Earth Day is a time to celebrate how Oakland’s parks are part of the solution, providing us and the planet with crucial greenspace and environmental benefits that make neighborhoods livable and resilient, while contributing to a sustainable planet. For example, Oakland’s parks protect wildlife, promote biodiversity, conserve natural resources, filter rainfall and runoff, improve water and air quality, diminish noise pollution and protect against flooding.
In our recent survey, Parks & Equity: The Promise of Oakland’s Parks, Oaklanders declared that how we care for parks is how we care for our planet, with 94% of over 1,100 participants – across race, income, neighborhood, and gender – agreeing that activated parks that are well-maintained, safe, accessible, used, and loved, are key to protecting and caring for the environment. Even recreation centers can play a vital role in a sustainable future, for example as models of clean and efficient water and energy consumption and nature education.
Oaklanders also recognize that parks make us resilient to the increasing impacts of climate change, with 88% of over 1,000 participants envisioning that Oakland parks’ greenspace and Recreation Centers should provide clean and cool air, flood protection, and assistance during climate-intensified heat waves, smoke days, floods, fires and also earthquakes. Support is even higher among those under 35, low income and East Oakland residents, signaling that Recreation Centers are really community centers and climate justice solutions can act through our parks!
Perhaps for these reasons, Oakland’s trees and verdant landscapes are cherished, with care for them scoring 4.3 out of 5 as a critical civic service and nearly half of participants wanting more and better green care in our neighborhood parks.
Many survey participants shared hope and vision for how city parks sustain the human need for nature:
“I wish we could do more permaculture practices in our parks to help keep the biodiversity.”
“Keep parks safe for wildlife too!”
“It would be nice to have nature programs.”
“[We need] an actual conservation plan for areas with locally rare species.”
“[Add] beautiful natural or art features – something that brings the visitor peace.”
Our parks have cared for us during the COVID-19 pandemic by supporting our health, wellness, sanity – and possibly helped save lives. This Earth Day, let’s give thanks to the planet through our parks. You can join us by keeping a look-out for our forthcoming sign-on letter supporting the City of Oakland to:
- Increase investment in parks;
- Expand access and hours of operation for our Recreation Centers and Oakland Parks, Recreation and Youth Development’s 5 Essential Programs;
- Faithfully implement Measure Q’s commitment to park maintenance;
- Elevate parks and Recreation Centers as climate resilience hubs in Oakland’s 2030 Equitable Climate Action Plan;
- Make parks part of equitable, complete, sustainable neighborhoods in the updated General Plan; and,
- Imagine parks in a comprehensive community safety approach.
You can also join us at our April 29th Spring For Parks to help get kids into nature this summer; contribute, or give Shuumi, to the Sogorea’Te Land Trust for indigenous land stewardship; and support our general fund to activate parks and programs for everyone in Oakland.
To the Earth and to Oakland!