THE OXFORD NATURE PARK
The Oxford Nature Park exists! It is the sum total of every scrap of green and blue space that welcomes wildlife across the city. We may not always recognise it as one big habitat, but our wildlife does - the butterflies, birds, and wildflowers don’t recognise human ownership and boundaries - they will go where they can. Every nature reserve, park, verge, garden, allotment and green rooftop across the city and beyond adds up to one vast interconnected space where wildlife can exist. And at a time when wildlife is under threat world wide, and with it, the ability of humans to thrive or even live, urban wildlife habitats need to be seen and treasured by humans too.
But we don’t have to be romantic about wildlife. For the more economically focused, the Oxford Nature Park is an invaluable asset for our economy:
Health Care Professionals know that green space is vital for wellbeing, and is increasingly being used as a therapeutic option, potentially reducing healthcare costs and improving the health of the workforce.
Teachers know that the availability of local green spaces are invaluable for engaging and educating young people in education.
Business leaders know that the skills and aptitudes acquired through learning in nature, such as teamwork, resilience, problem solving and empathy are vital for all aspects of the economy.
Community leaders know that levelling up human access to nature across the city will also help to address a key component of inequality.
Making it visible to humans too
Evelyn Sanderson, Kim Polgreen and Marcus Simmons are all members of the Oxfordshire community who are working on this project to make the ONP more visible to everyone. We are working out how best to put all the spaces onto a map that everyone else can look at and add to.
We are also working on engaging with local teens through schools and Duke of Edinburgh volunteering to help populate the map.
Supporters so far
We have been so delighted to have support from various organisations and individuals across the County. If you’d like to get involved, offer an opinion, give us a hand, please do get in touch with kim@oxfordearthacademy.org.