Benefits of Parks and Greenways to American Communities Term Paper

Parks and greenways contribute towards staying fit and healthy and help us in providing mental relaxation by recreation activities. Apart from the physical fitness parks contribute towards presenting a comprehensive picture of human health at individual, societal and global level therefore parks are used to illustrate patterns of human health in relation to the social environment. Parks represent the true picture of a sustainable environment where American communities enjoy the benefits of parks and greenways in context environmental sustainability.

Greenways help in preventing our vegetation and soil from unnecessary pollutants even before it reaches natural water sources. The greenways are responsible for controlling air and noise pollution, and providing fresh environment for the American communities (Markeson, 2007). Parks play multiple roles in protecting our communities and not only serve as integral parts of our physical, social, emotional, and in some cases, spiritual landscapes but also provide public gathering places (Harnik & Simms, December 2004). In this paper we would discuss the significance of trees and greenery in context with the ecological and social environment. Starting from ecological benefits we would also discuss the psychological and health benefits parks have on us.

According to Dougherty (1992) “America’s national parks are not less than a phenomenon of nature gifting and blessing with the best and most unique elements of Mother Earth. Each year, it is through our national parks that thousands of people are allured to relish their beauty and recreational opportunities. Apart from the elder people, parks serve as national treasures for our children who being influenced after love for animals and curiosity about the unusual in nature stimulate their interest in learning nature. A study of national parks is linked to the promotion of many other topics of interest and value to children” (Dougherty, 1992)

How planting trees contribute towards environment?

Trees plantation begins in grade school and youth organizations, where tree planting is linked with civic duty, local and national identity, beautification, and environmental health. Children are encouraged to identify with the trees they plant, to appreciate the long-term investment that comes with the life of a healthy tree, and to take pride in the stewardship that the planting represents. Since trees are regular characters in the classroom throughout the year, the tree planting message is directed at the post-school and post- youth group population through the civic tree planting activities typical of communities across America. Trees are planted to beautify areas and gain local recognition.

Tree planting efforts in America is often considered as advertisements among many of the large timber firms and their trade associations that showcase their tree planting efforts in order to promote a pro-environment image. They are aimed to convey the message of promoting both the number of trees planted and the environmental benefit that they provide, directed at the general populace, civic groups, and policy makers (Cohen, 204, p. 19).

The nutrients in sewage waste matter are used to grow other crops. In countries like Scandinavia and Poland, the waste matter from sewage works is diverted into large areas planted with willow trees for the reason that the trees grow rapidly because of the extra supply of nutrients in the water and they are regularly pruned to provide wood for burning in domestic fires, for power generation or for paper manufacture. Trees are beneficial for providing us with wax and oil fats that are built up from glycerol and fatty acids. An example before us is that of ‘palmitin’ or palm oil because of its presence in the pulp of the fruit of palm trees (Best, 1999, p. 16).

Certain tree and shrub species can act as bio-accumulators in large industrial cities, particularly accumulating elements such as heavy metals without detrimental effects to the plant material (Woolley, 2003, p. 40). The toxic elements accumulated in the leaves of deciduous vegetation are thus removed when leaf fall occurs, reducing the concentration of such elements in the atmosphere in vegetated areas. Contamination and accumulation maps often indicate that the most unfavourable stress areas are in the industrial, central residential and office districts of the city. So in order to carry on with improvement of the air quality of a city it is required to increase green areas by approaches that include the protection of existing forest areas; the introduction of new forest areas; the establishment of new parks, recreation grounds and green sports grounds; the planting of street trees and improved care of parks and gardens.

Evidence has also revealed that trees can reduce dust particles in the air to as little as 10-15 per cent of the dust found in a similar street with no trees (Johnston and Newton, 1996). Further research has revealed that broad-leaved trees can reduce the ambient temperature by up to 17 per cent, over and above grassland, while coniferous plantations can achieve a reduction of 117 per cent (Broadmeadow and Freer-Smith, 1996).

Perhaps the most obvious benefit of trees is that they absorb and reflect solar radiation, thus providing shade. US Research while studying the shade of coniferous and deciduous trees-both in summer with leaves and in the winter without leaves has identified that by absorbing and scattering solar radiation trees can contribute to a reduction in the glare that exists in many cities as a result of the many buildings constructed of glass and light-coloured materials (Federer, 1976). One of these studies was undertaken in Texas in 1980 and evaluated the impact of tree shade from 50 to 60 foot high oak trees upon an established housing area of 15 to 20 years. Analysis of the results revealed that tree shade did in fact reduce energy requirements of air conditioning systems in the climatic context of the study area (Rudie and Dewers, 1984). Such shade provision is seen to be a positive thing in some parts of the world but there is also some concern that tree shading can interfere with solar collectors, both in summer and by bare branches in winter months.

