Vancouver park index aims to improve mental health: UBC study

 Researchers map quality and accessibility of parks in Vancouver

By: Wanyee Li   Metro Published on Thu Sep 28 2017

   

More than four in five residents in the Lower Mainland live within 400 metres of a public park and that’s good for mental health in the region, according to a new UBC study.

Researchers already know that spending time in nature lowers stress and improves mood in the short term, but this study focuses on the benefits of long-term exposure to natural spaces. UBC PhD candidate Emily Ruger mapped out 200 parks in the Vancouver area and found that the majority of residents are a short walk away from a park.

“About 85 per cent of postal codes were within 400 metres of public green space. That’s really good,” she said.

Ruger, who studies at UBC's School of Population and Public Health, also ranked those green spaces according to accessibility, form, presence, and quality. She says the index will give policymakers detailed information about what is missing from parks that rank low. For the most part, entry fees and lack of playgrounds or sport fields will hurt a park’s performance in the index, she said.

"What they need to know is specifically how many trees, how far from a park, and what types of features at a park are linked to mental health benefits so they can work to provide those.” 

Ruger has completed the first step – the Normalized Difference Vegetation Index was recently published in the journal Environmental Research. Now, she is overlaying survey data from the Canadian Community Health Survey of Mental Health on top of the map.

The last step will be to overlay PharmaNet data on where anti-depressant and anti-anxiety medication is prescribed on the map as well.

Those two data sets will help Ruger see the detailed relationship between mental health and continued access to parks.  

Ruger is also working on creating an interactive version of the index where people can look up their postal code and see how the quality of parks in their neighbourhood compares.

So far, the index shows there is little difference between the Lower Mainland’s rich and poor neighbourhoods.

"I picked 100 parks from high-income neighbourhoods and 100 from low-income neighbourhoods and there wasn’t any significant difference, which is really nice to see,” she said.

“It’s something we should be proud of.”

(c) metronews.ca

Balloon ban not such a blowhard idea

Grant Lawrence — Westender 

 

 POP! There goes that idea. Last week, a proposed balloon ban for Vancouver parks and community centres was defeated by a vote of 5-2. Green commissioner Stuart Mackinnon was the man behind the motion. Mackinnon’s concern was environmental, citing health hazards for animals in the air, ocean and on land.

Before it was defeated, the motion blew up into a crazy amount of coverage, which resulted in parental outrage, tired cries of “No Fun City” and general mockery on social media and talk radio.
Balloon artists and birthday clowns took action, leading to a balloon animal-making protest outside of the Trout Lake Community Centre, as well as clowns showing up at the park board vote (which means it’s entirely possible that the motion was voted down because the park board was simply scared shitless.)

If you’ve read this column before, you probably won’t be too blown away to discover what side of the balloon battle I fall on. Put it this way: who are we to put our kids’ temporary enjoyment in the form of a damn balloon animal ahead of the potential death of an actual animal?

Look, you’re human, you’ve probably had a helium balloon get away on you. Chances are, your reaction was to watch the balloon climb to dizzying heights and then shrug it off. What can you do? But heads up, butterfingers, what goes up must come down, and chances are your balloon ended up either in a tree or the ocean.

According to Mackinnon, wherever deflated balloons land, they can be mistaken for food by birds, dolphins and other creatures, which means they can choke to death on your balloon. Remember that the next time your kid demands that Sponge Bob helium balloon: you could be killing a dolphin. Nice one.

Balloon clowns will argue (and really, who wants to get in an argument with a clown?) that many no longer use helium or Mylar (the shiny material used for most helium balloons). Instead, socially conscious clowns now favour biodegradable latex.

If you’ve ever taken a stroll down certain trails in Stanley Park, though, you’ll know that it takes a long time for latex to break down. That time gap is still a problem for animals. (Also, fair warning: what that person in the bushes is blowing is NOT a balloon animal!)

Another argument is that our city has bigger issues to deal with than park rangers chasing after kids with balloons; like, for instance, human health risks surrounding discarded needles in public spaces. Fair point, so deal with that, too.

