Mansley Serviced Apartments’ Post

🌳Presentation to Bushwalking Victoria in support of the Great Forest National Park🌳 Over the weekend of 11-13 October 2024, 330 bushwalkers from Bushwalking Victoria and affiliated clubs met at Wilsons Promontory National Park to commemorate the 90th anniversary of organised bushwalking in Victoria. I had the absolute pleasure of presenting at the event, and spoke about the vital importance of National parks for regional economies, mental and physical health, and biodiversity conservation – in support of the Great Forest National Park in the Central Highlands of Victoria. I also spoke about some misleading claims that have recently been made about the proposed Great Forest National Park. Some contend that this park will restrict access for families, and outdoor enthusiasts, and constrict economic potential. 🌟 Nothing could be further from the truth 🌟 As I have spent decades working in and researching the forests of the Great Forest National Park, I shared the true vision of the Great Forest National Park. It is not solely about conservation—although crucial—it is also a park for people, families, and visitors from abroad. Zoning can be utilised within National parks to provide all types of users the access they desire with appropriate infrastructure. It’s a place where we can all celebrate one of the most spectacular forests on Earth – the critically-endangered Mountain Ash Forest! 💵 The Great Forest National Park would not only be crucial for the conservation of species and for prevention of extinctions, especially in the face of climate change, but it would operate as an exceptionally powerful economic driver for the local economy. Economic evaluations show that the creation of the Great Forest National Park would generate 750 new local jobs, attract 379,000 additional visitors, and contribute at least $40 million to the local economy annually. Parks Victoria reports that there were nearly 55 million visits to Victorian parks last year alone. This increase is of no surprise, considering that Melbourne's greater area population has grown by 1.5 million people since 2001 (more than the current population of Adelaide), with more people seeking access to nature. There is an urgent need for secure funding to ensure that parks continue to provide these invaluable benefits. It also underscores the potential value of the green bond program and other investments into National parks. ⭐ The Great Forest National Park provides a significant opportunity for the Central Highlands of Victoria. I encourage open collaboration to ensure these incredible forests are not just protected and enjoyed for all users, but are also economically profitable in the form of expanded eco-tourism. Visit: https://lnkd.in/gssiGnMg Watch: https://lnkd.in/gS4NnYBh #GreatForestNationalPark #GFNP #Ecology #Conservation #Biodiversity #Ecotourism #BushwalkingVictoria #Bushwalking #Victoria #Melbourne #Australia

🌿 Enhancing our urban environments: the vital role of wetland maintenance 🌿 How’s this for a spot to spend an afternoon? Our fabulous land management team is out and about on the Surf Coast again this week maintaining constructed wetlands for Surf Coast Shire Council. Constructed wetlands are designed to mimic the natural processes of a wetland to manage stormwater runoff from our urban environments. By maintaining wetlands, we can improve water quality, support biodiversity, and create resilient urban landscapes. They also provide a beautiful place to kick off the working week 😊. The Barwon Asset Solutions land management team regularly monitor and maintain these spaces, keeping an eye on water levels, vegetation health and sediment, removing weeds and litter and keeping these areas tidy for the enjoyment of our local communities. By prioritising wetland maintenance, we can ensure that our urban landscapes remain vibrant, resilient, and sustainable. 🌏💧 Barwon Water #wetlands #biodiversity #WSUD #Torquay

📚The 3+30+300 Rule - Does Your Home Or Office Pass The Test? This simple measure, originally devised in Europe and now gaining traction around the world, sets the minimum standard required to experience the health benefits of nature in cities. Thami Croeser from RMIT Centre for Urban Research and his research team put 2.5 million buildings in 8 global cities to the 30+30+30 test: #Melbourne, #Sydney, #NewYork, #Denver, #Seattle, #BuenosAires, #Amsterdam and #Singapore. The results? ✅Many buildings were found to have line of sight to 3 trees ✅Many had access to parks within 300m ❌Most were not in an area with canopy cover shading at least 30% of the surrounding neighborhood. The study warns: better canopy cover is urgently needed to cool our cities in the face of climate change.🌍 👉 What can we do to improve canopy cover and make our cities greener? Share your thoughts below. #urbanization #urbandesign #urbanplanning #climateaction #greeninfrastructure #trees #stratavault

The 3 + 30 + 300 rule is a cute way to cover the very serious topic of urban heat exposure. Can you see three trees from your building? Is there at least 30% tree canopy in your surrounding neighborhood? And can you find a park within 300 m at the building? Here is the paper if anyone wants to see why they chose these exact numbers: https://lnkd.in/er3sHN_a

Please feel free to share your thoughts on Clear Lake State Park General Plan!

The Central Park Conservancy, New York City Department of Transportation, and NYC Department of Parks & Recreation have released the Central Park Drives Safety and Circulation Study, a report outlining 14 community-informed recommendations to improve safety and mobility on the Drives, the 6-mile loop road inside the Park. We were honored to support planning, design, and outreach as part of this landmark effort. https://lnkd.in/edB2nKGG #safety #mobility #parks #PublicSpace #transportation

Mobility in Central Park has evolved significantly since its opening in 1858 — from horses and carriages to bicycles, motor vehicles, and ultimately the ban on personal vehicles in 2018. Now, we once again are reimagining the future of movement within one of the world's most beloved urban parks. Plans are underway to update Central Park's iconic Drives, which still largely resemble traditional roadways, to better serve the needs of today’s diverse park users. I am honored to have worked on and excited to announce the release of the Central Park Drives Safety and Circulation report. Take a look at our study and recommendations in the link below. Thank you to the team Mike Flynn, Lian Farhi, and Colin Brown, AICP - among many others at TYLin | Sam Schwartz City Solutions, the Central Park Conservancy, NYC Department of Parks & Recreation, and New York City Department of Transportation.

Join our next webinar and hear how parks are preserving natural areas in their communities. These are critical nature based solutions to ensure communities are environmentally resilient and healthy! Learn from leaders in the field how they are advancing these efforts and how you can too.

The National Park Service has released "Stories of Partnership: Conservation and Outdoor Recreation Achievements in Indigenous Communities", a comprehensive storytelling publication: "In working with Tribes, NPS-RTCA helps identify what is important to community members through local engagement, events, meetings, and forums. Detailed discussions about elements that hold cultural and historical significance in the area take place during design charrettes, which are hands-on workshops where community members collaborate to establish a shared vision for their land. The visions are then flushed out in master plans which incorporate conservation principles, educational exhibits, sustainable design elements, and art that highlight the stories of each location and its people. These collaborative efforts are grounded in indigenous knowledge and wisdom borne of experience. Each project aims to support traditional Tribal customs, restore the environment, introduce stewardship, improve the health of local communities, and add impetus for economic prosperity." Read the full publication here:

Cities are an essential part of New Jersey’s vitality. Beyond being vibrant cultural and economic centers, they reduce sprawl and habitat conversion, and their residents have a lower carbon footprint—important positive contributions as we face climate challenges and species loss. But many cities also struggle with inadequate and aging infrastructure, traffic, industrial waste and short-sighted development that replaced habitat along rivers and other important green spaces with concrete. These factors worsen air and water pollution, heat and flooding, contributing to human health problems and putting a strain on plants and animals. Our mission to conserve the lands and waters on which all life depends includes addressing the conservation needs of people living urban areas and that's exactly what we're doing in two of New Jersey's largest cities to increase community resilience in the face of climate change. Here's how we're doing it: https://nature.ly/3ZOxo1S