Parks and Environmental Benefits – Some facts

Substantial environmental benefits of parks include those green spaces in urban areas that according to a U.S. Forest Service calculate over a 50-year lifetime. Research on parks benefits concludes what Sherer M. Paul indicates that “one tree generates $31,250 worth of oxygen, provides $62,000 worth of air pollution control, recycles $37,500 worth of water, and controls $31,250 worth of soil erosion” (Sherer, The Trust for Public Land 2006). Facts about parks hold clear evidence of removing an estimated 1,821 metric tons of air pollution in New York City in the year 1994. Any area that covers 100 percent trees such as contiguous forest stands within parks; possess the capability to remove from the air as much as 15 percent of the ozone, 14 percent of the sulfur dioxide, 13 percent of the particulate matter, 8 percent of the nitrogen dioxide, and 0.05 percent of the carbon monoxide (Sherer, The Trust for Public Land 2006)

When we talk about parks’ significance in environmental sociology, it is obvious that we are identifying the contribution trees have on American society. Trees having a powerful hold in nature and the environment help to cope with environmental crises over nature. Trees have long been invested with positive associations and symbols; they are powerful mechanisms for carrying out different sociological agendas because their meanings and uses can be manipulated and directed to a variety of ends (Cohen, 2004, p. 1).

With the help of yeasts neighborhoods across America are able to detect the most polluted areas while tracking down their source of pollution. Environmental pollution enables us to research and look at those species which are most sensitive to pollution. Plants and trees help us for assessing air pollution as they can tolerate a variety of pollutants at quite high levels, as is shown by the numbers of trees and flowers in city centres where the air is of poor quality because of traffic fumes. Tree tops in many parks and forests form a continuous canopy, that offer a kind of shelter and food for a host of plant and animal species many of which never descend to the forest floor (Nath et al, 1999, p. 153).

Researchers find that communities find solace and mental relaxation in viewing effects from contemplating an aquarium, or an animal in the room, and from viewing images of natural spaces like parks, streams, mountains, or gardens. In such cases the influence of the stimulus is assessed over a brief period where several studies describe a large and consistent body of data on the stress-reducing effects of viewing natural settings and still pictures of natural settings. The same kinds of stress reduction and physiological change are evident in reduced blood pressure and heart rate and are observed when people contemplate moving animals, specifically tropical fish swimming in a tank

Parks, greenery, greenways – all give us a concept of an ecological public health that is not new to us and has emerged in the past decade in response to a new range of health issues and problems. This change can be described as a shift in risk patterns that have taken American communities from new global ecological risks that pose risk to health to those health risks that are associated with the social, cultural and economic organisations of these societies. These risk patterns that are related with the cause and effect of ‘purity’ issues, dearth clear cause and do not allow for simple, straightforward cause-effect interventions. In many cases such risks that arise from being impure are tend to be global and finite and once contracted they can be diagnosed, sometimes alleviated, rarely cured. Lack of parks or dearth of communities in parks generates risks that generally build up silently and invisibly over time and then emerge as a breakdown in people’s bodies and in the social and physical environment.

How Parks help us acquiring physical fitness and sociological benefits?

Parks and greenways are an indicative factor towards the provision of safe and clean play areas, for the promotion of physical activity and relaxation. Open spaces play an important part in providing opportunities for the activities suggested by the above evidence. Children of both pre-school and school ages can benefit from a range of open spaces, such as playgrounds, parks, school playgrounds and playing fields that are designed and maintained in a suitable manner. With the ongoing increase in the older population, parks are the best source of acquiring mental relaxation for the older people. Cardiovascular endurance and body composition can be developed by the activity of walking, which requires open spaces for its participation. In addition research has shown, and it is now widely accepted, that walking is a good method for preventing the onset of osteoporosis, which is of particular concern to women.

The sociological benefits of parks also targets women because open spaces provide opportunities for relaxation and recreation for women and children. Although a generalisation to some extent, research has identified that the ‘ethic of care’, which is a model of moral development, is exhibited more by women than men. This ethic of care may relate to caring for children, older relatives, friends and even strangers (Day, 2000). A wide variety of reasons have been given as constraints to women’s use of public space including limited time, money and mobility, isolation, lack of services, constrained emotions such as fear, responsibilities and social norms. The ethic of care is seen by some as one of these constraints to women’s use of public spaces, including public open spaces such as parks, but this moral code can also be a positive reason for the use of public space. Many women with children only go to open spaces to take the children and while there they may engage in discussion with and caring for other parents, old people and even strangers. Thus the ethic of care can in fact have a positive impact on public open space by reducing the fear of crime and enhancing the perception of safety (Day, 2000).