And so the balloon ban motion has burst, but let’s hope the floataway from all of this inflated attention is public awareness: we are all now fully aware that those shiny, happy balloons are in fact an environmental menace. And that's no clowning around.

© 2017 Vancouver Westender

Helping the Burrard Inlet ecosystem: salt marsh in New Brighton Park already attracting juvenile salmon and rich marine life

Vancouver Park Board

Media advisory

Sept 21, 2017

A new tidal wetland in New Brighton Park in east Vancouver has been created to improve access to nature for park visitors, and provide habitat for fish, birds and other wildlife. Salmon fry have already been swimming in the marsh.

The Vancouver Park Board and Port of Vancouver, in consultation with Musqueam, Squamish and Tsleil-Waututh Nations, have worked together on this unique project to improve the health of Burrard Inlet.

Native plants, including 25,000 salt marsh plugs, over 800 trees, and 3,500 shrubs have been planted in the newly constructed wetland. These will benefit a broad range of species such as songbirds, raptors, and native bees.

Media are invited to learn more at a celebration event hosted by the Port of Vancouver:

·         When: 11am Thursday  September 21, 2017

·         Where: New Brighton Park, 3201 New Brighton Road

·         Who: Park Board Chair Michael Wiebe, VP of Port Infrastructure Cliff Stewart, representatives

                    from Musqueam, Squamish and Tsleil-Wauthuth First Nations, invited guests

·         What: Celebration followed by media tour of salt marsh led by First Nations biologist

     

Parking available adjacent to the park on New Brighton Road or in the parking lot at the corner          of New Brighton Road and Commissioner Street*

Loss of tidal wetlands from Coal Harbour to Second Narrows has impacted fish and wildlife. The creation of a salt marsh is also part of the restoration of Hastings Creek through Hastings Park.

Salt marshes prevent coastal erosion and reduce flooding and act as nurseries and refuges for many species of marine animals, and protect water quality by filtering runoff.

 

The Park Board is working on similar biodiversity projects elsewhere such as restoring a historical stream through Volunteer and Tatlow parks on the city’s west side. Construction is expected to begin next summer.

These initiatives support the Park Board’s Biodiversity Strategy to improve ecosystems throughout the city.

Media contact:

604-754-8943

Balloon ban motion defeated by Vancouver Park Board

Majority felt the proposal, which received national attention, was too far reaching with not enough study

By Justin McElroy, CBC News Posted: Sep 19, 2017 5:56 AM PT

The Vancouver Park Board has deflated a proposal to ban balloons in all city parks.
In a 5-2 vote, commissioners rejected the motion, which had gained national attention since it was introduced last week.

Green Party Park Board Commissioner Stuart Mackinnon, who introduced the motion, said its most important effect would be to let people know the environmental hazards of balloons.

"We really need some education about this. Do people really understand the consequences of their actions when they have helium balloons, when you leave balloons in the park, when you have water balloons and they explode?" he said.

"Responsible people put their trash into buckets, but not everyone does that, and these are very serious consequences for our wildlife."

The Canadian Paediatric Society agreed in 2012 that balloons are the most common non-food item children choke on. Balloons have also been blamed for power outages in B.C. after they have become entangled in power lines, including a power outage for much of Granville Island during the Fringe Festival earlier this month.

But aside from Mackinnon and the other Green Party commissioner, the Park Board ultimately felt education was a better idea than prohibition.

"There is a general consensus that we do not want to use ranger time on this and I agree that nobody wants to be policing children and anything like that," said commissioner Catherine Evans.

Other board members expressed concern community centres and restaurants that operate on Park Board land hadn't been consulted, and that park rangers had better things to do with their time, including cleaning up used needles.

There was also an amendment to the motion so it would only apply to helium balloons, but that failed by a 4-3 margin.  ​

'I'm very surprised by the attention'

After the motion was revealed, it gained significant attention and provoked a protest by clowns — a development Mackinnon said caught him by surprise.

