This blog post is part of an
assignment I did for a course on Valuing Nature. I chose a Central London park (UK) because
I think parks make a city more desirable and they can be undervalued yet
contribute to the well- being of people in many ways. Also, it has both wildlife and gardens within it and, unlike most other parks, has an interesting educational aspect to it to encourage children and adults to commune with nature and be confident in creating their own wildlife gardens at home.
Regent’s Park is one of the royal
parks and is situated in the Marylebone area which is well-known to be high in
air pollution, especially around Marylebone High Street and Baker Street. Air pollution is a
health risk and is said to cause various ailments including asthma. Therefore,
having a park within this area is invaluable because it is the lungs of the
district. In this way alone many people benefit be they residents, workers,
students, school children, visitors or tourists. The dense traffic in the area not
only causes air pollution but also noise pollution so it’s a beautiful peaceful
park to escape to and find some quiet.
There are many local attractions
in this part of London, for example, Madame Tussauds, The Statue of Sherlock
Holmes and a museum dedicated to him, as well as musical events at the nearby
Royal Academy of Music, to name but a few. Not only is the Royal Academy of
Music close by so is the University of Westminster (Marylebone campus) and the
London Business School. Regent’s University has the added benefit that it is
located within the grounds of the park itself. In addition, the attractive
Marylebone High Street has excellent shops, galleries, restaurants as well as
its own library, so this district attracts large numbers of people every day.
Within the park and immediate surrounding area is the famous London Zoo,
sporting facilities including The Regent’s Park Tennis Centre, boat hiring, and
The Hub, which gives people the opportunity to enjoy the outdoors as well as
engage in sports, such as lacrosse, cricket, football, softball, rugby. It also
offers a café to relax in afterwards! There are also several other café areas
and toilet facilities which means visitors can spend the whole day in the park
relaxing or being very active. There is plenty for everyone!
Ecologically, Regent’s Park has
great diversity. It has woodland, wetland, a bog garden, meadows, beautifully
designed gardens and trees, all of which support a huge ecosystem.
There is, therefore, a variety of plant life and animals. The park is known for its trees, some of which are very unusual. Trees are vital to the ecosystem since they support both plant and animal life and they clean the air by removing pollutants, absorbing CO2 and giving off oxygen, and reducing temperature, which is particularly important on very hot days. In addition, trees have healing properties and contribute to well-being, physically, mentally and emotionally. They also boost the economy since people value working and living near parks and tree lined areas. There is also a scheme at Regent’s Park which allows people to adopt a tree (or alternatively one can also adopt a rose, or an animal such as the hedgehog!) which I think is an awesome idea. I’d love to adopt a tree because I think trees are beautiful, majestic and I feel more relaxed, refreshed and healthy when I’m somewhere where there are many trees. I also have trees in my garden which I love observing to see how they change, grow and develop through the seasons.
There is, therefore, a variety of plant life and animals. The park is known for its trees, some of which are very unusual. Trees are vital to the ecosystem since they support both plant and animal life and they clean the air by removing pollutants, absorbing CO2 and giving off oxygen, and reducing temperature, which is particularly important on very hot days. In addition, trees have healing properties and contribute to well-being, physically, mentally and emotionally. They also boost the economy since people value working and living near parks and tree lined areas. There is also a scheme at Regent’s Park which allows people to adopt a tree (or alternatively one can also adopt a rose, or an animal such as the hedgehog!) which I think is an awesome idea. I’d love to adopt a tree because I think trees are beautiful, majestic and I feel more relaxed, refreshed and healthy when I’m somewhere where there are many trees. I also have trees in my garden which I love observing to see how they change, grow and develop through the seasons.
Of historic interest are The
Avenue Gardens which boast Victorian-style planting and Queen Mary’s Gardens,
named after George V’s wife, which has the largest collection of roses in
London, as well as other flowers. Queen Mary’s Gardens are a beautiful, very
relaxing, aromatic place to sit on a summer’s day and the rose scent is truly
an experience!
There are also various other statues eg Hylas and the Nymph statue;
fountains eg the amazing Triton Fountain and monuments eg The Jubilee Gates
marking the Silver Anniversary of King George V and the official opening of the
Queen Mary’s Gardens (1935).
Culturally, Regent’s Park has an
amazing open air theatre which I have been to and enjoyed immensely. One of my
past music teachers (a singer) performed there so I went to see the production
she was in. That was really exciting and prompted me to want to attend the
theatre there again. It’s a fun, social event for everyone during the summer
season. In early October, there is an exciting art fair in Regent’s Park that I
have been to and thoroughly enjoyed called Frieze London showcasing up and
coming as well as established artists. You can buy the art too.
Regent’s Park is also an
educational centre. It has an allotment garden which the public can access and
learn about how to grow food, including organic food. There are training
sessions for people to attend, ranging from connecting with nature to
composting and bee biology and many more. London schools are also offered
sessions on food growing and how to develop their own school garden.
A Community Wildlife Garden in the park encourages children to appreciate wildlife and create their own at home. (School children have produced artwork for the centre to be used a part of their information displays.) This, I think, is invaluable because children need to learn to be close to nature within their own home environment not just when visiting parks.
This is something I feel passionately about because given the state of the planet, the demise of many species, the cruelty to animals worldwide, the pollution of oceans, the death of coral reefs, and deforestation which destroys valuable resources and ecosystems as well as the lives of indigenous peoples, it’s more vital than ever that children learn to respect and value nature and animals.
A Community Wildlife Garden in the park encourages children to appreciate wildlife and create their own at home. (School children have produced artwork for the centre to be used a part of their information displays.) This, I think, is invaluable because children need to learn to be close to nature within their own home environment not just when visiting parks.
This is something I feel passionately about because given the state of the planet, the demise of many species, the cruelty to animals worldwide, the pollution of oceans, the death of coral reefs, and deforestation which destroys valuable resources and ecosystems as well as the lives of indigenous peoples, it’s more vital than ever that children learn to respect and value nature and animals.
It’s well-known that being close
to nature brings about mental and emotional well-being so this aspect of
Regent’s Park is just as valuable as the revenue it generates and the physical
well-being it promotes with its sporting facilities, allotments and food
growing training sessions, gardens, trees and open spaces to enjoy beautiful
walks.
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