Experiment demonstrating the significance of Parks and Greenery

The beneficial effect of scenes of nature dominated by vegetation over urban landscape was studied with respect to relief of stress. Following an examination, assumed to be a stressful experience, forty-six students at the University of Delaware undertook a test to measure their emotions and levels of anxiety. Half of the students were then exposed to a series of slide photographs of urban scenes, with no vegetation, while the other half were exposed to a series of slide photographs depicting landscape scenes with vegetation. The initial test to measure emotions and anxiety was then repeated with all students.

There were clear differences between the two groups of students with respect to their emotional and stress measures, following exposure to the two different types of photographs. Those students who had been exposed to the scenes of nature dominated by vegetation had results that were consistent with a pattern of improvement in a sense of well-being. This included increases in all four measures of positive affect together with a reduction in the negative feelings of fear arousal, strongly suggesting that exposure to the ‘nature dominated by vegetation’ scenes had had a mitigating impact on the anxiety level of the participants. In direct contrast to this not only were the responses of participants who had been exposed to urban landscape scenes similar to those when they were tested but some responses had actually deteriorated, with a clear trend towards lower levels of psychological well-being exhibited (Woolley, 2003, p. 30).

A further piece of research, engaging students in Delaware in a variety of research techniques, revealed that park scene which all contained grass and trees were preferred over views of commercial, university campus and residential locations, which mainly contained little or no grass or trees.

In the community, parks serve as a cornerstone in minimizing environmental threats to us such as hazardous wastes and pollution. In such conditions where American rural and urban areas are getting over crowded with industrial activities, I consider parks not only as a blessing to concern about our health but also to take measures to reduce environmental threats as much as we can. For example, dying trees and fish, are starkly visible, there is a need to concern about the global issues such as climate change, ozone depletion, and loss of biodiversity driven by ideology, special interests, and emotion. Since population and consumption are growing, we can expect greater environmental health problems.

Hearts N’ Parks contribution

Parks also affects our lifestyles to the extent where we can think in diverse aspects about the consequences we face for not visiting parks and open spaces. This notion works best when we see ‘obesity’ around us, therefore acting on the premise to reduce nationwide obesity the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute and the National Recreation and Park Association of America developed “Hearts N’ Parks”. “Hearts N’ Parks aim is to motivate American communities to organize regular activities to improve lifestyle choices through park and recreation departments and other community-based agencies. It also provides community based organizations a chance to gain public recognition for encouraging healthy behaviours as well as developing partnerships to further enrich children’s as well as elder activities. Hearts N’ Parks with the coordination of parks and recreation departments positively impact individuals of all ages who are vulnerable to unhealthy living and eating habits. Therefore it is through the contribution and efforts of the park and recreation professionals that Hearts N’ Parks has been able to support five categories relating to human health, heart risks, obesity risks, improper physical activities, causes of high blood pressure and controlling high blood cholesterol (Hearts N’ Parks, 2004). Recreational professionals have contributed to the availability of parks, public swimming pools, hiking and biking trails, and other places for physical activity (Hultsman, 1999)

Conclusion

From environmental/ecological benefits to a healthy life style, parks serve us in every aspect of human ecology. Parks even provide shelters with sleeping accommodations with huge accommodations for sparkling water. Ideal as picnic spots or hiking places, parks serve us in every manner. As a natural hiker, parks provide good trails for hiking for the youngsters or aged people while an educational enjoyment to the children. They are the means of establishing a communication channel between us and ecology. In this manner parks provide us with the opportunity to understand human nature in context with what Mother Nature upholds for us. Parks ecologically serve us in dual ways; they not only provide great visions of wildlife to the visitors but also take measures to protect the wildlife within parks by imposing some restrictions upon us. Parks refreshes our minds and subconscious by connecting us with animals, birds, flowers, and trees, and even with the humblest forms of organic life. With natural green trails and many varieties of wild flowers with and without fragrance, parks provide our inner selves a sense of freedom and serenity which we are otherwise unable to find.

The scenic beauty parks present us with the presence of rocks and sometimes aquatic pleasures along with the flowers and wilderness of animals, forest and grassland every time encourages us to study environment – that environment which we confronts in our daily life and that which is hidden behind the scope of wildness, only seen in parks.

Work Cited

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