"I'm very surprised by the attention. I thought this would be a little motion, I would be labelled no fun Mackinnon, and we would move on," he said.

Despite the failed motion, he's heartened by the public debate it produced.

"I am pleased that we had this conversation," he said to commissioners, minutes before his motion failed.

But he predicted it wouldn't be the last time a balloon ban would come up at the park board table.

"We will have to change the way we act, whether it's now or later. The time is coming when our world is becoming filled with toxic things that are killing it.

"While the earth will go on forever, we may not."

(c) CBC 2017 

Vancouver Park Board floats balloon ban

Jessica Kerr / Vancouver Courier

September 13, 2017 03:49 PM

The Vancouver Park Board will next week entertain a motion that could deflate future festivities in city parks, community centres and beaches.

The motion, tabled by Green Party commissioner Stuart Mackinnon, asks the board to prohibit balloons in parks, community centres and other areas under the board’s jurisdiction.

It states that balloons, made of plastic and latex, are non-renewable and are increasingly found in landfills, on beaches, in waterways, oceans and other natural areas. It says deflated balloons pose a risk to animals, such as sea turtles, birds and dolphins, as they frequently misidentify deflated balloons as food, which can lead to stomach and intestinal blockages and eventual starvation.

It also cites a study by the Children’s Hospital of Pittsburgh and the DuPont Institute that found that balloons cause more childhood deaths that any other toy.

Mackinnon said it’s an issue he’s been considering for some time, but one event earlier this summer in particular solidified it for him. It was at the A-maze-ing Laughter statues in the West End. Several helium balloons had been tied to each of the figures and, he said, he saw children untying some of the balloons, which were then flying off over English Bay.

 “What we need is some good education here,” he said, adding that’s the purpose of his motion.
 “I love balloons myself,” he said, acknowledging that they are fun, inexpensive and easy to acquire.
“We just don’t think about what happens to them.”

Mackinnon said what was a fairly minor motion has garnered a lot of attention. After the agenda was made public, he was inundated with calls, emails and messages on social media — most of it positive.

The motion will be considered at Monday’s meeting.

@JessicaEKerr
jkerr@vancourier.com

© 2017 Vancouver Courier

Park Board’s fall tree sale up and running

Vancouver Park Board

News Release
August 30, 2017

Restoring Vancouver’s urban forest one $10 tree at a time

 

The Vancouver Park Board kicked off its annual fall tree sale today with 1,500 trees available online for $10 apiece.

 

The Park Board’s tree sales are a key part of its effort to restore Vancouver’s tree canopy which has seen a steady decline since the 1990’s. Since its first tree sale in 2015, the Park Board has sold more than 9,000 discounted trees to Vancouver residents.

 

“We need residents to help us grow the urban forest or we will continue to lose our forest canopy. This fall we’re also selling potted trees for balconies so apartment dwellers can help support Vancouver’s biodiversity.” said Park Board Chair Michael Wiebe.

 

Given that more than 60 percent of Vancouverites live in apartments, the Park Board is now including seven varieties of trees in the sale that live well in pots and are suitable for balconies as well as yards. The majority of the balcony species are flowering—always a strong seller.

 

The last canopy cover study in 2013 showed about 18 percent of Vancouver was covered by tree canopy, a drop from 22 percent in 1995. Canopy is the amount of ground covered by tree leaves as seen from the air. The Park Board will take a new canopy cover measurement in 2018.

 

Trees are crucial for filtering rain water, cleaning the air and supporting our well-being, all key goals of the Park Board’s Urban Forest Strategy.

 

Trees are only available to Vancouver residents and can be purchased at vancouver.ca/tree-sale with a maximum of three per household. Tree pick up is on Sept 17 from 9 am to 4 pm at Hillcrest Centre. A limited number of trees, including some selected varieties from the Park Board’s tree farm, will also be available for cash purchase between 2 and 4 pm.

 

The Board and its partners aim to plant 17,500 trees this year toward the goal of 150,000 new trees by 2020. More than half the trees have been planted to meet this ambitious goal.

