People from all ethnic backgrounds spend some of their leisure time in green areas. This study found that urban parks are more inclusive green places than non-urban green areas, and that urban parks can promote social cohesion. The objective of the research was to establish the extent to which urban parks facilitate social cohesion and how social interaction and place attachment can contribute to such cohesion. Quantitative research (a survey) and qualitative research (observations and interviews) carried out in five urban parks in the Netherlands revealed that there are many similarities in the ways that ethnic groups use urban parks and in the meanings of such parks to these groups. Urban parks are sites where different ethnic groups mingle and where informal and cursory interactions can stimulate social cohesion. Furthermore, being involved and concerned with parks can facilitate attachment to these places. Urban parks can provide a vital locality where everyday experiences are shared and negotiated with a variety of people. The design of a park, its location and people's image of the park in combination with the cultural characteristics of various ethnic groups inform the opportunities for intercultural interactions.

Social interactions in urban parks: stimulating social cohesion?

The authors document the collective thinking and dialogue among participants in a year-long dialogue sponsored by the National Forum on Higher Education for the Public Good, hosted at the University of Michigan-Ann Arbor.

Higher Education for the Public Good: Emerging Voices from a National Movement

Urban, peri-urban forests and other natural areas provide a wide range of material and non-material benefits to people known as ecosystem services. Access to these areas has been linked to benefits for physical and mental health of local populations. In the spring of 2020, the COVID-19 global pandemic forced many governments to impose a set of restrictions including the closure of businesses, cancelation of public events and schooling, social distancing, limitations on the size of social gatherings, and travel restrictions. During this period of restrictions, we conducted a study assessing the importance of urban and peri-urban forests and other natural areas to people living in and around the city of Burlington, Vermont, USA. We evaluated the self-reported use and changes in personal importance related to these natural areas before and during the period of restrictions. We received over 400 responses to our field survey. The results show that 69.0% of the respondents had increased or greatly increased their visitation rate to our natural areas and urban forests, and 80.6% of respondents considered that the importance of these areas, and access to them, either increased or greatly increased. Moreover 25.8% of the sample had either never, or very rarely accessed their local natural areas before the pandemic, but 69.2% of the first time or infrequent visitors reported that having access to these areas during COVID-19 as 'very important'. People reported that these areas were important for a wide range of activities from exercise to birding, but also reported values related to reducing stress in a time of global chaos. Our results indicate the increasing demand and value of such areas in times of crisis such as COVID-19. Experts in zoonotic disease predict the potential for more frequent pandemic events, thus predicating the importance for continued funding for, maintenance of, and improved access to, natural areas to our largely urban civilization.

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The importance of urban natural areas and urban ecosystem services during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Scientific research on ecosystem services and human well-being: A bibliometric analysis

The maturation of ecosystem services: Social and policy research expands, but whither biophysically informed valuation?

The COVID-19 pandemic has rapidly modified Earth's social-ecological systems in many ways; here we study its impacts on human-nature interactions. We conducted an online survey focused on peoples' relationships with the non-human world during the pandemic and received valid responses from 3,204 adult residents of the state of Vermont (U.S.A.). We analyzed reported changes in outdoor activities and the values associated with human-nature relationships across geographic areas and demographic characteristics. We find that participation increased on average for some activities (foraging, gardening, hiking, jogging, photography and other art, relaxing alone, walking, and watching wildlife), and decreased for others (camping, relaxing with others). The values respondents ranked as more important during the pandemic factored into two groups, which we label as "Nurture and Recreation values" and "Inspiration and Nourishment values." Using multinomial logistic regression, we found that respondents' preferences for changes in activity engagement and value factors are statistically associated with some demographic characteristics, including geography, gender, income, and employment status during the pandemic. Our results suggest that nature may play an important role in coping during times of crisis, but that the specific interactions and associated values that people perceive as most important may vary between populations. Our findings emphasize for both emergency and natural resources planning the importance of understanding variation in how and why people interact with and benefit from nature during crises.

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COVID-19 and human-nature relationships: Vermonters' activities in nature and associated nonmaterial values during the pandemic.

The growing field of research into cultural ecosystem services (CES) explores nonmaterial benefits that people receive from ecosystems. These studies have, however, largely overlooked refugee communities. To reduce this gap, we systematically review academic literature on refugee interactions with ecosystems to understand what cultural ecosystem services refugees may experience, and how these services affect their well-being. The results identify a broad range of CES that refugees experience, even though studies do not use CES terminology. Benefits include social relations, mental health, cultural heritage, education, recreation, identity, sense of place, aesthetic, spirituality, perspective, and existence value. Results also show that the majority of studies of refugee—ecosystem interactions occur in agricultural ecosystems. Findings suggest that interactions with ecosystems may ease the resettlement process and overall well-being, including mental health, in many ways. These findings enrich understanding of CES experienced by people of diverse (and in this case traumatic) backgrounds and provide practical implications for those who work in the field of refugee resettlement.

Cultural ecosystem services and the well-being of refugee communities

https://conbio.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10.1111/csp2.172

Factors that influence participation of Puerto Rican coffee farmers in conservation programs

Urban squares play an increasingly important role as spaces with green areas where residents can connect with nature and consume ecological amenities. Our research investigated user attitudes and preferences towards the presence, use and benefits of green infrastructure in Convalecencia Square, a main city square in San Juan, Puerto Rico with an unusual dual configuration and regulatory structure. Users were interviewed to assess preferences and attitudes towards vegetation and uses. A tripartite model that considered cognitive, affective and behavioral components was used to examine attitudes towards green areas, and choice experiment based methodology facilitated assessment of user preferences towards existing and hypothetical gray/green infrastructure configurations. Findings show that, with the exception of those expressing visions akin to those of the hygienic city imaginary, users show strong affective outlooks towards green infrastructure, placing emphasis on aesthetic components, and exhibiting a limited identification of cognitive components such as the role of ecosystem services. Education on green area ecosystem services could help bridge the gap between affective and cognitive components. Furthermore, gender differences on green infrastructure configuration choices point to the idea of exploring gender-differentiated green area conservation and development strategies.

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Green versus Gray: Attitudes toward Vegetation in a Tropical Metropolitan Square

The Ecosystem Services community needs to think carefully about how to develop and engage the next generation of leaders. Entering the field presents both challenges and rewards for early-career specialists (ECS). In this commentary, we provide recommendations for meaningful engagement of ECS in an effort to grow and broaden the value of ecosystem services as a framework for sustainability.

Tatiana M. Gladkikh

Papers

COVID-19 and human-nature relationships: Vermonters' activities in nature and associated nonmaterial values during the pandemic.

Cultural ecosystem services and the well-being of refugee communities

Factors that influence participation of Puerto Rican coffee farmers in conservation programs

Green versus Gray: Attitudes toward Vegetation in a Tropical Metropolitan Square

Meaningfully engaging the next generation of ecosystem services specialists