditions, their future initiatives and dissemination
plans. When the evaluation panel has assessed the eight
shortlisted cities over the course of the second evaluation
round, it will present its recommendations to the jury, which
will then take the final decision. The announcement of the first
two European Green Capitals for 2010 and 2011 will be made at a
ceremony planned for early 2009.
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Australia
Botanic Gardens combat climate change
www.anbg.gov.au
Australia’s eight capital city botanic gardens have released a
national strategy to adapt to climate change at a meeting in
Sydney of regional and state botanic gardens. The national plan
has been endorsed by federal, state and territory environment
ministers. “Australia’s botanic gardens are among the first in
the world to develop a national approach to climate change,”
claims the Federal Environment Minister Peter Garrett. The
national climate change strategy includes:
Prioritising and coordinating a seed bank collection – an
enduring safety net for plant genetic resources and an
investment against species loss.
A coordinated national education campaign for the 13.4 million
visitors a year.
To download The National Strategy and Action Plan for the
Role of Australia’s Botanic
Gardens in Adapting to Climate Change visit
www.anbg.gov.au/anbg/botclimate
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United Arab Emirates
Entry to public parks to be free for women
and children
www.khaleejtimes.com
A news item in the Khaleej Times suggests that changes are about
to take place in the upkeep and running of parks and gardens in
the Garden City of Al Ain. To start with, free entry for women
and children to the seventy-one parks and gardens spread out
across the city has been announced by the municipality. A study
is in hand to privatise the administration.
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U.S.A.
A park district with an amazing programme for
the holiday season
www.millcreekmetroparks.com/calendar.htm
Mill Creek Park in the Youngstown Park District, Ohio, was
established in 1891 The Park District serves the Mahoning County
residents, and welcomes visitors from across the nation and
around the world. The Mill Creek Metropolitan Park District
offers an amazing programme of events to get people into the
parks over the winter holiday period to enjoy the miles of
trails, rare collections within the gardens and extensive areas
of meadowland, natural woodland and water. Organised events
include all manner of social events with floral displays, music
and lighting. There are opportunities to participate in creative
crafts or for the more active to take part in exercise sessions
and t’ai chi. There is yoga for those of a contemplative nature
and the children are not forgotten with story and nature
sessions.
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U.K.
Londoners invited to vote to decide which parks get cash boost
www.london.gov.uk
The Mayor of London, Boris Johnson, has launched a scheme to
makeover ten of London’s parks and Londoners are being given the
chance to vote to decide which ones will get a £400,000 cash
boost. The Mayor made a commitment that efficiency savings from
the previous administration’s publicity budget would be spent on
improving the capital’s green areas.
Forty-seven of London’s parks, with at least one in every
borough, have been selected as candidates for a cash boost to
make them safer and more enjoyable. The £6 million funding will
transform ten of these parks across London over the next four
years through grants of up to £400,000 each. The Mayor is
calling on Londoners to vote to make sure their chosen park is
one of the winners. As part of this the Mayor will also award a
single grant of up to £2 million to one large park for a
makeover. This grant will be decided by the Mayor rather than by
public vote, with advice from a panel of experts.
The winning parks will be improved in a variety of ways,
ranging from better footpaths and more lighting for safety, to
providing new playgrounds and facilities for children. Others
will open new cafes, refurbish derelict public toilets and
improve cycle routes. Many will see traditional flower gardens
restored, new wildlife habitats created, and plots provided for
communities to grow fruit and vegetables. Voting closes on
Friday 30th January 2009.
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International
2008 LivCom Awards Announced
www.livcomawards.com
The Final stages of the 2008 LivCom Awards were held in November
in the City of Dongguan, China. Once again, innovative Best
Practice was on display, but when the Awards were presented, the
night belonged to New Plymouth, New Zealand, winners of First
Place in the 20,000 – 75,000 Population Category, First Place in
the Natural Section of the Environmentally Sustainable Projects
Awards and the Community Sustainability Criterion Award. New
Plymouth are pictured here receiving one of their awards. The
LivCom Awards recognise and honour entrepreneurs engaged in
confronting the world’s most pressing local environmental
challenges. Following the Interim Judging Stage the Judges
invited over 50 communities to participate in the Finals. Each
of these communities demonstrated Best Practice in dealing with
issues such as pollution, use of alternative fuel sources,
conservation, healthy lifestyles and other major
issues. Communities are allocated to five population categories
and the Finalists ranged from Ogema in Canada with a population
of 320 to Johannesburg in South Africa with a population of 4.2
million. The applications for the LivCom Bursary Award produced
a change in direction from previous years. Whilst there were
many applications based on the provision of a facility, there
were a significant number based on social issues relevant to
LivCom, particularly healthy Lifestyles. The full results of the
LivCom Awards 2008 can be found on the website,
www.livcomawards.com
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2008 Dec 7-11
Vth International Symposium on Horticultural Research
Training and Extension
Pang Suan Kaew Hotel, Chiang Mai, Thailand
www.ishs.org/wri/pap1.htm
2009, May 31
International Awards for Liveable Communities
Closing date for Registrations
www.livcomawards.com Contact:
info@livcomawards.com
2009, June 15-17
2009 Ifpra European Congress – Modern Society: Balance with
Nature –
Mikkeli, Finland
Contact: Viljo Muuronen on viljo.muuronen@mikkeli.fi
www.ifpraeuropemikkeli.com/fi/sisalto/
2009, Sept 19 – Nov 23
Hamamatsu International Mosaiculture: An Exposition of
Horticultural Art
Hamamatsu, Japan
mih2009.com/english/index.html
2009, October
International Federation of Landscape Architects World
Congress
Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
Contact Chistine Bavassa on
efla.exsec@gmail.com
2010
International Federation of Landscape Architects World
Congress
Suxiu, China
Contact Chistine Bavassa on efla.exsec@gmail.com
2010, November
Ifpra World Congress: Quality Services – ‘Parks, Recreation and
Tourism'
Hong Kong
www.ifpraasiapacific.org/ifpra_world_congress_2010.htm
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/
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/
2013
International Federation of Landscape Architects World
Congress
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