 

-30-

 

Media contact:

Vancouver Park Board

604-257-8440

When hate demands an answer

We toss around the word hate a lot in our common parlance. I hate Brussels Sprouts. He hates that band. She hates mornings. But those are really things we dislike, not hate. Hate is a powerful word and has real consequences when used as a threat or weapon. Hate speech and hate actions are on the rise throughout the world, and we here in Vancouver are not immune to this rise in intolerance. One definition of hate is 'denoting hostile actions motivated by intense dislike or prejudice', and it this kind of hate that has become more prevalent.

We sometimes use hateful expressions in conversations and toss derogatory words about without thinking. This laziness in our verbal expression can be very hurtful and lead to far worse consequences than simply offending someone. Hate crimes are on the rise everywhere. Fear seems to permeate all aspects of our daily lives.

Prejudice, a preconceived opinion that is not based on reason or actual experience, is commonly attribute to fear--fear of the unknown, or fear of change, and is a learnt attribute. Children are not inherently prejudiced. These attitudes of fear are passed on by the adults around them. But kindness, compassion and openness to differences can also be taught through education and experience.

The news has been filled with the recent events in Charlottesville, but what happened there is not new. Every day you can find news stories of crimes based on hate, prejudice, and intolerance.

This is why I was gratified to see more than 4 000 people come to a rally against hate in Vancouver on a weekend in August. I was there to show my support for understanding and my opposition to hate and hate groups. I was honoured to be asked to be a member of a group called 'Peace Bearers'. These good folks ensure a safe environment for all. They try to isolate and diffuse confrontations.

The rally was a peaceful demonstration, with many speakers. Hate mongers stayed away for the most part--perhaps daunted by the number of peaceful folks who showed up to say yes to love and no to hate.

It did my heart good to see so many people--young and old--come together to say with one voice that 'Hate is not a Canadian value'

'Thirsty' trees need help from residents, says Vancouver Park Board

 

Thousands of newly planted trees are at risk in prolonged hot, dry conditions

 

By Chad Pawson, CBCNews, Aug 28, 2017

 

The City of Vancouver and the Vancouver Park Board are asking residents to help keep alive younger trees in the city that may be suffering in the extended hot and dry conditions this summer.

 

"We're appealing to the public to give us a hand if they don't mind," said Howard Normann, the director of parks for the City of Vancouver.

 

A young City of Vancouver street tree, one of up to 2,500 that are planted each year, equipped with a special water bag. (Stephanie Mercier/CBC)

 

"If they see a tree in front of their home that needs a drink ... maybe spend a few minutes and use their hose and give it a bit of a soaking."

 

Leaves on trees turn brown and drop off as a defence mechanism by the plant to conserve water.

 

If residents are unable to directly water trees, they can report trees in distress by using the VanConnect app or by calling 311.

 

There are six watering trucks currently being double-shifted to get out to trees in distress.

 

Normann says around 4,000 special water bags have been attached to trees to help give long drinks. That's double the number from last year.

 

"The bags are refilled every two days," said Normann.

 

Vancouver has been in a tree-planting blitz as it tries to increase the city's canopy cover — the area covered by tree leaf canopies — from 18 to 22 per cent.

 

Tree math

• Vancouver park trees: 350,000.
• Vancouver city trees: 150,000.
• Number of new trees to be planted by 2020: 150,000.
• New street trees planted each year: 1,500 to 2,500.
• New park trees planted each year: 7,000.

 

Normann says, trees planted in the past four years are most susceptible to drought.

 

"[Newly planted trees] drink a lot of water. At least for the first three years, so those are the ones we're on top of right now," said Normann.

 

Still, he said if Vancouver faces consecutive dry summers, mature trees could soon be suffering too.

 

"At this point we've been very fortunate that trees tend to be doing OK, the big ones, but if this is an ongoing thing for several years it could be more problematic for us."

 

Vancouver has had zero rain in August so far. In July, only 1.8 millimetres fell according to Environment Canada.

 

(c) 2017 cbcnews